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diff --git a/old/chilc10.txt b/old/chilc10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cded70a --- /dev/null +++ b/old/chilc10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5802 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Etext of Child Christopher by William Morris + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + +Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair +by William Morris +1895 + + +CHAPTER I. + +OF THE KING OF OAKENREALM, AND HIS WIFE AND HIS CHILD. + + +Of old there was a land which was so much a woodland, that a +minstrel thereof said it that a squirrel might go from end +to end, and all about, from tree to tree, and never touch +the earth: therefore was that land called Oakenrealm. + +The lord and king thereof was a stark man, and so great a +warrior that in his youth he took no delight in aught else +save battle and tourneys. But when he was hard on forty +years old, he came across a daughter of a certain lord, whom +he had vanquished, and his eyes bewrayed him into longing, +so that he gave back to the said lord the havings he had +conquered of him that he might lay the maiden in his kingly +bed. So he brought her home with him to Oakenrealm and +wedded her. + +Tells the tale that he rued not his bargain, but loved her +so dearly that for a year round he wore no armour, save when +she bade him play in the tilt-yard for her desport and +pride. + +So wore the days till she went with child and was near her +time, and then it betid that three kings who marched on +Oakenrealm banded them together against him, and his lords +and thanes cried out on him to lead them to battle, and it +behoved him to do as they would. + +So he sent out the tokens and bade an hosting at his chief +city, and when all was ready he said farewell to his wife +and her babe unborn, and went his ways to battle once more: +but fierce was his heart against the foemen, that they had +dragged him away from his love and his joy. + +Even amidst of his land he joined battle with the host of +the ravagers, and the tale of them is short to tell, for +they were as the wheat before the hook. But as he followed +up the chase, a mere thrall of the fleers turned on him and +cast his spear, and it reached him whereas his hawberk was +broken, and stood deep in, so that he fell to earth +unmighty: and when his lords and chieftains drew about him, +and cunning men strove to heal him, it was of no avail, and +he knew that his soul was departing. Then he sent for a +priest, and for the Marshal of the host, who was a great +lord, and the son of his father's brother, and in few words +bade him look to the babe whom his wife bore about, and if +it were a man, to cherish him and do him to learn all that a +king ought to know; and if it were a maiden, that he should +look to her wedding well and worthily: and he let swear him +on his sword, on the edges and the hilts, that he would do +even so, and be true unto his child if child there were: +and he bade him have rule, if so be the lords would, and all +the people, till the child were of age to be king: and the +Marshal swore, and all the lords who stood around bare +witness to his swearing. Thereafter the priest houselled +the King, and he received his Creator, and a little while +after his soul departed. + +But the Marshal followed up the fleeing foe, and two battles +more he fought before he beat them flat to earth; and then +they craved for peace, and he went back to the city in +mickle honour. + +But in the King's city of Oakenham he found but little joy; +for both the King was bemoaned, whereas he had been no hard +man to his folk; and also, when the tidings and the King's +corpse came back to Oakenrealm, his Lady and Queen took sick +for sorrow and fear, and fell into labour of her child, and +in childing of a man-bairn she died, but the lad lived, and +was like to do well. + +So there was one funeral for the slain King and for her whom +his slaying had slain: and when that was done, the little +king was borne to the font, and at his christening he gat to +name Christopher. + +Thereafter the Marshal summoned all them that were due +thereto to come and give homage to the new king, and even so +did they, though he were but a babe, yea, and who had but +just now been a king lying in his mother's womb. But when +the homage was done, then the Marshal called together the +wise men, and told them how the King that was had given him +in charge his son as then unborn, and the ruling of the +realm till the said son were come to man's estate: but he +bade them seek one worthier if they had heart to gainsay the +word of their dying lord. Then all they said that he was +worthy and mighty and the choice of their dear lord, and +that they would have none but he. + +So then was the great folk-mote called, and the same matter +was laid before all the people, and none said aught against +it, whereas no man was ready to name another to that charge +and rule, even had it been his own self. + +Now then by law was the Marshal, who hight Rolf, lord and +earl of the land of Oakenrealm. He ruled well and strongly, +and was a fell warrior: he was well befriended by many of +the great; and the rest of them feared him and his friends: +as for the commonalty, they saw that he held the realm in +peace; and for the rest, they knew little and saw less of +him, and they paid to his bailiffs and sheriffs as little as +they could, and more than they would. But whereas that left +them somewhat to grind their teeth on, and they were not +harried, they were not so ill content. So the Marshal +throve, and lacked nothing of a king's place save the bare +name. + + + +CHAPTER II. + +OF THE KING'S SON. + + +As for the King's son, to whom the folk had of late done +homage as king, he was at first seen about a corner of the +High House with his nurses; and then in a while it was said, +and the tale noted, but not much, that he must needs go for +his health's sake, and because he was puny, to some stead +amongst the fields, and folk heard say that he was gone to +the strong house of a knight somewhat stricken in years, who +was called Lord Richard the Lean. The said house was some +twelve miles from Oakenham, not far from the northern edge +of the wild-wood. But in a while, scarce more than a year, +Lord Richard brake up house at the said castle, and went +southward through the forest. Of this departure was little +said, for he was not a man amongst the foremost. As for the +King's little son, if any remembered that he was in the +hands of the said Lord Richard, none said aught about it; +for if any thought of the little babe at all, they said to +themselves, Never will he come to be king. + +Now as for Lord Richard the Lean, he went far through the +wood, and until he was come to another house of his, that +stood in a clearing somewhat near to where Oakenrealm +marched on another country, which hight Meadham; though the +said wild-wood ended not where Oakenrealm ended, but +stretched a good way into Meadham; and betwixt one and the +other much rough country there was. + +It is to be said that amongst those who went to this +stronghold of the woods was the little King Christopher, no +longer puny, but a stout babe enough: so he was borne +amongst the serving men and thralls to the castle of the +Outer March; and he was in no wise treated as a great man's +son; but there was more than one woman who was kind to him, +and as he waxed in strength and beauty month by month, both +carle and quean fell to noting him, and, for as little as he +was, he began to be well-beloved. + +As to the stead where he was nourished, though it were far +away amongst the woods, it was no such lonely or savage +place: besides the castle and the houses of it, there was a +merry thorpe in the clearing, the houses whereof were set +down by the side of a clear and pleasant little stream. +Moreover the goodmen and swains of the said township were no +ill folk, but bold of heart, free of speech, and goodly of +favour; and the women of them fair, kind, and trusty. +Whiles came folk journeying in to Oakenrealm or out to +Meadham, and of these some were minstrels, who had with them +tidings of what was astir whereas folk were thicker in the +world, and some chapmen, who chaffered with the +thorpe-dwellers, and took of them the woodland spoil for +such outland goods as those woodmen needed. + +So wore the years, and in Oakenham King Christopher was well +nigh forgotten, and in the wild-wood had never been known +clearly for King's son. At first, by command of Rolf the +Marshal, a messenger came every year from Lord Richard with +a letter that told of how the lad Christopher did. But when +five years were worn, the Marshal bade send him tidings +thereof every three years; and by then it was come to the +twelfth year, and still the tidings were that the lad throve +ever, and meanwhile the Marshal sat fast in his seat with +none to gainsay, the word went to Lord Richard that he +should send no more, for that he, the Marshal, had heard +enough of the boy; and if he throve it were well, and if +not, it was no worse. So wore the days and the years. + + + +CHAPTER III. + +OF THE KING OF MEADHAM AND HIS DAUGHTER. + + +Tells the tale that in the country which lay south of +Oakenrealm, and was called Meadham, there was in these days +a king whose wife was dead, but had left him a fair +daughter, who was born some four years after King +Christopher. A good man was this King Roland, mild, +bounteous, and no regarder of persons in his justice; and +well-beloved he was of his folk: yet could not their love +keep him alive; for, whenas his daughter was of the age of +twelve years, he sickened unto death; and so, when he knew +that his end drew near, he sent for the wisest of his wise +men, and they came unto him sorrowing in the High House of +his chiefest city, which hight Meadhamstead. So he bade +them sit down nigh unto his bed, and took up the word and +spake: + +"Masters, and my good lords, ye may see clearly that a +sundering is at hand, and that I must needs make a long +journey, whence I shall come back never; now I would, and am +verily of duty bound thereto, that I leave behind me some +good order in the land. Furthermore, I would that my +daughter, when she is of age thereto, should be Queen in +Meadham, and rule the land; neither will it be many years +before she shall be of ripe age for ruling, if ever she may +be; and I deem not that there shall be any lack in her, +whereas her mother could all courtesy, and was as wise as a +woman may be. But how say ye, my masters?" + +So they all with one consent said Yea, and they would ask +for no better king than their lady his daughter. Then said +the King: + +"Hearken carefully, for my time is short: Yet is she young +and a maiden, though she be wise. Now therefore do I need +some man well looked to of the folk, who shall rule the land +in her name till she be of eighteen winters, and who shall +be her good friend and counsellor into all wisdom +thereafter. Which of you, my masters, is meet for this +matter?" + +Then they all looked one on the other, and spake not. And +the King said: "Speak, some one of you, without fear; this +is no time for tarrying." + +Thereon spake an elder, the oldest of them, and said: +"Lord, this is the very truth, that none of us here present +are meet for this office: whereas, among other matters, we +be all unmeet for battle; some of us have never been +warriors, and other some are past the age for leading an +host. To say the sooth, King, there is but one man in +Meadham who may do what thou wilt, and not fail; both for +his wisdom, and his might afield, and the account which is +had of him amongst the people; and that man is Earl +Geoffrey, of the Southern Marches." + +"Ye say sooth," quoth the King; "but is he down in the +South, or nigher to hand?" + +Said the elder: "He is as now in Meadhamstead, and may be +in this chamber in scant half an hour." So the King bade +send for him, and there was silence in the chamber till he +came in, clad in a scarlet kirtle and a white cloak, and +with his sword by his side. He was a tall man, bigly made; +somewhat pale of face, black and curly of hair; blue-eyed, +thin-lipped, and hook-nosed as an eagle; a man warrior-like, +and somewhat fierce of aspect. He knelt down by the King's +bedside, and asked him in a sorrowful voice what he would, +and the King said: "I ask a great matter of thee, and all +these my wise men, and I myself, withal, deem that thou +canst do it, and thou alone--nay, hearken: I am departing, +and I would have thee hold my place, and do unto my people +even what I would do if I myself were living; and to my +daughter as nigh to that as may be. I say all this thou +mayst do, if thou wilt be as trusty and leal to me after I +am dead, as thou hast seemed to all men's eyes to have been +while I was living. What sayest thou?" + +The Earl had hidden his face in the coverlet of the bed +while the King was speaking; but now he lifted up his face, +weeping, and said: "Kinsman and friend and King; this is +nought hard to do; but if it were, yet would I do it." + +"It is well," said the King: "my heart fails me and my +voice; so give heed, and set thine ear close to my mouth: +hearken, belike my daughter Goldilind shall be one of the +fairest of women; I bid thee wed her to the fairest of men +and the strongest, and to none other." + +Thereat his voice failed him indeed, and he lay still; but +he died not, till presently the priest came to him, and, as +he might, houselled him: then he departed. + +As for Earl Geoffrey, when the King was buried, and the +homages done to the maiden Goldilind, he did no worse than +those wise men deemed of him, but bestirred him, and looked +full sagely into all the matters of the kingdom, and did so +well therein that all men praised his rule perforce, whether +they loved him or not; and sooth to say he was not much +beloved. + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +OF THE MAIDEN GOLDILIND. + + +AMIDST of all his other business Earl Geoffrey bethought him +in a while of the dead King's daughter, and he gave her in +charge to a gentlewoman, somewhat stricken in years, a widow +of high lineage, but not over wealthy. She dwelt in her own +house in a fair valley some twenty miles from Meadhamstead: +thereabode Goldilind till a year and a half was worn, and +had due observance, but little love, and not much kindness +from the said gentlewoman, who hight Dame Elinor Leashowe. +Howbeit, time and again came knights and ladies and lords to +see the little lady, and kissed her hand and did obeisance +to her; yet more came to her in the first three months of +her sojourn at Leashowe than the second, and more in the +second than the third. + +At last, on a day when the said year and a half was fully +worn, thither came Earl Geoffrey with a company of knights +and men-at-arms, and he did obeisance, as due was, to his +master's daughter, and then spake awhile privily with Dame +Elinor; and thereafter they went into the hall, he, and she, +and Goldilind, and there before all men he spake aloud and +said: + +"My Lady Goldilind, meseemeth ye dwell here all too +straitly; for neither is this house of Leashowe great enough +for thy state, and the entertainment of the knights and +lords who shall have will to seek to thee hither; nor is the +wealth of thy liege dame and governante as great as it +should be, and as thou, meseemeth, wouldst have it. +Wherefore I have been considering thy desires herein, and if +thou deem it meet to give a gift to Dame Elinor, and live +queenlier thyself than now thou dost, then mayst thou give +unto her the Castle of Greenharbour, and the six manors +appertaining thereto, and withal the rights of wild-wood and +fen and fell that lie thereabout. Also, if thou wilt, thou +mayst honour the said castle with abiding there awhile at +thy pleasure; and I shall see to it that thou have due meney +to go with thee thither. How sayest thou, my lady?" + +Amongst that company there were two or three who looked at +each other and half smiled; and two or three looked on the +maiden, who was goodly as of her years, as if with +compassion; but the more part kept countenance in full +courtly wise. + +Then spake Goldilind in a quavering voice (for she was +afraid and wise), and she said: "Cousin and Earl, we will +that all this be done; and it likes me well to eke the +wealth of this lady and my good friend Dame Elinor." + +Quoth Earl Geoffrey: "Kneel before thy lady, Dame, and put +thine hands between hers and thank her for the gift." So +Dame Elinor knelt down, and did homage and obeisance for her +new land; and Goldilind raised her up and kissed her, and +bade her sit down beside her, and spake to her kindly; and +all men praised the maiden for her gentle and courteous +ways; and Dame Elinor smiled upon her and them, what she +could. + +She was small of body and sleek; but her cheeks somewhat +flagging; brown eyes she had, long, half opened; thin lips, +and chin somewhat falling away from her mouth; hard on fifty +winters had she seen; yet there have been those who were +older and goodlier both. + + + +CHAPTER V. + +GOLDILIND COMES TO GREENHARBOUR. + + +But a little while tarried the Earl Geoffrey at Leashowe, +but departed next morning and came to Meadhamstead. A month +thereafter came folk from him to Leashowe, to wit, the new +meney for the new abode of Goldilind; amongst whom was a +goodly band of men-at-arms, led by an old lord pinched and +peevish of face, who kneeled to Goldilind as the new +burgreve of Greenharbour; and a chaplain, a black canon, +young, broad-cheeked and fresh-looking, but hard-faced and +unlovely; three new damsels withal were come for the young +Queen, not young maids, but stalworth women, well-grown, and +two of them hard-featured; the third, tall, black-haired, +and a goodly-fashioned body. + +Now when these were come, who were all under the rule of +Dame Elinor, there was no