of　content；　but　the　Sea…eagle　and　his　damsel　were　grown　merry　again；
  and　talked　and　sang　together　like　autumn　stares；　with　the　kissing　and
  caressing　of　lovers。
  So　at　last　those　twain　lay　down　amongst　the　flowers；　and　slept　in
  each　other's　arms；　but　Hallblithe　betook　him　to　the　brake　a　little
  aloof；　and　lay　down；　but　slept　not　till　morning　was　at　hand；　when
  slumber　and　confused　dreams　overtook　him。
  He　was　awaked　from　his　sleep　by　the　damsel；　who　came　pushing　through
  the　thicket　all　fresh　and　rosy　from　the　river；　and　roused　him；　and
  said：
  〃Awake　now；　Spearman；　that　we　may　take　our　pleasure　in　the　sun；　for
  he　is　high　in　the　heavens　now；　and　all　the　land　laughs　beneath　him。〃
  Her　eyes　glittered　as　she　spoke；　and　her　limbs　moved　under　her
  raiment　as　though　she　would　presently　fall　to　dancing　for　very　joy。
  But　Hallblithe　arose　wearily；　and　gave　her　back　no　smile　in　answer；
  but　thrust　through　the　thicket　to　the　water；　and　washed　the　night
  from　off　him；　and　so　came　back　to　the　twain　as　they　sat　dallying
  together　over　their　breakfast。　　He　would　not　sit　down　by　them；　but
  ate　a　morsel　of　bread　as　he　stood；　and　said：　　〃Tell　me　how　I　can
  soonest　find　the　King：　　I　bid　you　not　lead　me　thither；　but　let　me　go
  my　ways　alone。　　For　with　me　time　presses；　and　with　you　meseemeth　time
  is　nought。　　Neither　am　I　a　meet　fellow　for　the　happy。〃
  But　the　Sea…eagle　sprang　up；　and　swore　with　a　great　oath　that　he
  would　nowise　leave　his　shipmate　in　the　lurch。　　And　the　damsel　said：
  〃Fair　man；　I　had　best　go　with　thee；　I　shall　not　hinder　thee；　but
  further　thee　rather；　so　that　thou　shalt　make　one　day's　journey　of
  two。〃
  And　she　put　forth　her　hand　to　him；　and　caressed　him　smiling；　and
  fawned　upon　him；　and　he　heeded　it　little；　but　hung　not　aback　from
  them　since　they　were　ready　for　the　road：　　so　they　set　forth　all　three
  together。
  They　made　such　diligence　on　the　backward　road　that　the　sun　was　not
  set　by　then　they　came　to　Wood…end；　and　there　was　the　King　sitting　in
  the　door　of　his　pavilion。　　Thither　went　Hallblithe　straight；　and
  thrust　through　the　throng；　and　stood　before　the　King；　who　greeted　him
  kindly；　and　was　no　less　sweet　of　face　than　on　that　other　day。
  Hallblithe　hailed　him　not；　but　said：　　〃King；　look　on　my　anguish；　and
  if　thou　art　other　than　a　king　of　dreams　and　lies；　play　no　longer　with
  me；　but　tell　me　straight　out　if　thou　knowest　of　my　troth…plight
  maiden；　whether　she　is　in　this　land　or　not。〃
  Then　the　King　smiled　on　him　and　said：　　〃True　it　is　that　I　know　of
  her；　yet　know　I　not　whether　she　is　in　this　land　or　not。〃
  〃King；〃　said　Hallblithe；　〃wilt　thou　bring　us　together　and　stay　my
  heart's　bleeding？〃
  Said　the　King：　　〃I　cannot；　since　I　know　not　where　she　is。〃
  〃Why　didst　thou　lie　to　me　the　other　day？〃　said　Hallblithe。
  〃I　lied　not；〃　said　the　King；　〃I　bade　bring　thee　to　the　woman　that
  loved　thee；　and　whom　thou　shouldst　love；　and　that　is　my　daughter。
  And　look　thou！　　Even　as　I　may　not　bring　thee　to　thine　earthly　love；
