We left Una in a piteous plight, in the hands of a cruel enemy, the
pagan knight Lawless.
Paying no heed to her tears and entreaties, he placed her on his horse,
and rode off with her till he came to a great forest.
Una was almost in despair, for there seemed no hope of any rescue. But
suddenly there came a wonderful way of deliverance.
In the midst of the thick wood Lawless halted to rest. This forest was
inhabited by numbers of strange wild creatures, quite untaught, almost
savages. Hearing Una’s cries for help, they came flocking up to see what
was the matter. Their fierce, rough appearance so frightened Lawless
that he jumped on to his horse and rode away as fast as he could.
When the wild wood-folk came up they found Una sitting desolate and
alone. They were amazed at such a strange sight, and pitied her sad
condition. They all stood astonished at her loveliness, and could not
imagine how she had come there.
Una, for her part, was greatly terrified, not knowing whether some fresh
danger awaited her. Half in fear, half in hope, she sat still in
amazement. Seeing that she looked so sorrowful, the savages tried to
show that they meant to be friendly. They smiled, and came forward
gently, and kissed her feet. Then she guessed that their hearts were
kind, and she arose fearlessly and went with them, no longer afraid of
any evil.
Full of gladness, they led her along, shouting and singing and dancing
round her, and strewing all the ground with green branches, as if she
had been a queen. Thus they brought her to their chief, old Sylvanus.
When Sylvanus saw her, like the rest he was astonished at her beauty,
for he had never seen anything so fair. Her fame spread through the
forest, and all the other dwellers in it came to look at her. The
Hamadryads, who live in the trees, and the Naiades, who live in the
flowing fountains, all came flocking to see her lovely face. As for the
woodlanders, henceforth they thought no one on earth fair but Una.
Glad at such good fortune, Una was quite contented to please the simple
folk. She stayed a long while with them, to gather strength after her
many troubles. During this time she did her best to teach them, but the
poor things were so ignorant, it was almost impossible to make them
understand the difference between right and wrong.
It chanced one day that a noble knight came to the forest to seek his
kindred who dwelt there. He had won much glory in wars abroad, and
distant lands were filled with his fame. He was honest, faithful, and
true, though not very polished in manner, nor accustomed to a courtly
life. His name was Sir Satyrane. He had been born and brought up in the
forest, and his father had taught him nothing but to be utterly
fearless. When he grew up, and could master everything in the forest, he
went abroad to fight foreign foes, and his fame was soon carried through
all lands. It was always his custom, after some time spent in labour and
adventure, to return for a while to his native woods, and so it happened
on this occasion that he came across Una.
The first time he saw her she was surrounded by the savages, whom she
was trying to teach good and holy things. Sir Satyrane wondered at the
wisdom which fell from her sweet lips, and when, later on, he saw her
gentle and kindly deeds, he began to admire and love her. Although noble
at heart, he had never had any one to teach him, but now he began to
learn from Una faith and true religion.