gainsaying the departure to the +new home; and in two days' time they went their ways from +Leashowe. But though Goldilind was young, she was wise, and +her heart misgave her, when she was amidst this new meney, +that she was not riding toward glory and honour, and a world +of worship and friends beloved. Howbeit, whatso might lie +before her, she put a good face upon it, and did to those +about her queenly and with all courtesy. + +Five days they rode from Leashowe north away, by thorpe and +town and mead and river, till the land became little +peopled, and the sixth day they rode the wild-wood ways, +where was no folk, save now and again the little cot of some +forester or collier; but the seventh day, about noon, they +came into a clearing of the wood, a rugged little plain of +lea-land, mingled with marish, with a little deal of +acre-land in barley and rye, round about a score of poor +frame-houses set down scattermeal about the lea. But on a +long ridge, at the northern end of the said plain, was a +grey castle, strong, and with big and high towers, yet not +so much greater than was Leashowe, deemed Goldilind, as for +a dwelling-house. + +Howbeit, they entered the said castle, and within, as +without, it was somewhat grim, though nought was lacking of +plenishing due for folk knightly. Long it were to tell of +its walls and baileys and chambers; but let this suffice, +that on the north side, toward the thick forest, was a +garden of green-sward and flowers and potherbs; and a +garth-wall of grey stone, not very high, was the only +defence thereof toward the wood, but it was overlooked by a +tall tower of the great wall, which hight the Foresters' +Tower. In the said outer garth-wall also was a postern, +whereby there was not seldom coming in and going out. + +Now when Goldilind had been in her chamber for a few days, +she found out for certain, what she had before misdoubted, +that she had been brought from Leashowe and the peopled +parts near to Meadhamstead unto the uttermost parts of the +realm to be kept in prison there. + +Howbeit, it was in a way prison courteous; she was still +served with observance, and bowed before, and called my lady +and queen, and so forth: also she might go from chamber to +hall and chapel, to and fro, yet scarce alone; and into the +garden she might go, yet not for the more part +unaccompanied; and even at whiles she went out a-gates, but +then ever with folk on the right hand and the left. +Forsooth, whiles and again, within the next two years of her +abode at Greenharbour, out of gates she went and alone; but +that was as the prisoner who strives to be free (although +she had, forsooth, no thought or hope of escape), and as the +prisoner brought back was she chastised when she came within +gates again. + +Everywhere, to be short, within and about the Castle of +Greenharbour, did Goldilind meet the will and the tyranny of +the little sleek widow, Dame Elinor, to whom both carle and +quean in that corner of the world were but as servants and +slaves to do her will; and the said Elinor, who at first was +but spiteful in word and look toward her lady, waxed worse +as time wore and as the blossom of the King's daughter's +womanhood began to unfold, till at last the she-jailer had +scarce feasted any day when she had not in some wise grieved +and tormented her prisoner; and whatever she did, none had +might to say her nay. + +But Goldilind took all with a high heart, and her courage +grew with her years, nor would she bow the head before any +grief, but took to her whatsoever solace might come to her; +as the pleasure of the sun and the wind, and the beholding +of the greenery of the wood, and the fowl and the beasts +playing, which oft she saw afar, and whiles anear, though +whiles, forsooth, she saw nought of it all, whereas she was +shut up betwixt four walls, and that not of her chamber, but +of some bare and foul prison of the Castle, which, with +other griefs, must she needs thole under the name and guise +of penance. + +However, she waxed so exceeding fair and sweet and lovely, +that the loveliness of her pierced to the hearts of many of +her jailers, so that some of them, and specially of the +squires and men-at-arms, would do her some easement which +they might do unrebuked, or not sorely rebuked; as bringing +her flowers in the spring, or whiles a singing-bird or a +squirrel; and an old man there was of the men-at-arms, who +would ask leave, and get it at whiles, to come to her in her +chamber, or the garden? and tell her minstrel tales and the +like for her joyance. Sooth to say, even the pinched heart +of the old Burgreve was somewhat touched by her; and he +alone had any might to stand between her and Dame Elinor; so +that but for him it had gone much harder with her than it +did. + +For the rest, none entered the Castle from the world +without, nay not so much as a travelling monk, or a friar on +his wanderings, save and except some messenger of Earl +Geoffrey who had errand with Dame Elinor or the Burgreve. + +So wore the days and the seasons, till it was now more than +four years since she had left Leashowe, and her eighteenth +summer was beginning. + +But now the tale leaves telling of Goldilind, and goes back +to the matters of Oakenrealm, and therein to what has to do +with King Christopher and Rolf the Marshal. + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +HOW ROLF THE MARSHAL DREAMS A DREAM AND COMES TO THE CASTLE +OF THE UTTERMOST MARCH. + + +Now this same summer, when King Christopher was of twenty +years and two, Rolf the Marshal, sleeping one noontide in +the King's garden at Oakenham, dreamed a dream. For +himseemed that there came through the garth-gate a woman +fair and tall, and clad in nought but oaken-leaves, who led +by the hand an exceeding goodly young man of twenty summers, +and his visage like to the last battle-dead King of +Oakenrealm when he was a young man. And the said woman led +the swain up to the Marshal, who asked in his mind what +these two were: and the woman answered his thought and +said: "I am the Woman of the Woods, and the Landwight of +Oakenrealm; and this lovely lad whose hand I hold is my King +and thy King and the King of Oakenrealm. Wake, fool--wake! +and look to it what thou wilt do!" + +And therewith he woke up crying out, and drew forth his +sword. But when he was fully awakened, he was ashamed, and +went into the hall, and sat in his high-seat, and strove to +think out of his troubled mind; but for all he might do, he +fell asleep again; and again in the hall he dreamed as he +had dreamed in the garden: and when he awoke from his dream +he had no thought in his head but how he might the speediest +come to the house of Lord Richard the Lean, and look to the +matter of his lord's son and see him with his eyes, and, if +it might be, take some measure with the threat which lay in +the lad's life. Nought he tarried, but set off in an hour's +time with no more company than four men-at-arms and an old +squire of his, who was wont to do his bidding without +question, whether it were good or evil. + +So they went by frith and fell, by wood and fair ways, till +in two days' time they were come by undern within sight of +the Castle of the Outer March, and entered into the street +of the thorpe aforesaid; and they saw that there were no +folk therein and at the house-doors save old carles and +carlines scarce wayworthy, and little children who might not +go afoot. But from the field anigh the thorpe came the +sound of shouting and glad voices, and through the lanes of +the houses they saw on the field many people in gay raiment +going to and fro, as though there were games and sports +toward. + +Thereof Lord Rolf heeded nought, but went his ways straight +to the Castle, and was brought with all honour into the +hall, and thither came Lord Richard the Lean, hastening and +half afeard, and did obeisance to him; and there were but a +few in the hall, and they stood out of earshot of the two +lords. + +The Marshal spoke graciously to Lord Richard, and made him +sit beside him, and said in a soft voice: "We have come to +see thee, Lord, and how the folk do in the Uttermost +Marches. Also we would wot how it goes with a lad whom we +sent to thee when he was yet a babe, whereas he was some +byblow of the late King, our lord and master, and we deemed +thee both rich enough and kind enough to breed him into +thriving without increasing pride upon him: and, firstly, +is the lad yet alive?" + +He knitted his brow as he spake, for carefulness of soul; +but Lord Richard smiled upon him, though as one somewhat +troubled, and answered: "Lord Marshal, I thank thee for +visiting this poor house; and I shall tell thee first that +the lad lives, and hath thriven marvellously, though he be +somewhat unruly, and will abide no correction now these last +six years. Sooth to say, there is now no story of his being +anywise akin to our late Lord King; though true it is that +the folk in this faraway corner of the land call him King +Christopher, but only in a manner of jesting. But it is no +jest wherein they say that they will gainsay him nought, and +that especially the young women. Yet I will say of him that +he is wise, and asketh not overmuch; the more is the sorrow +of many of the maidens. A fell woodsman he is, and +exceeding stark, and as yet heedeth more of valiance than of +the love of woman." + +The Marshal looked no less troubled than before at these +words; he said: "I would see this young man speedily." + +"So shall it be, Lord," said Lord Richard. Therewith he +called to him a squire, and said: "Go thou down into the +thorpe, and bring hither Christopher, for that a great lord +is here who would set him to do a deed of woodcraft, such as +is more than the wont of men." + +So the squire went his ways, and was gone a little while, +and meantime drew nigh to the hall a sound of triumphing +songs and shouts, and right up to the hall doors; then +entered the squire, and by his side came a tall young man, +clad but in a white linen shirt and deerskin brogues, his +head crowned with a garland of flowers: him the squire +brought up to the lords on the dais, and louted to them, and +said: "My lords, I bring you Christopher, and he not +overwilling, for now hath he been but just crowned king of +the games down yonder; but when the carles and queans there +said that they would come with him and bear him company to +the hall doors, then, forsooth, he yea-said the coming. It +were not unmeet that some shame were done him." + +"Peace, man!" said Lord Richard, "what hath this to do with +thee? Seest thou not the Lord Marshal here?" The Lord Rolf +sat and gazed on the lad, and scowled on him; but +Christopher saw therein nought but the face of a great lord +burdened with many cares; so when he had made his obeisance +he stood up fearlessly and merrily before them. + +Sooth to say, he was full fair to look on: for all his +strength, which, as ye shall hear, was mighty, all the +fashion of his limbs and his body was light and clean done, +and beauteous; and though his skin, where it showed naked, +was all tanned with the summer, it was fine and sleek and +kindly, every deal thereof: bright-eyed and round-cheeked +he was, with full lips and carven chin, and his hair golden +brown of hue, and curling crisp about the blossoms of his +garland. + +So must we say that he was such an youngling as most might +have been in the world, had not man's malice been, and the +mischief of grudging and the marring of grasping. + +But now spake Lord Rolf: "Sir varlet, they tell me that +thou art a mighty hunter, and of mickle guile in woodcraft; +wilt thou then hunt somewhat for me, and bring me home a +catch seldom seen?" + +"Yea, Lord King," said Christopher, "I will at least do my +best, if thou but tell me where to seek the quarry and +when." + +"It is well," said the Marshal, "and to-morrow my squire, +whom thou seest yonder, and who hight Simon, shall tell thee +where the hunt is up, and thou shalt go with him. But +hearken! thou shalt not call me king; for to-day there is no +king in Oakenrealm, and I am but Marshal, and Earl of the +king that shall be." + +The lad fell a-musing for a minute, and then he said: "Yea, +Lord Marshal, I shall do thy will: but meseemeth I have +heard some tale of one who was but of late king in +Oakenrealm: is it not so, Lord?" + +"Stint thy talk, young man," cried the Marshal in a harsh +voice, "and abide to-morrow; who knoweth who shall be king, +and whether thou or I shall live to see him." + +But as he spake the words they seemed to his heart like a +foretelling of evil, and he turned pale and trembled, and +said to Christopher: "Come hither, lad; I will give thee a +gift, and then shalt thou depart till to-morrow." So +Christopher drew near to him, and the Marshal pulled off a +ring from his finger and set it on the lad's, and said to +him: "Now depart in peace;" and Christopher bent the knee to +him and thanked him for the gracious gift of the ruler of +Oakenrealm, and then went his ways out of the hall, and the +folk without gave a glad cry as he came amongst them. + +But by then he was come to the door, Lord Rolf looked on his +hand, and saw that, instead of giving the youngling a +finger-ring which he had bought of a merchant for a price of +five bezants, as he had meant to do, he had given him a ring +which the old King had had, whereon was the first letter of +his name (Christopher to wit), and a device of a crowned +rose, for this ring was a signet of his. Wherefore was the +Marshal once more sore troubled, and he arose, and was half +minded to run down the hall after Christopher; but he +refrained him, and presently smiled to himself, and then +fell a-talking to Lord Richard, sweetly and pleasantly. + +SO wore the day to evening; but, ere he went to bed, the +Lord Rolf had a privy talk, first with Lord Richard, and +after with his squire Simon. What followed of that talk ye +may hear after. + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +HOW CHRISTOPHER WENT A JOURNEY INTO THE WILD-WOOD. + + +Next morning Christopher, who slept in the little hall of +the inner court of the Castle, arose betimes, and came to +the great gate; but, for as early as he was, there he saw +the squire Simon abiding him, standing between two strong +horses; to him he gave the sele of the day, and the squire +greeted him, but in somewhat surly wise. Then he said to +him: "Well, King Christopher, art thou ready for the road?" + +"Yea, as thou seest," said the youngling smiling. For, +indeed, he had breeches now beneath his shirt, and a surcoat +of green woollen over it; boots of deerskin had he withal, +and spurs thereon: he was girt with a short sword, and had +a quiver of arrows at his back, and bare a great bow in his +hand. + +"Yea," quoth Simon, "thou deemest thee a gay swain belike; +but thou lookest likelier for a deerstealer than a rider, +thou, hung up to thy shooting-gear. Deemest thou we go +a-hunting of the hind?" + +Quoth Christopher: "I wot not, squire; but the great lord +who lieth sleeping yonder, hath told me that thou shouldest +give me his errand; and of some hunting or feat of +wood-craft he spake. Moreover, this crooked stick can drive +a shaft through matters harder than a hind's side." + +Simon looked confused, and he reddened and stammered +somewhat as he answered: "Ah, yea: so it was; I mind me; +I will tell thee anon." + +Said Christopher: "Withal, squire, if we are wending into +the wood, as needs we must, unless we ride round about this +dale in a ring all day, dost thou deem we shall go at a +gallop many a mile? Nay, fair sir; the horses shall wend a +foot's pace oftenest, and we shall go a-foot not unseldom +through the thickets." + +Now was Simon come to himself again, and that self was +surly, so he said: "Ay, ay, little King, thou deemest thee +exceeding wise in these woods, dost thou not? and forsooth, +thou mayst be. Yet have I tidings for thee." + +"Yea, and what be they?" said Christopher. + +Simon grinned: "Even these," said he, "that Dr. Knowall was +no man's cousin while he lived, and that he died last week." + +Therewith he swung himself into his saddle, and Christopher +laughed merrily at his poor gibe and mounted in like wise. + +Wherewithal they rode their ways through the thorpe, and at +the southern end thereof Simon drew rein, and looked on +Christopher as if he would ask him something, but asked not. +Then said Christopher: "Whither go we now?" + +Said Simon: "It is partly for thee to say: hearken, I am +bidden first to ride the Redwater Wood with thee: knowest +thou that?" + +"Yea," said the lad, "full well: but which way shall we +ride it? Wilt thou come out of it at Redwater Head, or Herne +Moss, or the Long Pools?" + +Said Simon: "We shall make for the Long Pools, if thou +canst bring me there." + +Christopher laughed: "Aha!" said he, "then am I some +faraway cousin of Dr. Knowall when the whole tale is told: +forsooth I can lead thee thither; but tell me, what shall I +do of valiant deeds at the Long Pools? for there is no +fire-drake nor effit, nay, nor no giant, nor guileful dwarf, +nought save mallard and coot, heron and bittern; yea, and +ague-shivers to boot." + +Simon looked sourly on him and said: "Thou are bidden to go +with me, young man, or gainsay the Marshal. Art thou mighty +enough thereto? For the rest, fear not but that the deed +shall come to thee one day." + +"Nay," said Christopher, "it is all one to me, for I am at +home in these woods and wastes, I and my shafts. Tell me of +the deeds when thou wilt." But indeed he longed to know the +deed, and fretted him because of Simon's surliness and +closeness. Then he said: "Well, Squire Simon, let us to +the road; for thou shalt know that to-night we must needs +house us under the naked heaven; in nowise can we come to +the Long Pools before to-morrow morning." + +"Yea, and why not?" said the squire; "I have lain in worse +places." + +"Wilt thou tell me thereof?" said Christopher. + +"Mayhappen," said