Not long had he worked ere he heard the sound of horsehoofs once
more, and he looked not up, but said to himself, "It is but the lads
bringing back the teams from the acres, and riding fast and driving
hard for joy of heart and in wantonness of youth."

But the sound grew nearer and he looked up and saw over the turf wall
of the garth the flutter of white raiment; and he said:

"Nay, it is the maidens coming back from the seashore and the
gathering of wrack."

So he set himself the harder to his work, and laughed, all alone as
he was, and said: "She is with them: now I will not look up again
till they have ridden into the garth, and she has come from among
them, and leapt off her horse, and cast her arms about my neck as her
wont is; and it will rejoice her then to mock me with hard words and
kind voice and longing heart; and I shall long for her and kiss her,
and sweet shall the coming days seem to us: and the daughters of our
folk shall look on and be kind and blithe with us."

Therewith rode the maidens into the garth, but he heard no sound of
laughter or merriment amongst them, which was contrary to their wont;
and his heart fell, and it was as if instead of the maidens' laughter
the voices of those wayfarers came back upon the wind crying out, "Is
this the Land? Is this the Land?"

Then he looked up hastily, and saw the maidens drawing near, ten of
the House of the Raven, and three of the House of the Rose; and he