Page:The Sundering Flood - Morris - 1898.djvu/73

 for him to praise this new-wrought adornment. So he said: Thou art in fairer guise than when first I saw thee; is there any high-tide toward at thy stead? Nay, she said; I did this because I looked to see thee to-day, whereas the other time we happed on each other unawares. But hast thou done any more great deeds? He laughed and said: Nay, nay, let me grow a few days older yet. Nevertheless there is this new thing, that this morning I have brought thee a gift which I deem I may flit to thee, and I shall give it to thee with a good will if thou wilt promise that thou wilt not part with it ever. With all my heart will I promise that, she said; but tell me what it is; show it to me. He drew it forth and held it up between his finger and thumb, and said: It is a golden penny, very fair, and I deem it comes from some far country. My mother gave it to me when I was very young; yet I remember that she bade me part not with it, save I should give it to one unto whom I wished all luck, for that she deemed that luck went with it. Now thou art so fair and so dear, and my only fellow of a like age, that I wish luck to thee as much as luck can be found; so I will flit it to thee this wise, that I will do it up in a piece of cloth and tie it to the head of this arrow, which is of no account, and shoot it over to thee. And therewith he knelt down and fell to wrapping it up in a rag.

As for the maiden, she was all eager and quivering with joy at the getting of such a gift; yet she spake and said: O how good thou art to me: yet