Simon, "if to-morrow comes and goes for +both of us twain." + +So they rode their ways through the wood, and baited at +midday with what Simon bare in his saddle-bags, and then +went on till night fell on them; then asked Simon how long +they were from the Long Pools, and Christopher told him that +they were yet short of them some fifteen miles, and those +long ones, because of the marish grounds. So they tethered +their horses there and ate their supper; and lay down to +sleep in the house of the woods, by a fire-side which they +lighted. + +But in the midnight Christopher, who was exceeding +fine-eared, had an inkling of someone moving afoot anigh +him, and he awoke therewith, and sprang up, his drawn +short-sword in his hand, and found himself face to face with +Simon, and he also with his sword drawn. Simon sprang +aback, but held up his sword-point, and Christopher, not yet +fully awake, cried out: "What wouldst thou? What is it?" + +Simon answered, stammering and all abashed: "Didst thou not +hear then? it wakened me." + +"I heard nought," said Christopher; "what was it?" + +"Horses going in the wood," said Simon + +"Ah, yea," said Christopher, "it will have been the wild +colts and the mares; they harbour about these marsh-land +parts. Go to sleep again, neighbour, the night is not yet +half worn; but I will watch a while." + +Then Simon sheathed his sword, and turned about and stood +uneasily a little while, and then cast him down as one who +would sleep hastily; but slept not forsooth, though he +presently made semblance of it: as for Christopher, he drew +together the brands of the fire, and sat beside it with his +blade over his knees, until the first beginning of the +summer dawn was in the sky; then he began to nod, and +presently lay aback and slept soundly. Simon slept not, but +durst not move. So they lay till it was broad day, and the +sunbeams came thrusting through the boughs of the thicket. + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +CHRISTOPHER COMES TO THE TOFTS. + + +When they arose in the sunshine, Simon went straightway to +see to the horses, while Christopher stayed by the fire to +dight their victuals; he was merry enough, and sang to +himself the while; but when Simon came back again, +Christopher looked on him sharply, but for a while Simon +would not meet his eye, though he asked divers questions of +him concerning little matters, as though he were fain to +hear Christopher's voice; at last he raised his eyes, and +looked on him steadily, and then Christopher said: "Well, +wayfarer mine, and whither away this morning?" + +Said Simon: "As thou wottest, to the Long Pools." + +Said the lad: "Well, thou keepest thy tidings so close, +that I will ask thee no more till we come to the Long Pools; +since there, forsooth, thou must needs tell me; unless we +sunder company there, whereof I were nought grieving." + +"Mayhappen thou shalt fare a long way to-day," muttered +Simon. + +But the lad cried out aloud, while his eye glittered and his +cheek flushed: "Belike thou hadst well-nigh opened the door +thereto last night!" And therewith he leapt to his feet and +drew his short-sword, and with three deft strokes sheared +asunder an overhanging beech-bough as thick as a man's +wrist, that it fell crashing down, and caught Simon amongst +the fall of its leafy twigs, while Christopher stood +laughing on him, but with a dangerous lofty look in his +eyes: then he turned away quietly toward the horses and +mounted his nag, and Simon followed and did the like, +silently; crestfallen he looked, with brooding fierceness in +his face. + +So they rode their ways, and spake but little each to each +till they came to where the trees of the wood thinned +speedily, and gave out at last at the foot of a low stony +slope but little grassed; and when they had ridden up to the +brow and could see below, Christopher stretched out his +hand, and said: "Lo thou the Long Pools, fellow wayfarer! +and lo some of the tramping; horses that woke thee and not +me last night." + +Forsooth there lay below them a great stretch of grass, +which whiles ran into mere quagmire, and whiles was sound +and better grassed; and the said plain was seamed by three +long shallow pools, with, as it were, grassy causeways +between them, grown over here and there with ancient alder +trees; but the stony slope whereon they had reined up bent +round the plain mostly to the east, as though it were the +shore of a great water; and far away to the south the hills +of the forest rose up blue, and not so low at the most, but +that they were somewhat higher than the crest of the White +Horse as ye may see it from the little Berkshire hills above +the Thames. Down on the firm greensward there was indeed a +herd of wild horses feeding; mallard and coot swam about the +waters; the whimbrel laughed from the bent-sides, and three +herons stood on the side of the causeway seeking a good +fishing-stead. + +Simon sat a-horseback looking askance from the marish to +Christopher, and said nothing a while; then he spake in a +low croaking voice, and said: "So, little King, we have +come to the Long Pools; now I will ask thee, hast thou been +further southward than this marish land?" + +"That have I," said the lad, "a day's journey further; but +according to the tales of men it was at the peril of my +life." + +Simon seemed as if he had not noted his last word; he said: +"Well then, since thou knowest the wild and the wood, +knowest thou amidst of the thickets there, two lumps of bare +hills, like bowls turned bottom up, that rise above the +trees, and on each a tower, and betwixt them a long house." + +"Save us, Allhallows!" quoth Christopher, "but thou wilt +mean the Tofts! Is it so, sir squire?" + +"Even so," said Simon. + +"And thou knowest what dwellest there, and wouldst have me +lead thee thither?" said the lad. + +"I am so bidden," said Simon; "if thou wilt not do my +bidding, seek thou some place to hide thee in from the hand +of the Earl Marshal." + +Said the youngling: "Knowest thou not Jack of the Tofts and +his seven sons, and what he is, and that he dwelleth there?" + +Said Simon: "I know of him; yea, and himself I know, and +that he dwelleth there; and I wot that men call him an +outlaw, and that many rich men shall lack ere he lacks. +What then?" + +"This," said Christopher, "that, as all tales tell, he will +take my life if I ride thither. And," said he, turning to +Simon, "this is belike what thou wouldest with me?" And +therewith he drew out his sword, for his bow was unstrung. + +But Simon sat still and let his sword abide, and said, +sourly enough: "Thou art a fool to think I am training thee +to thy death by him; for I have no will to die, and why +shall he not slay me also? Now again I say unto thee, thou +hast the choice, either to lead me to the Tofts, where shall +be the deed for thee to do, or to hide thee in some hole, as +I said afore, from the vengeance of the Lord of Oakenrealm. +But as for thy sword, thou mayst put it up, for I will not +fight with thee, but rather let thee go with a string to thy +leg, if thou wilt not be wise and do as thy lords ordain for +thee." + +Christopher sheathed his sword, and a smile came into his +face, as if some new thought were stirring in him, and he +said: "Well, since thou wilt not fight with me, and I but a +lad, I will e'en do thy will and thine errand to Jack of the +Tofts. Maybe he is not so black as he is painted, and not +all tales told of him are true. But some of them I will +tell thee as we ride along." + +"And some thereof I know already, O woodland knight," said +Simon, as they rode down the bent, and Christopher led on +toward the green causeway betwixt the waters. "Tell me," +quoth he, when they had ridden awhile, "is this one of thy +tales, how Jack of the Tofts went to the Yule feast of a +great baron in the guise of a minstrel, and, even as they +bore in the boar's head, smote the said baron on the neck, +so that his head lay by the head of the swine on the +Christmas board?" + +"Yea," said Christopher, "and how Jack cried out: 'Two +heads of swine, one good to eat, one good to burn.' But, my +master, thou shalt know that this manslaying was not for +nought: whereas the Baron of Greenlake had erewhile slain +Jack's father in felon wise, where he could strike no stroke +for life; and two of his brethren also had he slain, and +made the said Jack an outlaw, and he all sackless. In the +Uttermost March we deem that he had a case against the +baron." + +"Hah!" said Simon. "Is this next tale true, that this Jack +o' the Tofts slew a good knight before the altar, so that +the priest's mass-hackle was all wet with his blood, whereas +the said priest was in the act of putting the holy body into +the open mouth of the said knight?" + +Christopher said eagerly: "True was it, by the Rood! and +well was it done, for that same Sir Raoul was an ugly +traitor, who had knelt down where he died to wed the Body of +the Lord to a foul lie in his mouth; whereas the man who +knelt beside him he had trained to his destruction, and was +even then doing the first deal of his treason by forswearing +him there." + +"And that man who knelt with him there," said Simon, "what +betid to him?" + +Said Christopher: "He went out of the church with Jack of +the Tofts that minute of the stroke; and to the Tofts he +went with him, and abode with him freely: and a valiant man +he was...and is." + +"Hah!" said Simon again. "And then there is this: that the +seven sons of Jack of the Tofts bore off perforce four fair +maidens of gentle blood from the castle wherein they dwelt, +serving a high dame in all honour; and that moreover, they +hanged the said dame over the battlements of her own castle. +Is this true, fair sir?" + +"True is it as the gospel," said Christopher: "yet many say +that the hanged dame had somewhat less than her deserts; for +a foul & cruel whore had she been; and had done many to be +done to death, and stood by while they were pined. And the +like had she done with those four damsels, had there not +been the stout sons of Jack of the Tofts; so that the dear +maidens were somewhat more than willing to be borne away." + +Simon grinned: "Well, lad," said he, "I see that thou +knowest Jack of the Tofts even better than I do; so why in +the devil's name thou art loth to lead me to him, I wot +not." + +Christopher reddened, and held his peace awhile; then he +said: "Well fellow-farer, at least I shall know something +of him ere next midnight." + +"Yea," said Simon, "and shall we not come to the Tofts +before nightfall?" + +"Let us essay it," said Christopher, "and do our best, it +yet lacketh three hours of noon." Therewith he spurred on, +for the greensward was hard under the hooves, and they had +yet some way to go before they should come amongst the trees +and thickets. + +Into the said wood they came, and rode all day diligently, +but night fell on them before they saw either house or man +or devil; then said Simon: "Why should we go any further +before dawn? Will it not be best to come to this perilous +house by daylight?" + +Said Christopher: "There be perils in the wood as well as +in the house. If we lie down here, maybe Jack's folk may +come upon us sleeping, and some mischance may befall us. +Withal, hereabout be no wild horses to wake thee and warn +thee of thy foeman anigh. Let us press on; there is a moon, +though she be somewhat hidden by clouds, and meseemeth the +way lieth clear before me; neither are we a great way from +the Tofts." + +Then Simon rode close up to Christopher, and took his rein +and stayed him, and said to him, as one who prayeth: "Young +man, willest thou my death?" + +"That is as it may be," said Christopher; "willest thou +mine?" + +Simon held his peace awhile, and Christopher might not see +what was in his face amidst the gathering dusk; but he +twitched his rein out of the squire's hand, as if he would +hasten onward; then the squire said: "Nay, I pray thee +abide and hear a word of me." + +"Speak then," said Christopher, "but hasten, for I hunger, +and I would we were in the hall." And therewith he laughed. + +Said Simon: "Thus it is: if I go back to my lord and bear +no token of having done his errand to Jack of the Tofts, +then am I in evil case; and if I come to the Tofts, I wot +well that Jack is a man fierce of heart, and ready of hand: +now, therefore, I pray thee give me thy word to be my +warrant, so far as thou mayst be, with this woodman and his +sons." + +At that word Christopher brake out a-laughing loudly, till +all the dusk wood rang with the merry sound of his fresh +voice; at last he said: "Well, well, thou art but a craven +to be a secret murderer: the Lord God would have had an +easy bargain of Cain, had he been such as thou. Come on, +and do thine errand to Jack of the Tofts, and I will hold +thee harmless, so far as I may. Though, sooth to say, I +guessed what thine errand was, after the horses waked thee +and put a naked sword in thine hand last night. Marry! I +had no inkling of it when we left the Castle yesterday +morning, but deemed thy lord needed me to do him some +service. Come on then! or rather go thou on before me a +pace; there, where thou seest the glimmer betwixt the +beech-trees yonder; if thou goest astray, I am anigh thee +for a guide. And I say that we shall not go far without +tidings." + +Simon went on perforce, as he was bidden, and they rode thus +a while slowly, Christopher now and then crying, as they +went: "To the right, squire! To the left! Straight on now!" +and so on. But suddenly they heard voices, and it was as if +the wood had all burst out into fire, so bright a light +shone out. Christopher shouted, and hastened on to pass +Simon, going quite close to his right side thereby, and as +he did so, he saw steel flashing in his hand, and turned +sidling to guard him, but ere he could do aught Simon drave +a broad dagger into his side, and then turned about and fled +the way they had come, so far as he knew how. + +Christopher fell from his horse at once as the stroke came +home, but straightway therewith were there men with torches +round about him, a dozen of them; men tall and wild-looking +in the firelight; and one of them, a slim young man with +long red hair falling all about his shoulders, knelt down by +him, while the others held his horse and gat his feet out of +the stirrups. + +The red-head laid his hand on his breast, and raised his +head up till the light of a torch fell on it, and then he +cried out: "Masters, here hath been a felon; the man hath +been sticked, and the deed hath to do with us; for lo you, +this is none other than little Christopher of the Uttermost +March, who stumbled on the Tofts last Yule, and with whom we +were so merry together. Here, thou Robert of Maisey, do thy +leechdom on him if he be yet living; but if he be dead, or +dieth of his hurt, then do I take the feud on me, to follow +it to the utmost against the slayer; even I, David the Red, +though I be the youngest of the sons of Jack of the Tofts. +For this man I meant should be my fellow in field and fell, +ganging and galloping, in hall and high-place, in cot and in +choir, before woman and warrior, and priest and +proud-prince. Now thou Robert, how does he?" + +Said the man who had looked to Christopher's wound, and had +put aside his coat and shirt: "He is sore hurt, but +meseemeth not deadly. Nay, belike he may live as long as +thou, or longer, whereas thou wilt ever be shoving thy red +head and lank body wheresoever knocks are going." + +David rose with a sigh of one who is lightened of a load, +and said: "Well Robert, when thou hast bound his wound let +us have him into the house: Ho lads! there is light enough +to cut some boughs and make a litter for him. But, ho +again! has no one gone after the felon to take him?" + +Robert grinned up from his job with the hurt man: "Nay, +King David," said he, "it is mostly thy business; mayhappen +thou wilt lay thy heels on thy neck and after him." + +The red-head stamped on the ground, and half drew his sax, +and shoved it back again unto the sheath, and then said +angrily: "I marvel at thee, Robert, that thou didst not +send a man or two at once after the felon: how may I leave +my comrade and sweet board-fellow lying hurt in the +wild-wood? Art thou growing over old for our woodland ways, +wherein loitering bringeth louting?" + +Robert chuckled and said: "I thought thou wouldst take the +fly in thy mouth, foster-son: if the felon escape Ralph +Longshanks and Anthony Green, then hath he the devil's luck; +and they be after him." + +"That is well," said the young man, "though I would I were +with them." And therewith he walked up and down +impatiently, while the others were getting ready the litter +of boughs. + +At last it was done, and Christopher laid thereon, and they +all went on together through the woodland path, the torches +still flaring about them. Presently they came out into a +clearing of the wood, and lo, looming great and black before +them against the sky, where the moon had now broken out of +the clouds somewhat, the masses of the tofts, and at the top +of the northernmost of them a light in the upper window of a +tall square tower. Withal the yellow-litten windows of a +long house showed on the plain below the tofts; but little +else of the house might be seen, save that, as they drew +near, the walls brake out in doubtful light here and there +as the torches smote them. + +So came they to a deep porch, where they quenched all the +torches save one, and entered a great hall through it, David +and two other tall young men going first, and Robert Maisey +going beside the bier. The said hall was lighted with +candles, but not very brightly, save at the upper end; but +amidmost a flickering heap of logs sent a thin line of blue +smoke up to the luffer. There were some sixty folk in the +hall, scattered about the end-long tables, a good few of +whom were women, well grown and comely enough, so far as +could be seen under the scanty candle-light. At