  so　couldst　thou　not　make　thyself　manifest　before　my　daughter；　and
  become　her　deathless　love。　　Is　it　not　enough？〃
  He　spake　sternly　for　all　that　he　smiled；　and　Hallblithe　said：　　〃O
  King；　have　pity　on　me！〃
  〃Yea；〃　said　the　King；　〃pity　thee　I　do：　　but　I　will　live　despite　thy
  sorrow；　my　pity　of　thee　shall　not　slay　me；　or　make　thee　happy。　　Even
  in　such　wise　didst　thou　pity　my　daughter。〃
  Said　Hallblithe：　　〃Thou　art　mighty；　O　King；　and　maybe　the　mightiest。
  Wilt　thou　not　help　me？〃
  〃How　can　I　help　thee？〃　said　the　King；　〃thou　who　wilt　not　help
  thyself。　　Thou　hast　seen　what　thou　shouldst　do：　　do　it　then　and　be
  holpen。〃
  Then　said　Hallblithe：　　〃Wilt　thou　not　slay　me；　O　King；　since　thou
  wilt　not　do　aught　else？〃
  〃Nay；〃　said　the　King；　〃thy　slaying　wilt　not　serve　me　nor　mine：　　I
  will　neither　help　nor　hinder。　　Thou　art　free　to　seek　thy　love
  wheresoever　thou　wilt　in　this　my　realm。　　Depart　in　peace！〃
  Hallblithe　saw　that　the　King　was　angry；　though　he　smiled　upon　him；
  yet　so　coldly；　that　the　face　of　him　froze　the　very　marrow　of
  Hallblithe's　bones：　　and　he　said　within　himself：　　〃This　King　of　lies
  shall　not　slay　me；　though　mine　anguish　be　hard　to　bear：　　for　I　am
  alive；　and　it　may　be　that　my　love　is　in　this　land；　and　I　may　find　her
  here；　and　how　to　reach　another　land　I　know　not。〃
  So　he　turned　from　before　the　face　of　the　King　as　the　sun　was　setting；
  and　he　went　down　the　land　southward　betwixt　the　mountains　and　the
  sea；　not　heeding　whether　it　were　night　or　day；　and　he　went　on　till　it
  was　long　past　midnight；　and　then　for　mere　weariness　laid　him　down
  under　a　tree；　not　knowing　where　he　was；　and　fell　asleep。
  And　in　the　morning　he　woke　up　to　the　bright　sun；　and　found　folk
  standing　round　about　him；　both　men　and　women；　and　their　sheep　were
  anigh　them；　for　they　were　shepherd　folk。　　So　when　they　saw　that　he
  was　awake；　they　greeted　him；　and　were　blithe　with　him　and　made　much
  of　him：　　and　they　took　him　home　to　their　house；　and　gave　him　to　eat
  and　to　drink；　and　asked　him　what　he　would　that　they　might　serve　him。
  And　they　seemed　to　him　to　be　kind　and　simple　folk；　and　though　he
  loathed　to　speak　the　words；　so　sick　at　heart　he　was；　yet　he　told　them
  how　he　was　seeking　his　troth…plight　maiden；　his　earthly　love；　and
  asked　them　to　say　if　they　had　seen　any　woman　like　her。
  They　heard　him　kindly　and　pitied　him；　and　told　him　how　they　had　heard
  of　a　woman　in　the　land；　who　sought　her　beloved　even　as　he　sought　his。
  And　when　he　heard　that；　his　heart　leapt　up；　and　he　asked　them　to　tell
  him　more　concerning　this　woman。　　Then　they　said　that　she　dwelt　in　the
  hill…country　in　a　goodly　house；　and　had　set　her　heart　on　a　lovely
  man；　whose　image　she　had　seen　in　a　book；　and　that　no　man　but　this　one
  would　content　her；　and　this；　they　said；　was　a　sad　and　sorry　matter；
  such　as　was　unheard　of　hitherto　in　the　land。
  So　when　Hallblithe　heard　this；　as　heavily　as　his　heart　fell　again；　he
  changed　not　countenance；　but　thanked　the　kind　folk　and　departed；　and
