looked on him and marvelled.

Now she hung her head before him and wished he would speak,
and even so did he, and said: "Maiden, when I first saw
thee from amidst of the bush by the river yonder, I deemed
thou wert a wood-wight, or some one of the she-Gods of the
Gentiles come back hither. For this is a lonely place, and
some might deem that the Devil hath might here more than in
other places; and when I saw thee, that thou wouldst do off
thy raiment to bathe thee, though soothly I longed to lie
hidden there, I feared thee, lest thou shouldst be angry
with me if I were to see thee unclad; so I came away; yet I
went not far, for I was above all things yearning to see
thee; and sooth it is, that hadst thou not crossed the
water, I should presently have crossed it myself to seek
thee, wert thou Goddess, or wood-wife, or whatever might
have come of it. But now thou art come to us, and I have
heard thy voice beseeching me not to bring thee to
Greenharbour, I see that thou art a woman of the kindred of
Adam. And yet so it is, that even now I fear thee somewhat.
Yet I will pray thee not to be wroth if I ask thee whether I
may do aught for thy need."

Now she began somewhat to smile, and she looked him full in
the face, and said: "Forsooth, my need is simple, for I am
hungry."

He smote himself on the breast, and said: "See now, what a
great fool I am, not to have known it without telling,
instead of making long-winded talk about myself. Come