the +high-table, withal, were sitting both men and women, and as +they drew near to the greater light of it, there could be +seen in the chief seat a man, past middle age, tall, +wide-shouldered and thin-flanked, with a short peaked beard +and close-cut grizzled hair; he was high of cheekbones, +thin-faced, with grey eyes, both big and gentle-looking; he +was clad in a green coat welted with gold. Beside him sat a +woman, tall and big-made, but very fair of face, though she +were little younger, belike, than the man. Out from these +two sat four men and four women, man by man and woman by +woman, on either side of the high-seat. Of the said men, +one was of long red hair as David, and like to him in all +wise, but older; the others were of like fashion to him in +the high-seat. Shortly to say it, his sons they were, as +David and the two young men with him. The four women who +sat with these men were all fair and young, and one of them, +she who drank out of the red-head's cup, so fair, and with +such a pleasant slim grace, that her like were not easy to +be found. + +Again, to shorten the tale, there in the hall before +Christopher, who lay unwotting, were Jack of the Tofts and +his seven sons, and the four wives of four of the same, whom +they had won from the Wailful Castle, when they, with their +father, put an end to the evil woman, and the great +she-tyrant of the Land betwixt the Wood and the River. + +Now when David and his were come up to the dais, they stayed +them, and their father spake from his high-seat and said: +"What is to do, ye three? and what catch have ye?" + +Said David: "I would fain hope 'tis the catch of a life +that or I love; for here is come thy guest of last Yule, +even little Christopher, who wrestled with thee and threw +thee after thou hadst thrown all of us, and he lying along +and hurt, smitten down by a felon hard on our very doors. +What will ye do with him?" + +"What," said Jack of the Tofts, "but tend him and heal him +and cherish him. And when he is well, then we shall see. +But where is the felon who smote him?" + +Said David: "He fled away a-horseback ere we came to the +field of deed, and Anthony Green and Ralph Longshanks are +gone after him, and belike, will take him." + +"Mayhappen not," said the master. "Now, forsooth, I have an +inkling of what this may mean; whereas there can be but one +man whose business may be the taking of our little guest's +life. But let all be till he be healed and may tell us his +tale; and, if he telleth it as I deem he will, then shall we +seek further tidings. Meanwhile, if ye take the felon, keep +him heedfully till I may see him; for then may I have a true +tale out of him, even before Christopher is hale again." + +So therewith David and Robert, with two or three others, +brought Christopher to a chamber, and did what leechdoms to +him they might; but Jack of the Tofts, and his sons and +their fair wives, and his other folk, made merry in the hall +of the Tofts. + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +SQUIRE SIMON COMES BACK TO OAKENHAM. THE EARL MARSHAL TAKEN +TO KING IN OAKENREALM. + + +Now as to Squire Simon, whether the devil helped him, or his +luck, or were it his own cunning and his, horse's stoutness, +we wot not; but in any case he fell not in with Ralph +Longshanks and Anthony Green, but rode as far and as fast as +his horse would go, and then lay down in the wild-wood; and +on the morrow arose and went his ways, and came in the even +to the Castle of the Uttermost March, and went on thence the +morrow after on a fresh horse to Oakenham. There he made no +delay but went straight to the High House, and had privy +speech of the Earl Marshal; and him he told how he had +smitten Christopher, and, as he deemed, slain him. The Earl +Marshal looked on him grimly and said: "Where is the ring +then?" + +"I have it not," said Simon. "How might I light down to +take it, when the seven sons were hard on us?" And therewith +he told him all the tale, and how he had risen to slay +Christopher the even before; and how he had found out after +that the youngling had become guest and fosterling of the +folk of the Tofts; and how warily Christopher had ridden, so +that he, Simon, had had to do his best at the last moment. +"And now, Lord," quoth he, "I see that it will be my luck to +have grudging of thee, or even worse it may be; yea, or thou +wilt be presently telling me that I am a liar and never +struck the stroke: but I warrant me that by this time Jack +of the Tofts knoweth better, for I left my knife in the +youngling's breast, and belike he wotteth of my weapons. +Well, then, if thou wilt be quit of me, thou hast but to +forbear upholding me against the Toft folk, and then am I +gone without any to-do of thee." + +Earl Rolf spake quietly in answer, though his face was +somewhat troubled: "Nay, Simon, I doubt thee not, not one +word; for why shouldest thou lie to me? nor do I deem thou +wouldest, for thou art trusty and worthy. Yet sore I doubt +if the child be dead. Well, even so let it be, for I am +alive; and full surely I am mightier than Jack of the Tofts, +both to uphold thee against him (wherein I shall not fail), +and otherwise. But may God make me even as that young man +if I be not mightier yet in a few days. But now do thou go +and eat and drink and take thy disport; for thou hast served +me well; and in a little while I shall make thee knight and +lord, and do all I can to pleasure thee." + +So then Simon knelt to the Earl and made obeisance to him, +and arose and went his ways, light-hearted and merry. + +But within the month it so befel that some of the lords and +dukes came to the Earl Marshal, and prayed him to call +together a great Folk-mote of all Oakenrealm; and he +answered them graciously, and behight them to do as they +would; and even so did he. + +And that Mote was very great, and whenas it was hallowed, +there arose a great lord, grey and ancient, and bewailed him +before the folk, that they had no king over Oakenrealm to +uphold the laws & ward the land; and "Will ye live bare and +kingless for ever?" said he at last. "Will ye not choose +you a king, and crown him, before I die, and we others of +the realm who are old and worn?" Then he sat down, and +another arose, and in plain terms he bade them take the Earl +Marshal to king. And then arose one after other, and each +sang the same song, till the hearts of the people grew warm +with the big words, and at first many, and then more cried +out: "A King, a King! The Earl Marshal for King! Earl Rolf +for King!" So that at last the voices rose into a great +roar, and sword clashed on shield, and they who were about +the Earl turned to him and upraised him on a great +war-shield, and he stood thereon above the folk with a naked +sword in his hand, and all the folk shouted about him. + +Thereafter the chiefs and all the mightiest came and did +homage to him for King of Oakenrealm as he sat on the Hill +of the Folk-mote: and that night there was once more a King +of Oakenrealm, and Earl Rolf was no more, but King Rolf +ruled the people. + +But now the tale leaves telling of him, and turns again to +Christopher the woodman, who lay sick of his hurt in the +House of the Tofts. + + + +CHAPTER X. + +OF CHRISTOPHER AT THE TOFTS. + + +Christopher was six weeks ere he could come and go as he was +wont; but it was but a few days ere he was well enough to +tell his tale to Jack of the Tofts and his seven bold sons; +and they cherished him and made much of him, and so +especially did David, the youngest son, to his board-fellow +and troth-brother. + +On a day when he was well-nigh whole, as he sat under an +oak-tree nigh the house, in the cool of the evening, Jack of +the Tofts came to him and sat beside him, and made him tell +his tale to him once more, and when he was done he said to +him: "Foster-son, for so I would have thee deem of thyself, +what is the thing that thou rememberest earliest in thy +days?" + +Said Christopher: "A cot without the Castle walls at the +Uttermost Marches, and a kind woman therein, big, +sandy-haired, and freckled, and a lad that was white-haired +and sturdy, somewhat bigger than I. And I mind me standing +up against the door-post of the cot and seeing men-at-arms +riding by in white armour, and one of them throwing an apple +to me, and I raised my arm to throw it back at him, but my +nurse (for somehow I knew she was not my mother) caught my +hand and drew me back indoors, and I heard the men laughing +behind me. And then a little after my nurse took me into +the Castle court, and there was again the man who had thrown +me the apple, sitting on a bench therein, clad in a scarlet +gown furred with brown fur; and she led me up to him, and he +stooped down and chucked me under the chin and put his hand +on my head, and looked at my nurse and said: 'Yea, he is a +big lad, and groweth apace, whereas he is but of six +winters.' 'Nay, Lord,' said my nurse, 'he is but scantly +five.' He knit his brows and said: 'Nay, I tell thee he is +six.' She shook her head, but said nought, and the great +man scowled on her and said: 'Mistress, wilt thou set thy +word against mine? Know now that this child is of six years. +Now then, how old is he?' She said faintly: 'Six years.' +Said he: 'Look to it that thy head and thy mouth forget it +not, else shall we make thy back remember it.' Then he put +his hand on my head again, and said: 'Well, I say thou art +a big lad for six years;' and therewith he gave me a silver +penny; and even as he spake, came up a grey-clad squire to +him and looked on me curiously. Then I went away with my +nurse, and wondered why she was grown so pale, whereas she +was mostly red-cheeked and jolly. But when she had brought +me into the cot again, she kissed me and clipped me, weeping +sorely the while; wherefore I wept, though I knew not why. +Sithence, I soon came to know that the man was the lord and +governor of the Castle, as ye may well wot; but to this hour +I know not what he meant by threatening my nurse." + +Said Jack: "And how old art thou now, Christopher mine?" + +Said the youngling, laughing: "By my lord the Castellan's +reckoning I am twenty and two years; but if thou wilt trow +my good and kind nurse, that yet liveth a kind dame, thou +must take twelve months off the tale." + +Jack sat silent a little; then he laughed and said: "Well, +thou art a mickle babe, Christopher, and it may be that one +day many a man shall know it. But now tell me again; thou +hadst said to me before that thou hast known neither father +nor mother, brother nor sisters: is it so, verily?" + +Said Christopher: "Never a kinsman of blood have I, though +many well-wishers." + +Said Jack: "Well, now hast thou father and mother, brethren +and sisters, though they be of the sort of man-slayers and +strong-thieves and outlaws; yet they love thee, lad, and +thou mayst one day find out how far thou mayst trust them." + +Christopher nodded and smiled at him merrily; then he fell +silent awhile, and the outlaw sat looking on him; at last he +said suddenly: "Foster-father, tell me what I am, and of +what kindred, I pray thee; for, methinks, thou knowest +thereof; and what wonder, wise man as thou art." + +"Forsooth, son Christopher, I have a deeming thereof, or +somewhat more, and when it is waxen greater yet, I will tell +it thee one day, but not now. But hearken! for I have other +tidings for thee. Thou art now whole and strong, and in a +few days thou mayst wend the wild-wood as stoutly as e'er a +one of us. Now, therefore, how sayest thou, if I bid thee +fare a two days' journey with David and Gilbert thy +brethren, and thy sister Joanna, till they bring thee to a +fair little stead which I call mine own, to dwell there +awhile? For, meseemeth, lad, that the air of the Tofts here +may not be overwholesome unto thee." + +Christopher reddened, and he half rose up, and said: "What +is this, foster-father? Is it that there shall be battle at +the Tofts, and that thou wouldst have me away thence? Am I +then such a weakling?" + +Said Jack, laughing: "Be still now, thou sticked one. The +Tofts go down to battle at some whiles; but seldom comet +battle to the Tofts; and no battle do I look for now. But +do my bidding, sweet fosterling, and it will be better for +me and better for thee, and may, perchance, put off battle +for awhile; which to me as now were not unhandy. If thou +wilt but abide at Littledale for somewhile, there shall be +going and coming betwixt us, and thou shalt drink thy Yule +at the Tofts, and go back afterwards, and ever shalt thou +have thy sweet fellows with thee; so be wise, since thou +goest not perforce." + +"Yea, yea," said Christopher, laughing; "thou puttest force +on no man, is it not so, foster-father? Wherefore I will go, +and uncompelled." + +Therewith came up to them, from out of the wild-wood, David, +and with him Joanna, who was the wife of Gilbert, and one of +those fair maidens from the Wailful Castle, though not the +fairest of them; they had been a-hunting, for ever those +three would willingly go together, Gilbert, David, and +Joanna; and now Gilbert had abided behind, to dight the +quarry for fetching home. Christopher looked on the two +joyfully, as a man getting whole after sickness smiles on +goodly things; and Joanna was fair to see in her hunter's +attire, with brogues tied to her naked feet, and the +shapeliness of her legs bare to the knee beneath the +trussing up of her green skirts. + +They greeted Christopher kindly, and Joanna sat down by him +to talk, but Jack of the Tofts took his son by the arm, and +went toward the house with him in earnest speech. + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +HOW CHRISTOPHER CAME TO LITTLEDALE TO ABIDE THERE A WHILE. + + +In about a week's time from this, those four fellows went +their ways southward from the Tofts, having with them four +good nags and four sumpter beasts laden with such things as +they needed, whereof were weapons enough, though they all, +save Christopher, bare bows; and he and the others were girt +with swords, and a leash of good dogs followed them. Two +milch kine also they drave with them. + +Merry they were all as they went their ways through the +woods, but the gladness of Christopher was even past words; +wherefore, after a little, he spake scarce at all, but sat +in his saddle hearkening the tales and songs and jests of +his fellows, who went close beside him, for more often they +went a-foot than rode. And, forsooth, as the sweet morning +wore, it seemed to him, so great was his joy, as if all the +fair show of the greenery, and the boles of the ancient +oaks, and the squirrels running from bough to bough, and the +rabbits scuttling from under the bracken, and the hind +leaping in the wood-lawn, and the sun falling through the +rustling leaves, and the wind on his face, and the scent of +the forest, yea, and his fair companions and their +loveliness & valiancy and kindness, and the words and songs +that came from their dear mouths, all these seemed to him, +as it were, one great show done for the behoof and pleasure +of him, the man come from the peril of death and the +sick-bed. + +They lay that night in all glee under the green boughs; and +arose on the morrow, and went all day, and again slept in +the greenwood, and the next morning came down into a fair +valley, which was indeed Littledale, through which ran a +pleasant little river; and on a grassy knoll, but a short +way from its bank, was a long framed hall, somewhat narrow, +and nought high, whitherward they turned them straightway, +and were presently before the door; then Gilbert drew a key +from out of his scrip and unlocked the door, and they +entered, and found within a fair little hall, with shut-beds +out from it on the further side, and kitchen, and +store-bowers at the end; all things duly appointed with +plenishing, and meal and wine; for it was but some three +months since one of Jack of the Tofts' allies, Sir Launcelot +a'Green and his wife and two bairns, had left it till their +affair was made straight; whereas he had dwelt there a whole +year, for he had been made an outlaw of Meadham, and was a +dear friend of the said Jack. + +"Now," said David smiling, "here is now thy high house and +thy castle, little King Christopher; how doth it like thee?" + +"Right well," said Christopher; "and, to say sooth, I would +almost that it were night, or my bones do else, that I might +lie naked in a bed." + +"Nay, lad," said Gilbert, "make it night now, and we will do +all that needs must be done, while thou liest lazy, as all +kings use to do." + +"Nay," said Christopher, "I will be more a king than so, for +I will do neither this nor that; I will not work and I will +not go to bed, but will look on, till it is time for me to +take to the crooked stick and the grey-goose wing and seek +venison." + +"That is better than well," said David; "for I can see by +thine eyes, that are dancing with pleasure, that in three or +four days thou wilt be about the thickets with us." + +"Meantime," said Joanna, "thou shalt pay for thy meat and +drink by telling us tales when we come home weary." + +"Yea," said Christopher laughing, "that ye may go to sleep +before your time." + +So they talked, and were joyous and blithe together, and +between them they made the house trim, and decked it with +boughs and blossoms; and though Christopher told them no +tale that night, Joanna and David sang both; and in a night +or two it was Christopher that was the minstrel. So when +the morrow came there began their life of the woodland; but, +save for the changing of the year and the chances of the +hunt, the time passed on from day to day with little change, +and it was but seldom that any man came their way. When Yule +was, they locked the house door behind them and went their +ways home to the Tofts; and now of all of these wayfarers +was Christopher by far the hardest and strongest, for his +side had utterly forgotten Simon's knife. At the Tofts they +were welcomed