At last he came to where there was an open place, straight-sided,
longer than it was wide, with a wall on each side of it, over which
showed the blossomed boughs of pear and cherry and plum-trees: on
either hand before the wall was a row of great lindens, now showing
their first tender green, especially on their lower twigs, where they
were sheltered by the wall. At the nether end of this place Folk-
might saw a grey stone house, and he went towards it betwixt the
lindens, for it seemed right great, and presently was but a score of
paces from its door, and as yet there was no man, carle or queen,
stirring about it.
It was a long low house with a very steep roof; but belike the hall
was built over some undercroft, for many steps went up to the door on
either hand; and the doorway was low, with a straight lintel under
its arch. This house, like the House of the Face, seemed ancient and
somewhat strange, and Folk-might could not choose but take note of
it. The front was all of good ashlar work, but it was carven all
over, without heed being paid to the joints of the stones, into one
picture of a flowery meadow, with tall trees and bushes in it, and
fowl perched in the trees and running through the grass, and sheep
and kine and oxen and horses feeding down the meadow; and over the
door at the top of the stair was wrought a great steer bigger than
all the other neat, whose head was turned toward the sun-rising and
uplifted with open mouth, as though he were lowing aloud.
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