of worship and friends beloved. Howbeit, whatso might lie
before her, she put a good face upon it, and did to those
about her queenly and with all courtesy.

Five days they rode from Leashowe north away, by thorpe and
town and mead and river, till the land became little
peopled, and the sixth day they rode the wild-wood ways,
where was no folk, save now and again the little cot of some
forester or collier; but the seventh day, about noon, they
came into a clearing of the wood, a rugged little plain of
lea-land, mingled with marish, with a little deal of
acre-land in barley and rye, round about a score of poor
frame-houses set down scattermeal about the lea. But on a
long ridge, at the northern end of the said plain, was a
grey castle, strong, and with big and high towers, yet not
so much greater than was Leashowe, deemed Goldilind, as for
a dwelling-house.

Howbeit, they entered the said castle, and within, as
without, it was somewhat grim, though nought was lacking of
plenishing due for folk knightly. Long it were to tell of
its walls and baileys and chambers; but let this suffice,
that on the north side, toward the thick forest, was a
garden of green-sward and flowers and potherbs; and a
garth-wall of grey stone, not very high, was the only
defence thereof toward the wood, but it was overlooked by a
tall tower of the great wall, which hight the Foresters'
Tower. In the said outer garth-wall also was a postern,
whereby there was not seldom coming in and going out.