with all triumph, and they were about there in +the best of cheer, till it was wearing toward Candlemas, and +then they took occasion of a bright and sunny day to go back +to Littledale once more, and there they abode till spring +was come and was wearing into summer, and messages had come +and gone betwixt them and the Tofts, and it was agreed that +with the first of autumn they should go back to the Tofts +and see what should betide. + +But now leave we Christopher and these good fellows of the +Tofts and turn to Goldilind, who is yet dwelling amid no +very happy days in the Castle of Greenharbour, on the +northernmost marches of Meadham. + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +OF GOLDILIND IN THE MAY MORNING AT GREENHARBOUR. + + +May was on the land now, and was come into its second week, +and Goldilind awoke on a morn in the Castle of Greenharbour; +but little did her eyes behold of the May, even when they +were fully open; for she was lying, not in her own chamber, +which was proper, and even somewhat stately, and from whence +she could look on the sky and greenwood, but in a chamber +low down amidst the footings of the wall, little lighted, +unadorned, with nought in it for sport or pleasure; nought, +forsooth, save the pallet bed on which she lay, a joint +stool and water ewer. To be short, though it were called +the Least Guard-chamber, it was a prison, and she was there +dreeing her penance, as Dame Elinor would call the cruelty +of her malice, which the chaplain, Dame Elinor's led +captain, had ordained her for some sin which the twain had +forged between them. + +She lay there naked in her smock, with no raiment anigh her, +and this was the third morning whereon she had awakened to +the dusky bare walls, and a long while had their emptiness +made of the hours: but she lay quiet and musing, not +altogether without cheer now; for indeed she was not wont to +any longer penance than this she had but now tholed, so she +looked for release presently: and, moreover, there had +grown in her mind during those three days a certain purpose; +to wit, that she would get hold of the governor of the +castle privily, and two or three others of the squires who +most regarded her, and bewail her case to them, so that she +might perchance get some relief. Forsooth, as she called to +mind this resolve, her heart beat and her cheek flushed, for +well she knew that there was peril in it, and she forecast +what might be the worst that would come thereof, while, on +the other hand, the best that might be seemed to her like a +glimpse of Paradise. + +As she lay there and turned the matter over in her mind for +this many an hundred time, there came a key into the lock, +and the door opened; and thereby entered a tall woman, +dark-haired, white-skinned, somewhat young, and not +ill-favoured: Goldilind still lay there, till the new-comer +said to her in a hard voice, wherein was both threatening +and mockery: "Rise up, our Lady! the Dame Elinor saith that +it is enough, and that thou art to go forth. Nay, hold a +while; for I say unto thee that it is yet early in the day, +and that thy chamber is not yet dight for thee, so thou must +needs bestow thyself elsewhere till it be done." + +Goldilind rose up, and said smiling: "Yea, Aloyse, but thou +hast not brought my raiment: and thou seest!" + +The maid stood looking at her a moment somewhat evilly, and +then said: "Well, since it is but scant six o'clock, I may +do that; but I bid thee ask me not overmuch; for meseemeth +Dame Elinor is not overwell pleased with thee to-day, nor +our chaplain either." + +Therewith she turned and went out, locking the door behind +her, and came back presently bearing on her arm a green gown +and other raiment: she laid them on the stool before the +Lady, and said: "Hasten, my Lady, and let me go to my +place: sooth to say, it may well be double trouble to thee +to don thy clothes, for thou mayst have to doff them again +before long." + +Goldilind answered nought, but reddened and paled again as +she clad her under the waiting-maid's eyes. Then they went +out together, and up a short stone stair, till they were +level with the greensward without. Then the maid turned to +Goldilind and said: "And now thou art clad and out, my Lady, +I wot not where thou art to go to, since to thy chamber thou +must not go. Nay, hold and hearken! here we be at the door +which opens on to the Foresters' Garth under the Foresters' +Tower, thither shalt thou abide till I come to fetch thee. +How now, my Lady! what else wouldst thou?" + +Goldilind looked on her with a smile, yet with eagereyes, +and said: "O good Aloyse, wouldst thou but give me a piece +of bread? for I hunger; thou wottest my queenly board hath +not been overloaded these last days." + +"Ha!" said Aloyse; "if thou ask me overmuch I fear thou +mayst pay for it, my Lady; but this last asking thou shalt +have, and then none other till all thy penance thou hast +dreed. Abide!" + +Therewith she went up the stairs, and Goldilind, who now was +but weak with her prison and the sudden light, and the hope +and fear of her purpose of bewailing her story, sat her down +on the stair there, almost, as it were, 'twixt home and +hell, till her heart came back to her and the tears began to +flow from her eyes. Forthright came back Aloyse, bearing a +white loaf and a little pitcher of milk on a silver +serving-dish; she laid them down, unlocked the door into the +garden, and thrust Goldilind through by the shoulders; then +she turned and took up her serving-dish with the bread and +milk, and handed it to Goldilind through the door, and said: +"Now is my Lady served. It were indeed well that my Lady +should strengthen herself this hour for the hour next to +come." + +Therewith she turned about, and shut and locked the door; +and the King's daughter fell to eagerly on her bread, and +thought of little till she had eaten and drunk, save that +she felt the sweet scent of the gilliflowers and eglantine +as it were a part of her meal. + +Then she went slowly down the garden, treading the +greensward beside the flowers; and she looked on the hold, +and the low sun gilded the walls thereof and glittered in a +window here and there, and though there was on her a +foreboding of the hours of that day, she did what she might +to make the best of the fragrant May morning and the song of +birds and rustle of leaves, though, indeed, at whiles the +tears would gush out of her eyes when she thought how young +she was and how feeble, and the pity of herself became sweet +unto her. + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +OF GOLDILIND IN THE GARTH. + + +Now, as she went in that garden with her face turned toward +the postern which led into the open space of the greenwood, +which was but two bow-shots from the thicket, she heard the +clatter of horse-hoofs on the loose stones of the path, and +how they stopped at the said postern; and presently there +was a key in the lock, the door opened, and a man came in +walking stiffly, like a rider who has ridden far and fast. +He was clad in jack and sallet, and had a sword by his side, +and on his sleeve was done in green and gold a mountain +aflame; so that Goldilind knew him at once for a man of Earl +Geoffrey's; and, indeed, she had seen the man before, coming +and going on errands that she knew nought of, and on which +nothing followed that was of import to her. Therefore, as +she watched him cross the garden and go straight up to the +door of the Foresters' Tower, and take out another key and +enter, she heeded him but little, nor did his coming +increase her trouble a whit. + +She walked on toward the postern, and now she saw that the +errand-bearer had left it open behind him, and when she came +close up to it, she saw his horse tied to a ring in the +wall, a strong and good bay nag. The sight of him, and the +glimpse of the free and open land, stirred in her the misery +of her days and the yearning for the loveliness of the world +without, converse of friends, hope of the sufficiency of +desire, and the sweetness of love returned. And so strong a +wave of anguish swept over her, that she bowed her down upon +the grass and wept bitterly. Yet but a little while it +lasted; she rose up presently and looked warily all round +her, and up to the Castle, and saw none stirring; she drew +up the skirts of her green gown into her girdle, till the +hem but just hid her knees; then she stepped lightly through +the half-open door with flushed cheeks and glittering eyes, +while her heart rose within her; then she lifted her hand, +unhitched the reins from the iron ring, and quietly led the +horse close under the garth-wall, and stole gently up the +slope which, as all roads from the Castle, went straightway +toward the thicket, but this was the straightest. So she +went, till she came to the corner of the garth-wall, and a +little further; and the Castle on that side was blind, save +for the swale on the battlement, whereon in that deep peace +was little going; and, moreover, it was not even yet six +o'clock. + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +GOLDILIND GOES FREE. + + +There then she stayed the horse, and, flushed and panting, +got lightly into the saddle and bestrode it, and, leaning +over on the beast's neck, smote his flanks with her heels; +the horse was fresh, though his master had been weary, +whereas the said messenger had gotten him from a forester +some six miles away in the wood that morning, so the nag +answered to her call for speed, and she went a great gallop +into the wood, and was hidden in a twinkling from any eyes +that might be looking out of the Castle. + +Without checking the nag she sped along, half mad with joy +at the freedom of this happy morn. Nigh aimless she was, +but had an inkling that it were well with her if she could +hold northward ever; for the old man aforesaid had told her +of Oakenrealm, and how it lay northward of them; so that way +she drifted as the thicket would suffer her. When she had +gone as much of a gallop as she might for some half hour, +she drew rein to breathe her nag, and hearkened; she turned +in the saddle, but heard nought to affright her, so she went +on again, but some what more soberly; and thuswise she rode +for some two hours, and the day waxed hot, and she was come +to a clear pool amidst of a little clearing, covered with +fine greensward right down to the water's edge. + +There she made stay, and got off her horse, and stood awhile +by him as he cropped the sweet grass; and the birds sang at +the edge of the thicket, and the rabbits crept and gambolled +on the other side of the water; and from the pool's edge the +moorhens cried. She stood half leaning against the side of +the horse till she became somewhat drowsy; yea, and even +dreamed a little, and that little but ill, it seemed, as she +gave a troubled cry and shrank together and turned pale. +Then she rubbed her eyes and smiled, and turned to the pool, +where now a little ripple was running over the face of it, +and a thought came upon her, and she set her hand to the +clasp of her gown and undid it, and drew the gown off her +shoulders, and so did off all her raiment, and stood naked a +little on the warm sunny grass, and then bestirred her and +went lightly into the pool, and bathed and sported there, +and then came on to the grass again, and went to and fro to +dry her in the air and sun. Then she did on her raiment +again, and laid her down under a thorn-bush by the +pool-side, and there, would she, would she not, went to +sleep soundly and dreamed not. And when she awoke she +deemed her sleep had been long, but it was not so, but +scarce a score of minutes. Anyhow, she sprang up now and +went to her horse, and drew the girths tight (which she had +loosed erewhile,) and so bestrode the good horse, and shook +the reins, and rode away much comforted and enheartened. + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +OF GOLDILIND IN THE WILD-WOOD. + + +Goldilind rode on, hastening yet to put as many miles as she +might betwixt her and Greenharbour. Within a three hours +from her bathing she fell a-hungering sore, and knew not +what to do to eat, till she found a pouch made fast to the +saddle-bow, and therein a little white loaf, that and no +more, which she took and ate the half of with great joy, +sitting down by a brook-side, whence she had her drink. + +Then again she mounted, and rode on till dusk overtook her +just as she came to a little river running from the north +from pool to shallow, and shallow to pool. And whereas she +was now exceeding weary, and the good horse also much spent, +and that the grass was very sweet and soft down to the +water's edge, and that there was a thick thorn-bush to cover +her, she made up her mind that this place should be her +bed-chamber. So she took saddle and bridle off the horse, +as he must needs bite the grass, and then when she had eaten +the other half of her bread, she laid her down on the green +grass, with her head on the saddle, and when she had lain +listening to the horse cropping the grass close anigh her +for a minute or two, she fell fast asleep, and lay there +long and had no dreams. + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +WHAT GOLDILIND FOUND IN THE WOOD. + + +When she awoke it was broad day and bright sun, and she rose +up to her feet and looked about, and saw the horse standing +close by, and sharing the shade with her, whisking his tail +about lazily. Then she turned, and saw the stream rippling +out from the pool over the clean gravel, and here and there +a fish darting through the ripple, or making clean rings on +the pool as he quietly took a fly; the sky was blue and +clear, there was scarce a breath of air, and the morning was +already hot; no worse than yesterday sang the birds in the +bushes; but as she looked across the river, where, forsooth, +the alders grew thick about the pool's edge, a cock +blackbird, and then another, flew out from the close boughs, +where they had been singing to their mates, with the sharp +cry that they use when they are frighted. Withal she saw +the bush move, though, as aforesaid, the morning was without +wind. She had just stooped to do off her foot-gear (for she +was minded to bathe again), but now she stopped with one +shoe in her hand, and looked on the bushes keenly with +beating heart, and again she thought she saw the boughs +shaken, and stood, not daring to move a while; but they +moved no more now when she had looked steadily at them a +space, and again a blackbird began singing loud just where +they had been shaken. So she gathered heart again, and +presently turned her hand once more to stripping her raiment +off her, for she would not be baulked of her bath; but when +the stripping was done, she loitered not naked on the bank +as she had done the day before, but walked swiftly into the +shallow, and thence down into the pool, till nothing but her +head and the whiteness of her shoulders showed over the dark +water. Even then she turned her head about twice to look +into the over-side bushes, but when she saw nothing stir +there she began to play in the water, but not for long, but +came splashing through the shallow and hurried on her +raiment. + +When she was clad again she went up to the horse, and patted +and caressed him, and did bridle and saddle on him, and was +going to climb upon him, when, of a sudden, she thought she +would lead him across, lest there should be a hole near the +other bank and he might stumble into it unwarily; so she +bared her feet once more and trussed up her gown skirts, and +so took the ford, leading the beast; the water was nowhere +up to mid-leg of her, and she stepped ashore on to short +and fine grass, which spread like a meadow before her, with +a big thorn or two scattered about it, and a little grassy +hill beset with tall elms toward the top, coming down into +the flat of the meadow and drawing round it nearly up to the +river on the north side. + +But now she stood staring in wonder and some deal of fear; +for there were three milch kine feeding on the meadow, and, +moreover, under a thorn, scarce a hundred yards from where +she stood, was a tall man standing gazing on her. So +stricken was she that she might neither cry out nor turn +aside; neither did she think to pull her gown out of her +girdle to cover the nakedness of her legs. + +When they had thus stood a little while the man began to +move toward her very slowly, nor did she dare to flee any +the more. But when he was within half a dozen paces her +face flushed red, and she did pull her gown out of its +trusses and let it flow down. But he spake to her in a +pleasant voice, and said: "May I speak to thee, maiden?" + +Fear was yet in her soul, so that she might not speak for a +little, and then she said: "O, I beseech thee, bring me not +back to Greenharbour!" And she paled sorely as she spake the +word. + +But he said: "I wot not of Greenharbour, how to find the +way thereto, though we have heard of it. But comfort +thyself, I pray thee, there is nought to fear in me." + +The sound of his voice was full pleasant to her, and when +she hearkened him, how kind and frank it was, then she knew +how much of terror was blent with her joy in her newly-won +freedom and the delight of the kind and happy words. Yet +still she spoke not, and was both shamefast and still not +altogether unafraid. Yet, sooth to say, though his attire +was but simple, he was nought wild or fierce to look on. +From time to time she looked on him, and then dropped her +eyes again. In those glances she saw that he was grey- +eyed, and smooth-cheeked, and round-chinned, and his hair +curly and golden; and she must needs think that she had +never seen any face half so fair. He was clad but in a +green coat that came not down to his knees, and brogues were +tied to his feet, and no more raiment he had; and for hat he +had made him a garland of white may blossom, and well it sat +there: and again she looked on him, and thought him