tissue and commend the work, and then sought the peristyle.

Near the water-spring that gushed free and bright through the Roman
fountain, he found Edith, seated in an attitude of deep thought and
gloomy dejection. She started as he approached, and, springing
forward to meet him, exclaimed:

"O Gurth, Heaven hath sent thee to me, I know well, though I cannot
explain to thee why, for I cannot explain it to myself; but know I do,
by the mysterious bodements of my own soul, that some great danger is
at this moment encircling thy brother Harold. Go to him, I pray, I
implore thee, forthwith; and let thy clear sense and warm heart be by
his side."

"I will go instantly," said Gurth, startled. "But do not suffer, I
adjure thee, sweet kinswoman, the superstition that wraps this place,
as a mist wraps a marsh, to infect thy pure spirit. In my early youth
I submitted to the influence of Hilda; I became man, and outgrew it.
Much, secretly, has it grieved me of late, to see that our kinswoman's
Danish lore has brought even the strong heart of Harold under his
spell; and where once he only spoke of duty, I now hear him speak of
fate."

"Alas! alas!" answered Edith, wringing her hands; "when the bird hides
its head in the brake, doth it shut out the track of the hound? Can
we baffle fate by refusing to heed its approaches? But we waste
precious moments. Go, Gurth, dear Gurth! Heavier and darker, while
we speak, gathers the cloud on my heart."

Gurth said no more, but hastened to remount his steed; and Edith