green like the sward whereon she lay. She was playing with the
welling out of the water, and she had trussed up her sleeves to the
shoulder that she might thrust her bare arms therein. Her shoes of
black leather lay on the grass beside her, and her feet and legs yet
shone with the brook.

Belike amidst the splashing and clatter of the water she did not
hear him drawing nigh, so that he was close to her before she lifted
up her face and saw him, and he beheld her, that it was the maiden
of the thrice-seen pageant. She reddened when she saw him, and
hastily covered up her legs with her gown-skirt, and drew down the
sleeves over her arms, but otherwise stirred not. As for him, he
stood still, striving to speak to her; but no word might he bring
out, and his heart beat sorely.

But the maiden spake to him in a clear sweet voice, wherein was now
no trouble: "Thou art an alien, art thou not? For I have not seen
thee before."

"Yea," he said, "I am an alien; wilt thou be good to me?"

She said: "And why not? I was afraid at first, for I thought it
had been the King's Son. I looked to see none other; for of goodly
men he has been the only one here in the land this long while, till
thy coming."

He said: "Didst thou look for my coming at about this time?"

"O nay," she said; "how might I?"