no +worse than the running angel that goes before the throne of +God in the picture of the choir of Meadhamstead; and she +looked on him and marvelled. + +Now she hung her head before him and wished he would speak, +and even so did he, and said: "Maiden, when I first saw +thee from amidst of the bush by the river yonder, I deemed +thou wert a wood-wight, or some one of the she-Gods of the +Gentiles come back hither. For this is a lonely place, and +some might deem that the Devil hath might here more than in +other places; and when I saw thee, that thou wouldst do off +thy raiment to bathe thee, though soothly I longed to lie +hidden there, I feared thee, lest thou shouldst be angry +with me if I were to see thee unclad; so I came away; yet I +went not far, for I was above all things yearning to see +thee; and sooth it is, that hadst thou not crossed the +water, I should presently have crossed it myself to seek +thee, wert thou Goddess, or wood-wife, or whatever might +have come of it. But now thou art come to us, and I have +heard thy voice beseeching me not to bring thee to +Greenharbour, I see that thou art a woman of the kindred of +Adam. And yet so it is, that even now I fear thee somewhat. +Yet I will pray thee not to be wroth if I ask thee whether I +may do aught for thy need." + +Now she began somewhat to smile, and she looked him full in +the face, and said: "Forsooth, my need is simple, for I am +hungry." + +He smote himself on the breast, and said: "See now, what a +great fool I am, not to have known it without telling, +instead of making long-winded talk about myself. Come +quickly, dear maiden, and leave thine horse to crop the +grass." + +So he hurried on to the thorn-bush aforesaid, and she went +foot to foot with him, but he touched her not; and +straightway she sat her down on the root of the thorn, and +smiled frankly on him, and said: + +"Nay, sir, and now thou hast made me go all this way I am +out of breath and weary, so I pray thee of the victual at +once." + +But he had been busy with his scrip which he had left cast +down there, and therewithal reached out to her a mighty +hunch of bread and a piece of white cheese, and said: + +"Now shall I fetch thee milk." Wherewith he took up a bowl +of aspen tree that had lain by the scrip, and ran off to one +of the kine and milked the bowl full, and came back with it +heedfully, and set it down beside her and said: "This was +the nighest thing to hand, but when thou hast eaten and +rested then shall we go to our house, if thou wilt be so +kind to me; for there have we better meat and wine to boot." + +She looked up at him smiling, but her pleasure of the meat +and the kindness was so exceeding, that she might not +refrain from tears also, but she spake not. + +As for him, he knelt beside her, looking on her wistfully; +and at last he said: "I shall tell thee, that I am glad +that thou wert hungry and that I have seen thee eating, else +might I have deemed thee somewhat other than a woman of +mankind even yet." + +She said: "Yea, and why wouldst thou not believe my word +thereto?" + +He said, reddening: "I almost fear to tell thee, lest thou +think me overbold and be angry with me." + +"Nay," she said, "tell me, for I would know." + +Said he: "The words are not easy in my rude mouth; but this +is what I mean: that though I be young I have seen fair +women not a few, but beside any of them thou art a +wonder;....and loth I were if thou wert not really of +mankind, if it were but for the glory of the world." + +She hung her head and answered nought a while, and he also +seemed ashamed: but presently she spake: "Thou hast been +kind to us, wouldst thou tell us thy name? and then, if it +like thee, what thou art?" + +"Lady," he said, "my name is easy to tell, I hight +Christopher; and whiles folk in merry mockery call me +Christopher King; meseems because I am of the least account +of all carles. As for what else I am, a woodman I am, an +outlaw, and the friend of them: yet I tell thee I have +never by my will done any harm to any child of man; and +those friends of mine, who are outlaws also, are kind and +loving with me, both man and woman, though needs must they +dwell aloof from kings' courts and barons' halls." + +She looked at him wondering, and as if she did not +altogether understand him; and she said: "Where dost thou +dwell?" + +He said: "To-day I dwell hard by; though where I shall +dwell to-morrow, who knows? And with me are dwelling three +of my kind fellows; and the dearest is a young man of mine +own age, who is my fellow in all matters, for us to live and +die each for the other. Couldst thou have seen him, thou +wouldst love him I deem." + +"What name hath he?" said Goldilind. + +"He hight David," said Christopher. + +But therewith he fell silent and knit his brow, as though he +were thinking of some knotty point: but in a while his face +cleared, and he said: "If I durst, I would ask thee thy +name, and what thou art?" + +"As to my name," said she, "I will not tell it thee as now. +As to what I am, I am a poor prisoner; and much have I been +grieved and tormented, so that my body hath been but a thing +whereby I might suffer anguish. Something else am I, but I +may not tell thee what as yet." + +He looked on her long, and then arose and went his way along +the very track of their footsteps, and he took the horse and +brought him back to the thorn, and stood by the lady and +reddened, and said: "I must tell thee what I have been +doing these last minutes." + +"Yea," said she, looking at him wonderingly, "hast thou not +been fetching my horse to me?" + +"So it is," said he; "but something else also. Ask me, or I +cannot tell thee." + +She laughed, and said: "What else, fair sir?" + +Said he: "Ask me what, or I cannot tell thee." + +"Well, what, then?" said she. + +He answered, stammering and blushing: "I have been looking +at thy foot prints, whereby thou camest up from the water, +to see what new and fairer blossoms have come up in the +meadow where thy feet were set e'en now." + +She answered him nothing, and he held his peace. But in a +while she said: "If thou wouldst have us come to thine +house, thou shalt lead us thither now." And therewith she +took her foot-gear from out of her girdle, as if she would +do it on, and he turned his face away, but sighed therewith. +Then she reddened and put them back again, and rose up +lightly, and said: "I will go afoot; and wilt thou lead the +horse for me?" + +So did he, and led her by all the softest and most flowery +ways, turning about the end of a spur of the little hill +that came close to the water, and going close to the lip of +the river. And when they had thus turned about the hill +there was a somewhat wider vale before them, grassy and +fair, and on a knoll, not far from the water, a long +frame-house thatched with reed. + +Then said Christopher: "Lady, this is now Littledale, and +yonder the house thereof." + +She said quietly: "Lovely is the dale, and fair the house +by seeming, and I would that they may be happy that dwell +therein!" + +Said Christopher: "Wilt thou not speak that blessing within +the house as without?" + +"Fain were I thereof," she said. And therewith they came +into the garth, wherein the apple trees were blossoming, and +Goldilind spread abroad her hands and lifted up her head for +joy of the sight and the scent, and they stayed awhile +before they went on to the door, which was half open, for +they feared none in that place, and looked for none whom +they might not deal with if he came as a foe. + +Christopher would have taken a hand of her to lead her in, +but both hands were in her gown to lift up the hem as she +passed over the threshold; so he durst not. + +Fair and bright now was the hall within, with its long and +low windows goodly glazed, a green halling on the walls of +Adam and Eve and the garden, and the good God walking +therein; the sun shone bright through the southern windows, +and about the porch it was hot, but further toward the dais +cool and pleasant. + +So Goldilind sat down in the coolest of the place at the +standing table; but Christopher bestirred himself, and +brought wine and white bread, and venison and honey, and +said: "I pray thee to dine, maiden, for it is now hard on +noon; and as for my fair fellows, I look not for them before +sunset for they were going far into the wood." + +She smiled on him, and ate and drank a little deal, and he +with her. Sooth to say, her heart was full, and though she +had forgotten her fear, she was troubled, because, for as +glad as she was, she could not be as glad as her gladness +would have her, for the sake of some lack, she knew not +what. + +Now spake Christopher: "I would tell thee something +strange, to wit, though it is little more than three hours +since I first saw thee beside the river, yet I seem to know +thee as if thou wert a part of my life." + +She looked on him shyly, and he went on: "This also is +strange, and, withal, it likes me not, that when I speak of +my fair fellows here, David, and Gilbert, and Joanna, they +are half forgotten to my heart, though their names are on my +tongue; and this house, doth it like thee, fair guest?" + +"Yea, much," she said; "it seems joyous to me: and I shall +tell thee that I have mostly dwelt in unmerry houses, though +they were of greater cost than this." + +Said Christopher: "To me it hath been merry and happy +enough; but now it seems to me as if it had all been made +for thee and this meeting." + +"Is it therefore no longer merry to thee because of that?" +she said, smiling, yet flushing much red therewith. Now it +was his turn not to answer her, and she cast down her eyes +before him, and there was silence between them. + +Then she looked at him steadily, and said: "It is indeed +grievous that thou shouldest forget thine old friends for +me, and that it should have come into thy mind that this +fair and merry house was not made for thy fair fellows and +thy delight with them, but for me, the chance-comer. For, +hearken, whereas thou saidst e'en now, that I was become a +part of thy life, how can that be? For if I become the poor +captive again, how canst thou get to me, thou who art +thyself a castaway, as thou hast told me? Yea, but even so, +I shall be too low for thee to come down to me. And if I +become what I should be, then I must tell thee that I shall +be too high for thee to climb up to me; so that in one way +or other we shall be sundered, who have but met for an hour +or two." + +He hung his head a while as they stood there face to face, +for both of them had arisen from the board; but presently he +looked up to her with glittering eyes, and said: "Yea, for +an hour or two; why then do we tarry and linger, and say +what we have no will to say, and refrain from what our +hearts bid us?" + +Therewith he caught hold of her right wrist, and laid his +hand on her left shoulder, and this first time that he had +touched her, it was as if a fire ran through all his body +and changed it into the essence of her: neither was there +any naysay in her eyes, nor any defence against him in the +yielding body of her. But even in that nick of time he drew +back a little, and turned his head, as a man listening, +toward the door, and said: "Hist! hist! Dost thou hear, +maiden?" She turned deadly pale: "O what is it? What is it? +Yea, I hear; it is horses drawing nigh, and the sound of +hounds baying. But may it not be thy fellows coming back?" + +"Nay, nay," he said; "they rode not in armour. Hark to it! +and these hounds are deep-voiced sleuth-dogs! But come now, +there may yet be time." + +He turned, and caught up axe and shield from off the wall, +and drew her toward a window that looked to the north, and +peered out of it warily; but turned back straightway, and +said: "Nay, it is too late that way, they are all round +about the house. Maiden, get thou up into the solar by this +stair, and thou wilt find hiding-place behind the traverse +of the bed; and if they go away, and my fellows come in due +time, then art thou safe. But if not, surely they shall do +thee no hurt; for I think, indeed, that thou art some great +one." + +And he fell to striding down the hall toward the door; but +she ran after him, and caught his arm, and said: "Nay, nay, +I will not hide, to be dragged out of my refuge like a +thief: thou sayest well that I am of the great; I will stand +by thee and command and forbid as a Queen. O go not to the +door! Stay by me, stay!" + +"Nay, nay," he said, "there is nought for it but the deed of +arms. Look! seest thou not steel by the porch?" + +And therewith he broke from her and ran to the door, and was +met upon the very threshold by all-armed men, upon whom he +fell without more ado, crying out: "For the Tofts! For the +Tofts! The woodman to the rescue!" And he hewed right and +left on whatsoever was before him, so that what fell not, +gave back, and for a moment of time he cleared the porch; +but in that nick of time his axe brake on the basnet of a +huge man-at-arms, and they all thrust them on him together +and drave him back into the hall, and came bundling after +him in a heap. But he drave his shield at one, and then +with his right hand smote another on the bare face, so that +he rolled over and stirred no more till the day of doom. +Then was there a weapon before him, might he have stooped to +pick it up; but he might not; so he caught hold of a sturdy +but somewhat short man by the collar and the lap of his +leather surcoat, and drew aback, and with a mighty heave +cast him on the rout of them, who for their parts had drawn +back a little also, as if he had been a huge stone, and down +went two before that artillery; and they set up a great roar +of wonder and fear. But he followed them, and this time got +an axe in his hand, so mazed they were by his onset, and he +hewed at them again and drave them aback to the threshold of +the door: but could get them no further, and they began to +handle long spears to thrust at him. + +But then came forward a knight, no mickle man, but clad in +very goodly armour, with a lion beaten in gold on his green +surcoat; this man smote up the spears, and made the men go +back a little, while he stood on the threshold; so +Christopher saw that he would parley with him, and forbore +him, and the knight spake: "Thou youngling, art thou mad? +What doest thou falling on my folk?" + +"And what do ye," said Christopher fiercely, "besetting the +houses of folk with weapons? Now wilt thou take my life. +But I shall yet slay one or two before I die. Get thee +back, lord, or thou shalt be the first." + +But the knight, who had no weapon in his hand, said: "We +come but to seek our own, and that is our Lady of Meadham, +who dwelleth at Greenharbour by her own will. And if thou +wilt stand aside thou mayst go free to the devil for us." + +Now would Christopher have shouted and fallen on, and gone +to his death there and then; but even therewith a voice, +clear and sweet, spake at the back of him, and said: "Thou +kind host, do thou stand aside and let us speak that which +is needful." And therewith stepped forth Goldilind and +stood beside Christopher, and said: "Sir Burgreve, we rode +forth to drink the air yesterday, and went astray amidst the +wild-wood, and were belated, so that we must needs lie down +under the bare heaven; but this morning we happened on this +kind forester, who gave us to eat, and took us to his house +and gave us meat and drink; for which it were seemlier to +reward him than threaten him. Now it is our pleasure that +ye lead us back to Greenharbour; but as for this youth, that +ye do him no hurt, but let him go free, according to thy +word spoken e'en now, Sir Burgreve." + +She spake slowly and heavily, as one who hath a lesson to +say, and it was to be seen of her that all grief was in her +heart, though her words were queenly. Some of them that +heard laughed; but the Burgreve spake, and said: "Lady, we +will do thy will in part, for we will lead thee to +Greenharbour in all honour; but as to this young man, if he +will not be slain here and now, needs must he with us. For +he hath slain two of our men outright, and hath hurt many, +and, methinks, the devil of the woods is in his body. So do +thou bid him be quiet, if thou wouldst not see his blood +flow." + +She turned a pale unhappy face on Christopher, and said: +"My friend, we bid thee withstand them no more, but let them +do with thee as they will." + +Christopher stood aside therewith, and sat down on a bench +and laughed, and said in a high voice: "Stout men-at-arms, +forsooth, to take a maid's kirtle to their shield." + +But therewith the armed men poured into the hall, and a half +dozen of the stoutest came up unto Christopher where he sat, +and bound his hands with their girdles, and he withstood +them no whit, but sat laughing in their faces, and made as +if it were all a Yule-tide game. But inwardly his heart +burned with anger, and with love of that sweet Lady. + +Then they made him stand up, and led him without the house, +and set him on a horse, and linked his feet together under +the belly thereof. And when that was done he saw them lead +out the Lady, and they set her in a horse litter, and then +the whole troop rode off together, with two men riding on +either side of the said litter. In this wise they left +Littledale. + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +GOLDILIND COMES BACK TO GREENHARBOUR. + + +They rode speedily, and had with them men who knew the +woodland ways, so that the journey was nought so long thence +as Goldilind had made it thither; and they stayed not for +nightfall, since the moon was bright, so that they came +before the Castle-gate before midnight. Now Goldilind +looked to be cast into prison, whatever might befall her +upon the morrow; but so it went not, for she was led +straight to her own chamber, and one of her women, but not +Aloyse, waited on her, and when she tried to have some +tidings of her, the woman spake to her no more than if she +were