was in the full moon, the more withered and worn did she become
as the moon waned. At the time at which my story has now arrived,
she looked, when the moon was small or gone, like an old woman
exhausted with suffering. This was the more painful that her
appearance was unnatural; for her hair and eyes did not change.
Her wan face was both drawn and wrinkled, and had an eager hungry look.
Her skinny hands moved as if wishing, but unable, to lay hold
of something. Her shoulders were bent forward, her chest went in,
and she stooped as if she were eighty years old. At last she had
to be put to bed, and there await the flow of the tide of life.
But she grew to dislike being seen, still more being touched
by any hands, during this season. One lovely summer evening,
when the moon lay all but gone upon the verge of the horizon,
she vanished from her attendants, and it was only after searching
for her a long time in great terror, that they found her fast
asleep in the forest, at the foot of a silver birch, and carried
her home.

A little way from the palace there was a great open glade, covered with
the greenest and softest grass. This was her favourite haunt;
for here the full moon shone free and glorious, while through a vista
in the trees she could generally see more or less of the dying moon
as it crossed the opening. Here she had a little rustic house
built for her, and here she mostly resided. None of the court
might go there without leave, and her own attendants had learned
by this time not to be officious in waiting upon her, so that she
was very much at liberty. Whether the good fairies had anything
to do with it or not I cannot tell, but at last she got into the way
of retreating further into the wood every night as the moon waned,
so that sometimes they had great trouble in finding her; but as she