  went　on　down　the　land　betwixt　the　mountains　and　the　sea；　and　before
  nightfall　he　had　been　into　three　more　houses　of　folk；　and　asked　there
  of　all　comers　concerning　a　woman　who　was　sundered　from　her　beloved；
  and　at　none　of　them　gat　he　any　answer　to　make　him　less　sorry　than
  yesterday。　　At　the　last　of　the　three　he　slept；　and　on　the　morrow
  early　there　was　the　work　to　begin　again；　and　the　next　day　was　the
  same　as　the　last；　and　the　day　after　differed　not　from　it。　　Thus　he
  went　on　seeking　his　beloved　betwixt　the　mountains　and　the　plain；　till
  the　great　rock…wall　came　down　to　the　side　of　the　sea　and　made　an　end
  of　the　Glittering　Plain　on　that　side。　　Then　he　turned　about　and　went
  back　by　the　way　he　had　come；　and　up　the　country　betwixt　the　mountains
  and　the　plain　northward；　until　he　had　been　into　every　house　of　folk
  in　those　parts　and　asked　his　question。
  Then　he　went　up　into　that　fair　country　of　the　dales；　and　even　anigh
  to　where　dwelt　the　King's　Daughter；　and　otherwhere　in　the　land　and
  everywhere；　quartering　the　realm　of　the　Glittering　Plain　as　the　heron
  quarters　the　flooded　meadow　when　the　waters　draw　aback　into　the
  river。　　So　that　now　all　people　knew　him　when　he　came；　and　they
  wondered　at　him；　but　when　he　came　to　any　house　for　the　third　or
  fourth　time；　they　wearied　of　him；　and　were　glad　when　he　departed。
  Ever　it　was　one　of　two　answers　that　he　had：　　either　folk　said　to　him；
  〃There　is　no　such　woman；　this　land　is　happy；　and　nought　but　happy
  people　dwell　herein；〃　or　else　they　told　him　of　the　woman　who　lived　in
  sorrow；　and　was　ever　looking　on　a　book；　that　she　might　bring　to　her
  the　man　whom　she　desired。
  Whiles　he　wearied　and　longed　for　death；　but　would　not　die　until　there
  was　no　corner　of　the　land　unsearched。　　Whiles　he　shook　off　weariness；
  and　went　about　his　quest　as　a　craftsman　sets　about　his　work　in　the
  morning。　　Whiles　it　irked　him　to　see　the　soft　and　merry　folk　of　the
  land；　who　had　no　skill　to　help　him；　and　he　longed　for　the　house　of
  his　fathers　and　the　men　of　the　spear　and　the　plough；　and　thought；
  〃Oh；　if　I　might　but　get　me　back；　if　it　were　but　for　an　hour　and　to
  die　there；　to　the　meadows　of　the　Raven；　and　the　acres　beneath　the
  mountains　of　Cleveland　by　the　Sea。　　Then　at　least　should　I　learn　some
  tale　of　what　is　or　what　hath　been；　howsoever　evil　the　tidings　were；
  and　not　be　bandied　about　by　lies　for　ever。〃
  CHAPTER　XV：　　YET　HALLBLITHE　SPEAKETH　WITH　THE　KING
  So　wore　the　days　and　the　moons；　and　now　were　some　six　moons　worn
  since　first　he　came　to　the　Glittering　Plain；　and　he　was　come　to　Wood…
  end　again；　and　heard　and　knew　that　the　King　was　sitting　once　more　in
  the　door　of　his　pavilion　to　hearken　to　the　words　of　his　people；　and
  he　said　to　himself：　　〃I　will　speak　yet　again　to　this　man；　if　indeed
  he　be　a　man；　yea；　though　he　turn　me　into　stone。〃
  And　he　went　up　toward　the　pavilion；　and　on　the　way　it　came　into　his
  mind　what　the　men　of　the　kindred　were　doing　that　morn