dumb. So all unhappily she laid her down in her bed, +foreboding the worst, which she deemed might well be death +at the hand of her jailers. As for Christopher, she saw the +last of him as they entered the Castle-gate, and knew not +what they had done with him. So she lay in dismal thoughts, +but at last fell asleep for mere weariness. + +When she awoke it was broad day, and there was someone going +about in the chamber; she turned, and saw that it was +Aloyse. She felt sick at heart, and durst not move or ask +of tidings; but presently Aloyse turned, and came to the +bed, and made an obeisance, but spake not. Goldilind raised +her head, and said wearily: "What is to be done, Aloyse, +wilt thou tell me? For my heart fails me, and meseems, +unless they have some mercy, I shall die to-day." + +"Nay," said the chambermaid, "keep thine heart up; for here +is one at hand who would see thee, when it is thy pleasure +to be seen." + +"Yea," said Goldilind, "Dame Elinor to wit." And she +moaned, and fear and heart-sickness lay so heavy on her +that she went nigh to swooning + +But Aloyse lifted up her head, and brought her wine and made +her drink, and when Goldilind was come to herself again the +maid said: "I say, keep up thine heart, for it is not Dame +Elinor and the rods that would see thee, but a mighty man; +nay, the most mighty, to wit, Earl Geoffrey, who is King of +Meadham in all but the name." + +Goldilind did in sooth take heart at this tidings, and she +said: "I wonder what he may have to do here; all this while +he hath not been to Greenharbour, or, mayhappen, it might +have been better for me." + +"I wot not," said Aloyse, "but even so it is. I shall tell +thee, the messenger, whose horse thou didst steal, brought +no other word in his mouth save this, that my Lord Earl was +coming; and come he did; but that was toward sunset, long +after they had laid the blood-hounds on thy slot, and I had +been whipped for letting thee find the way out a-gates. Now, +our Lady, when thou hast seen the Earl, and hast become our +Lady and Mistress indeed, wilt thou bethink thee of the morn +before yesterday on my behalf?" + +"Yea," said Goldilind, "if ever it shall befall." + +"Befall it shall," said Aloyse; "I dreamed of thee three +nights ago, and thou sitting on thy throne commanding and +forbidding the great men. But at worst no harm hath +happened save to my shoulders and sides, by thy stealing +thyself, since thou hast come back in the nick of time, and +of thine own will, as men say. But tell me now of thine +holiday, and if it were pleasant to thee?" + +Goldilind fell a-weeping at the word, bethinking her of +yesterday morning, and Aloyse stood looking on her, but +saying nought. At last spake Goldilind softly: "Tell me, +Aloyse, didst thou hear any speaking of that young man who +was brought in hither last night? Have they slain him?" + +Said Aloyse: "Soothly, my Lady, I deem they have done him +no hurt, though I wot not for sure. There hath been none +headed or hanged in the base-court to-day. I heard talk +amongst the men-at-arms of one whom they took; they said he +was a wonder of sheer strength, and how that he cast their +men about as though he were playing at ball. Sooth to say, +they seemed to bear him no grudge therefor. But now I would +counsel thee to arise; and I am bidden to tire and array +thee at the best. And now I would say a word in thine ear, +to wit, that Dame Elinor feareth thee somewhat this morn." + +So Goldilind arose, and was arrayed like a very queen, and +was served of what she would by Aloyse and the other women, +and sat in her chamber awaiting the coming of the mighty +Lord of Meadham. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +EARL GEOFFREY SPEAKS WITH GOLDILIND. + + +But a little while had she sat there, before footsteps a +many came to the door, which was thrown open, and straight +it was as if the sun had shone on a flower-bed, for there +was come Earl Geoffrey and his lords all arrayed most +gloriously. Then came the Earl up the chamber to Goldilind, +and bent the knee before her, and said: "Lady and Queen, is +it thy pleasure that thy servant should kiss thine hand?" + +She made him little cheer, but reached out to him her lily +hand in its gold sleeve, and said: "Thou must do thy will." + +So he kissed the hand reverently, and said: "And these my +lords, may they enter and do obeisance and kiss hands, my +Lady?" + +Said Goldilind: "I will not strive to gainsay their will, +or thine, my Lord." + +So they entered and knelt before her, and kissed her hand; +and, to say sooth, most of them had been fain to kiss both +hands of her, yea, and her cheeks and her lips; though but +little cheer she made them, but looked sternly on them. + +Then the Earl spake to her, and told her of her realm, and +how folk thrived, and of the deep peace that was upon the +land, and of the merry days of Meadham, and the praise of +the people. And she answered him nothing, but as he spake +her bosom began to heave, and the tears came into her eyes +and rolled down her cheeks. Then man looked on man, and the +Earl said: "My masters, I deem that my Lady hath will to +speak to me privily, as to one who is her chiefest friend +and well-willer. Is it so, my Lady?" + +She might not speak for the tears that welled out from her +heart; but she bowed her head and strove to smile on him. + +But the Earl waved his hand, and those lords, and the women +also, voided the chamber, and left those two alone, the Earl +standing before her. But ere he could speak, she arose from +her throne and fell on her knees before him, and joined +hands palm to palm, and cried in a broken voice: "Mercy! +Mercy! Have pity on my young life, great Lord!" + +But he lifted her up, and set her on her throne again, and +said: "Nay, my Lady, this is unmeet; but if thou wouldst +talk and tell with me I am ready to hearken." + +She strove with her passion a while, and then she said: +"Great Lord, I pray thee to hearken, and to have patience +with a woman's weak heart. Prithee, sit down here beside +me. + +"It were unfitting," he said; "I shall take a lowlier seat." +Then he drew a stool to him, and sat down before her, and +said: "What aileth thee? What wouldest thou?" + +Then she said: "Lord Earl, I am in prison; I would be +free." + +Quoth he: "Yea, and is this a prison, then?" + +"Yea," she said, "since I may not so much as go out from it +and come back again unthreatened; yet have I been, and that +unseldom, in a worser prison than this: do thou go look on +the Least Guard-chamber, and see if it be a meet dwelling +for thy master's daughter." + +He spake nought awhile; then he said: "And, yet if it +grieveth thee, it marreth thee nought; for when I look on +thee mine eyes behold the beauty of the world, and the body +wherein is no lack." + +She reddened and said: "If it be so, it is God's work, and +I praise him therefor. But how long will it last? For grief +slayeth beauty." + +He looked on her long, and said: "To thy friends I betook +thee, and I looked that they should cherish thee; where then +is the wrong that I have done thee?" + +She said: "Maybe no wrong wittingly; since now, belike, +thou art come to tell me that all this weary sojourn is at +an end, and that thou wilt take me to Meadhamstead, and set +me on the throne there, and show my father's daughter to all +the people." + +He held his peace, and his face grew dark before her while +she watched it. At last he spake in a harsh voice: "Lady," +he said, "it may not be; here in Greenharbour must thou +abide, or in some other castle apart from the folk." + +"Yea," she said, "now I see it is true, that which I +foreboded when first I came hither: thou wouldst slay me, +that thou mayest sit safely in the seat of thy master's +daughter; thou durst not send me a man with a sword to +thrust me through, therefore thou hast cast me into prison +amongst cruel jailers, who have been bidden by thee to take +my life slowly and with torments. Hitherto I have withstood +their malice and thine; but now am I overcome, and since I +know that I must die, I have now no fear, and this is why I +am bold to tell thee this that I have spoken, though I wot +now I shall be presently slain. And now I tell thee I repent +it, that I have asked grace of a graceless face." + +Although she spake strong words, it was with a mild and +steady voice. But the Earl was sore troubled, and he rose +up and walked to and fro of the chamber, half drawing his +sword and thrusting it back into the scabbard from time to +time. At last he came back to her, and sat down before her +and spake: + +"Maiden, thou art somewhat in error. True it is that I +would sit firm in my seat and rule the land of Meadham, as +belike none other could. True it is also that I would have +thee, the rightful heir, dwell apart from the turmoil for a +while at least; for I would not have thy white hands thrust +me untimely from my place, or thy fair face held up as a +banner by my foemen. Yet nowise have I willed thy death or +thine anguish; and if all be true as thou sayest it, and +thou art so lovely that I know not how to doubt it, tell me +then what these have done with thee." + +She said: "Sir, those friends to whom thou hast delivered +me are my foes, whether they were thy friends or not. Wilt +thou compel me to tell thee all my shame? They have treated +me as a thrall who had whiles to play a queen's part in a +show. To wit, thy chaplain whom thou hast given me has +looked on me with lustful eyes, and has bidden me buy of him +ease and surcease of pain with my very body, and hath +threatened me more evil else, and kept his behest." + +Then leapt up the Earl and cried out: "Hah! did he so? Then +I tell thee his monk's hood shall not be stout enough to +save his neck. Now, my child, thou speakest; tell me more, +since my hair is whitening." + +She said: "The sleek, smooth-spoken woman to whom thou +gavest me, didst thou bid her to torment me with stripes, +and the dungeon, and the dark, and solitude, and hunger?" + +"Nay, by Allhallows!" he said, "nor thought of it; trust me +she shall pay therefor if so she hath done." + +She said: "I crave no vengeance, but mercy I crave, and +thou mayst give it me." + +Then were they both silent, till he said: "Now I, for my +part, will pray thee bear what thou must bear, which shall +be nought save this, that thy queenship lie quiet for a +while; nought else of evil shall betide thee henceforth; but +as much of pleasure and joy as may go with it. But tell me, +there is a story of thy snatching a holiday these two days, +and of a young man whom thou didst happen on. Tell me now, +not as a maiden to her father or warder, but as a great lady +might tell a great lord, what betid betwixt you two: for +thou art not one on whom a young and doughty man may look +unmoved. By Allhallows! but thou art a firebrand, my Lady!" +And he laughed therewith. + +Goldilind flushed red exceeding; but she answered steadily: +"Lord Earl, this is the very sooth, that I might not fail to +see it, how he thought me worth looking on, but he treated +me with all honour, as a brother might a sister." + +"Tell me," said the Earl, "what like was this man?" + +Said she: "He was young, but strong beyond measure; and +full doughty: true it is that I saw him with mine eyes take +and heave up one of our men in his hands and cast him away +as a man would a clod of earth." + +The Earl knit his brow: "Yea," said he, "and that story I +have heard from the men-at-arms also. But what was the man +like of aspect?" + +She reddened: "He was of a most goodly body," she said, +"fair-eyed, and of a face well carven; his speech kind and +gentle." And yet more she reddened. + +Said the Earl: "Didst thou hear what he was, this man?" + +She said: "I deem from his own words that he was but a +simple forester." + +"Yea," quoth the Earl, "a simple forester? Nay, but a +woodman, an outlaw, a waylayer; so say our men, that he fell +on them with the cry: A-Tofts! A-Tofts! Hast thou never +heard of Jack of the Tofts?" + +"Nay, never," said she. + +Said the Earl: "He is the king of these good fellows; and a +perilous host they be. Now I fear me, if he be proven to be +one of these, there will be a gallows reared for him to- +morrow, for as fair and as doughty as he may be." + +She turned all pale, and her lips quivered: then she rose +up, and fell on her knees before the Earl, and cried out: +"O sir, a grace, a grace, I pray thee! Pardon this poor man +who was so kind to me!" + +The Earl raised her up and smiled, and said: "Nay, my Lady +Queen, wouldst thou kneel to me? It is unmeet. And as for +this woodman, it is for thee to pardon him, and not for me; +and since, by good luck, he is not hanged yet, thy word hath +saved his neck." She sat down in her chair again, but still +looked white and scared. But the Earl spake again, and +kindly: + +"Now to all these matters I shall give heed, my Lady; +wherefore I will ask leave of thee, and be gone; and +to-morrow I will see thee again, and lay some rede before +thee. Meantime, be of good cheer, for thou shalt be made as +much of as may be, and live in mickle joy if thou wilt. And +if any so much as give thee a hard word, it shall be the +worse for them." + +Therewith he arose, and made obeisance to her, and departed. +And she abode quiet, and looking straight before her, till +the door shut, and then she put her hands to her face and +fell a-weeping, and scarce knew what ailed her betwixt hope, +and rest of body, and love, though that she called not by +its right name. + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +EARL GEOFFREY SPEAKETH WITH CHRISTOPHER. + + +Now it is to be said that the Earl had had much tidings told +him of Christopher, and had no intent to put him to death, +but rather meant to take him into the company of his guard, +to serve him in all honour; and that which he said as to +hanging him was but to try Goldilind; but having heard and +seen of her such as we have told, he now thought it good to +have a privy talk with this young man. So he bade a squire +lead him to where Christopher was held in ward, and went +much pondering. + +So the squire brought him to the self-same Littlest +Guardroom (in sooth a prison) where Goldilind had lain that +other morn; and he gave the squire leave, and entered and +shut the door behind him, so that he and Christopher were +alone together. The young man was lying on his back on the +pallet, with his hands behind his head, and his knees drawn +up, murmuring some fag-end of an old song; but when he heard +the door shut to he sat up, and, turning to the new-comer, +said: "Art thou tidings? If so, then tell me quickly which +it is to be, the gallows or freedom?" + +"Friend," said the Earl sternly, "dost thou know who I am?" + +"Nay," said Christopher; "by thine attire thou shouldst be +some great man; but that is of little matter to me, since +thou wilt neither bid slay me, or let me go, for a heedless +word. + +Quoth the Earl: "I am the master of the land of Meadham, so +there is no need to tell thee that I have thy life or death +in my hand. Now thou wilt not deny that thou art of the +company of Jack o' the Tofts?" + +"It is sooth," said Christopher. + +"Well," said the Earl, "thou art bold then to have come +hither, for thou sayest it that thou art a wolf's-head and +forfeit of thy life. Now, again, thou didst take the Lady +of Meadham home to thy house yesterday, and wert with her +alone a great while. Now according to thy dealings with her +thou dost merit either the most evil of deaths, or else it +may be a reward: hah! what sayest thou?" + +Christopher leapt up, and said in a loud voice: "Lord King, +whatsoever I may be, I am not each man's dastard; when I saw +that pearl of all women, I loved her indeed, as who should +not, but it was even as I had loved the Mother of God had +she come down from the altar picture at the Church of +Middleham of the Wood. And whoso saith otherwise, I give +him the lie back in his teeth, and will meet him face to +face if I may; and then, meseems, it will go hard with him." + +Spake the Earl, laughing: "I will be no champion against +thee, for I hold my skin and my bones of too much price +thereto. And, moreover, though meseemeth the Blessed Virgin +would have a hot lover in thee were she to come down to +earth anigh thy dwelling, yet trow I thy tale, that thou +hast dealt with my Lady in honour. Therefore, lad, what +sayest thou, wilt thou be a man of mine, and bear arms for +me, and do my will?" + +Spake Christopher: "Lord, this is better than hanging." + +"Why, so it is, lad," said the Earl, laughing again, "and +some would say better by a good deal. But hearken! if thou +take it, thou must abide here in Greenharbour--a long while, +maybe; yea, even so long as my Lady dwelleth here." + +Christopher flushed and said: "Lord, thou art kind and +gracious, and I will take thy bidding." + +The Earl said: "Well, so it shall be then; and presently +thou shalt go out of this guard-room a free man. But abide +a while." + +Therewith he drew a stool to him and sat down, and spake not +for a long while; and Christopher abode his pleasure; at +last spake the Earl: "One day, mayhappen, we may make a +wedding for thee, and that no ill one." + +Christopher laughed: "Lord," said he, "what lady will wed +me, a no man's son?" + +Said the Earl: "Not if the Lord of Meadham be thy friend? +Well then, how if the Lady and Queen of Meadham make thee +the wedding?" + +Said Christopher: "I were liefer to make mine own wedding, +whenso I need a woman in my bed: I will compel no woman, +nor ask others to compel her." + +The Earl rose up, and fell to pacing the prison to and fro; +and at last he stood over against Christopher, and said: +"Hearken, forester: I will foretell thy fortune; it is that +thou shalt become great by wedding." + +Christopher held his peace; and the Earl spake again: "Now +is the shortest word best. We deem thee both goodly and +doughty, and would wed thee to a great lady, even that one +to whom thou hast