But the woman, even the Friend, bestirred herself for the service of
the guest, and brought water for his hands and feet, and when she had
washed him, bore him the wine of Welcome and drank to him and bade
him drink; and he all the while was shamefaced; for it was to him as
if one of the Ladies of the Heavenly Burg were doing him service.
Then she went away by a door at the lower end of the hall, and Wild-
wearer came and sat down by Gold-mane, and fell a-talking with him
about the ways of the Dalesmen, and their garths, and the pastures
and growths thereof; and what temper the carles themselves were of;
which were good men, which were ill, which was loved and which
scorned; no otherwise than if he had been the goodman of some
neighbouring dale; and Gold-mane told him whatso he knew, for he saw
no harm therein.
After a while the outer door opened, and there came in a woman of
some five-and-twenty winters, trimly and strongly built; short-
skirted she was and clad as a hunter, with a bow in her hand and a
quiver at her back: she unslung a pouch, which she emptied at Wild-
wearer's feet of a leash of hares and two brace of mountain grouse;
of Face-of-god she took but little heed.
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