shown kindness in the wilderness." + +Said Christopher: "It is the wont of great lords to mock +poor folk, therefore I must not show anger against thee." + +"I mock thee not," said the Earl; "I mean nought, but as my +words say." + +"Nay then," said Christopher, "thou biddest me an evil deed, +great Lord. What I said was that I would compel no woman; +and shall I compel her who is the wonder of the world and my +very own Lady?" + +"Hold thy peace, sir fool," said the Earl; "let me tell thee +that she is as like to compel thee as thou her. And as to +her being thy Lady, she shall be thy Lady and wife indeed; +but not here, for above all things will she get her away +from Greenharbour, and thou shalt be her champion, to lead +her about the world like a knight errant." + +Now was Christopher so troubled that he knew not what +countenance to make, and scarce might he get a word out of +his mouth a long while. At last he said: "Lord, I see that +I must needs do thy will if this be no trap which thou hast +set for me. But overwonderful it is, that a great lady +should be wedded to a gangrel churl." + +The Earl laughed: "Many a ferly fares to the fair-eyed," +quoth he; "and also I will tell thee in thine ear that this +Lady may not be so great as her name is great. Did she +praise her life-days to thee?" + +"Nay," said Christopher; "I mind me well, she called herself +the poor captive." + +"She said but sooth," quoth the Earl; "and her going away +from Greenharbour is instead of her captivity; and I tell +thee it is by that only I may make her joyous. And now one +word: thou that criest out For the Tofts in battle art not +altogether unfriended, meseemeth." + +Christopher looked up proudly and fiercely: he said: +"Forsooth, Lord, my friends are good, though thou callest +them wolf-heads and gallows-meat." + +"Champion," said the Earl, laughing, "that may well be +sooth; and there are a many ups and downs in the world. +Bethink thee that the time may come when thou and thy +friends may wend to my help, and may win the names of knight +and baron and earl: such hap hath been aforetime. And now I +crave of thee, when thou comest back to the Tofts, to bid +Jack fall upon other lands than Meadham when he rideth, +because of the gift and wedding that I give thee now. So, +lad, I deem that thou hast chosen thy part; but let not the +tale thereof go out of thy mouth, or thou wilt gab away thy +wedding. Lo, thou, I leave this door open behind me; and +presently shall the smith come here to do away thine irons; +and I shall send a squire to thee to lead thee to a fair +chamber, and to bring thee goodly raiment, and do thou play +amongst thy fellows as one of the best of them; and show +them, if thou wilt, some such feats in peace as yesterday +thou showedst them in battle. And to-morrow there will be +new tidings." And therewith he departed. + +No worse than his word he was, and anon came the smith and +the squire; and he was brought to a chamber, and raiment of +fine linen and silk and embroidery was brought to him: and +when he was new clad he looked like a king's son, whereas +aforetime he looked like a God of the Gentiles of old. All +men praised his beauty and his courtesy, and after dinner +was, and they had rested, they bade him play with them and +show them his prowess, and he was nought loth thereto, and +did what he might in running and leaping, and casting of the +bar, and shooting in the bow. And in all these things he +was so far before everyone, that they marvelled at him, and +said it was well indeed that he had not been slain +yesterday. As to wrestling, therein he might do but little; +for all forbore him after the first man had stood before +him, a squire, well learned in war, and long and tough, and +deemed a very stark man; him Christopher threw over his +shoulder as though he had been a child of twelve years. So +wore the day at Greenharbour in merrier wise for all good +folk than for many a day had been the wont there. + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +OF THE WEDDING OF CHRISTOPHER AND GOLDILIND. + + +Early on the morrow came the Earl unto Goldilind, and she +received him gladly, as one who had fashioned life anew for +her. And when he had sat down by her, he spake and said: +"Lady, thou cravedst of me yesterday two things; the first +was freedom from the captivity of Greenharbour; and the +second, life and liberty for the varlet that cherished thee +in the wild-wood the other day. Now thy first asking +grieved me, for that thou hast been tyrannously done by; and +thy second I wondered at; but since I have seen the young +man, I wonder the less; for he is both so goodly, and so +mighty of body, and of speech bold and free, yet gentle and +of all courtesy, that he is meet to be knight or earl, yea, +or very king. Now, therefore, in both these matters I will +well to do thy pleasure, and in one way it may be; and thou +mayst then go forth from Greenharbour as free as a bird, and +thy varlet's life may be given unto him, and mickle honour +therewith. Art thou, then, willing to do after my rede and +my commandment, so that both these good things may betide +thee?" + +"Right willing am I," she said, "to be free and happy and to +save the life of a fair youth and kind." + +"Then," said he, "there is one thing for thee to do: that +this day thou wed this fair and kind youth, and let him lead +thee forth from Greenharbour; and, belike, he will bring +thee to no ill stead; for his friends are mightier than +mayhappen thou deemest." + +She turned as red as blood at his word; she knit her brows, +and her eyes flashed as she answered: "Is it seemly for a +King's daughter to wed a nameless churl? And now I know +thee, Lord Earl, what thou wouldst do; thou wouldst be King +of Meadham and put thy master's daughter to the road." And +she was exceeding wroth. + +But he said, smiling somewhat: "Was it then seemly for the +King's daughter to kneel for this man's life, and go near to +swooning for joy when it was granted to her?" + +"Yea," she said, "for I love him with all my body and soul; +and I would have had him love me par amours, and then should +I have been his mistress and he my servant; but now shall he +be my master and I his servant." And still was she very +wroth. + +Quoth the Earl: "As to the matter of my being King of +Meadham, that will I be, whatever befall, or die in the +place else. So if thou wilt not do my rede, then must the +varlet whom thou lovest die, and at Greenharbour must thou +abide with Dame Elinor. There is no help for it." + +She shrieked out at that word of his, and well nigh swooned, +lying back in her chair: but presently fell a-weeping +sorely. But the Earl said: "Hearken, my Lady, I am not +without warrant to do this. Tell me, hast thou ever seen +any fairer or doughtier than this youngling?" + +"Never," said she. + +"So say we all," he said. "Now I shall tell thee (and I can +bring witness to it) that in his last hour the King, thy +father, when he gave thee into my keeping, spake also this: +that I should wed thee to none save the fairest and +doughtiest man that might be found: even so would I do now. +What then sayest thou?" + +She answered not, but still wept somewhat; then said the +Earl: "Lady, give me leave, and I shall send thy women to +thee, and sit in the great hall for an hour, and if within +that while thou send a woman of thine to say one word, Yes, +unto me, then is all well. But if not, then do I depart from +Greenharbour straightway, and take the youngling with me to +hang him up on the first tree. Be wise, I pray thee." + +And therewith he went his ways. But Goldilind, being left +alone a little, rose up and paced the chamber to and fro, +and her tears and sobbing ceased; and a great and strange +joy grew up in her heart, mingled with the pain of longing, +so that she might rest in nowise. Even therewith the door +opened, and her women entered, Aloyse first, and she called +to her at once, and bade her to find Earl Geoffrey in the +great hall, and say to him: Yes. So Aloyse went her ways, +and Goldilind bade her other women to array her in the best +and goodliest wise that they might. And the day was yet +somewhat young. Now it must besaid of Earl Geoffrey that, in +spite of his hard word, he had it not in his heart either to +slay Christopher or to leave Goldilind at Greenharbour to +the mercy of Dame Elinor. + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +OF THE WEDDING OF THOSE TWAIN. + + +Now were folk gathered in the hall, and the Earl Geoffrey +was standing on the dais by the high-seat, and beside him a +worthy clerk, the Abbot of Meadhamstead, a monk of St. +Benedict, and next to him the Burgreve of Greenharbour, and +then a score of knights all in brave raiment, and squires +withal, and sergeants; but down in the hall were the men- +at-arms and serving-men, and a half hundred of folk of the +countryside, queans as well as carles, who had been gathered +for the show and bidden in. No other women were there in +the hall till Goldilind and her serving-women entered. She +went straight up the hall, and took her place in the +high-seat; and for all that her eyes seemed steady, she had +noted Christopher standing by the shot-window just below the +dais. + +Now when she was set down, and there was silence in the +hall, Earl Geoffrey came forth and said: "Lords and +knights, and ye good people, the Lady Goldilind, daughter of +the Lord King Roland that last was, is now of age to wed; +and be it known unto you, that the King, her father, bade +me, in the last words by him spoken, to wed her to none but +the loveliest and strongest that might be, as witness I can +bring hereto. Now such a man have I sought hereto in +Meadhamstead and the much-peopled land of Meadham, and none +have I come on, however worthy he were of deeds, or +well-born of lineage, but that I doubted me if he were so +fair or so doughty as might be found; but here in this half- +desert corner of the land have I gotten a man than whom none +is doughtier, as some of you have found to your cost. And +tell me all you, where have ye seen any as fair as this +man?" And therewith he made a sign with his hand, and forth +strode Christopher up on to the dais; and he was so clad, +that his kirtle was of white samite, girt with a girdle of +goldsmith's work, whereby hung a good sword of like fashion, +and over his shoulders was a mantle of red cloth-of-gold, +furred with ermine, and lined with green sendall; and on his +golden curled locks sat a chaplet of pearls. + +Then to the lords and all the people he seemed so fair and +fearless and kind that they gave a great shout of welcome; +and Goldilind came forth from her chair, as fair as a June +lily, and came to Christopher and reached out her hand to +him, but he refrained him a moment, so that all they could +see how sweet and lovely a hand it was, and then he took it, +and drew her to him, and kissed her mouth before them all; +and still he held her hand, till the Abbot of Meadhamstead +aforetold came and stood by them and blessed them. + +Then spake the Earl again: "Lo ye, here hath been due +betrothal of these twain, and ye may see how meet they be +for each other in goodliness and kindness. Now there +lacketh nought but they should be wedded straightway; and +all is arrayed in the chapel; wherefore if this holy man +will come with us and do on his mass-hackle, our joy shall +be fulfilled; save that thereafter shall feast and merriment +await all you in this hall, and we shall be there to welcome +all comers in this house of Greenharbour, whereas this our +gracious Lady has long abided so happily." + +Man looked on man here and there, and smiled a little as he +spake, but none said aught, for there were none save the +Earl's servants there, and a sort of poor wretches. + +So therewithal they went their ways to the chapel where was +the wedding done as grandly as might be, considering they +were in no grander place than Greenharbour. And when all was +done, and folk began to flow away from the chapel, and +Goldilind sat shamefaced but strangely happy in a great +stall of the choir, the Earl called Christopher unto him, +and said: "My lad, I deem that some great fortune shall +betide thee since already thou hast begun so luckily. But I +beseech thee mar not thy fortune by coming back with thy +fair wife to the land of Meadham; or else it may be thou +shalt cast thy life away, and that will bring her sorrow, as +I can see well." + +He spake this grimly, though he smiled as he spake. But he +went on more gently: "I will not send you twain away +empty-handed; when ye go out a-gates into the wide world, ye +shall find two fair horses for your riding, well bedight, +and one with a woman's saddle; and, moreover, a sumpter +beast, not very lightly burdened, for on one side of him he +beareth achest wherein is, first of all, the raiment of my +Lady, and beneath it some deal of silver and gold and gems; +but on the other side is victual and drink for the way for +you, and raiment for thee, youngling. How sayest thou, is +it well?" + +"It is well, Lord," said Christopher; "yet would I have with +me the raiment wherewith I came hither, and my bow and my +sax." + +"Yea and wherefore, carle?" said Earl Geoffrey. + +Said the youngling: "We be going to ride the wild-wood, and +it might be better for safety's sake that I be so clad as +certain folk look to see men ride there." + +But he reddened as he spake; and the Earl said: "By +Allhallows! but it is not ill thought of; and, belike, the +same-like kind of attire might be better to hide the +queenship of the Lady from the wood-folk than that which now +she weareth?" + +"True is that, Lord," quoth Christopher. + +"Yet," said the Earl, "l will have you go forth from the +Castle clad in your lordly weed, lest folk of mine say that +I have stripped my Lady and cast her forth: don ye your +poor raiment when in the wood ye be." + +Therewith he called to a squire, and bade him seek out that +poor raiment of the new-wedded youngling, and bow withal +and shafts good store, and do all on the sumpter; and, +furthermore, he bade him tell one of my Lady's women to set +on the sumpter some of Goldilind's old and used raiment. So +the squire did the Earl's will, and both got Christopher's +gear and also found Aloyse and gave her the Earl's word. + +She smiled thereat, and went straightway and fetched the +very same raiment, green gown and all, which she had brought +to Goldilind in prison that other day, and in which +Goldilind had fled from Greenharbour. And when she had done +them in the chest above all the other gear, she stood yet +beside the horses amidst of the varlets and squires who were +gathered there to see the new-wedded folk depart. + +Presently then came forth through the gate those two, hand +in hand, and Earl Geoffrey with them. And he set Goldilind +on her horse himself, and knelt before her to say farewell, +and therewith was Christopher on his horse, and him the Earl +saluted debonairly. + +But just as they were about shaking their reins to depart, +Aloyse fell down on her knees before the Earl, who said: +"What is toward, woman?" + +"A grace, my Lord, a grace," said she. + +"Stand up on thy feet," said the Earl, "and ye, my masters, +draw out of earshot." + +Even so did they; and the Earl bade her speak, and she said: +"Lord, my Lady is going away from Greenharbour, and anon +thou wilt be going, and I shall be left with the sleek +she-devil yonder that thou hast set over us, and here there +will be hell for me without escape, now that my Lady is +gone. Wherefore I pray thee take me with thee to +Meadhamstead, even if it be to prison; for here I shall die +the worst of deaths." + +Earl Geoffrey smiled on her sourly, and said: "If it be as +I understand, that thou hast lifted thine hand against my +Lady, wert thou wending with me, thou shouldst go just so +far as the first tree. Thou mayst deem thyself lucky if I +leave thee behind here. Nor needest thou trouble thee +concerning Dame Elinor; little more shalt thou hear of her +henceforward." + +But Goldilind spake and said: "My Lord Earl, I would ask +grace for this one; for what she did to me she did +compelled, and not of her free will, and I forgive it her. +And moreover, this last time she suffered in her body for +the helping of me; so if thou mightest do her asking I were +the better pleased." + +"It shall be as thou wilt, my Lady," said the Earl, "and I +will have her with me and keep her quiet in Meadhamstead; +but, by Allhallows! had it not been for thy word we would +have had her whipped into the wild-wood, and hanged up on to +a tree thereafter." + +Then Aloyse knelt before Goldilind and kissed her feet, and +wept, and drew back pale and trembling. But Goldilind shook +her rein once for all now, and her apple-grey horse went +forth with her; Christopher came after, leading the sumpter +beast, and forth they went, and passed over the open green +about the Castle, and came on to the woodland way whereby +Goldilind had fled that other time. + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +OF THE WOODLAND BRIDE-CHAMBER. + + +They rode in silence a good way, and it was some three hours +after noon, and the day as fair and bright as might be. +Christopher held his peace for sweet shame that he was alone +with a most fair maid, and she his own, and without defence +against him. But she amidst of her silence turned, now red, +and now somewhat pale, and now and again she looked somewhat +askance on him, and he deemed her looks were no kinder than +they should be. + +At last she spake, yet not looking on him, and said: "So, +Forester, now is done what I must needs do: thy life is +saved, and I am quit of Greenharbour, and its prison, and +its torments: whither away then?" + +Quoth he, all dismayed, for her voice was the voice of +anger: "I wot not whither, save to the house thou hast +blessed already with thy dear body." + +At that word she turned quite pale, and trembled, and spake +not for a while, and smote her horse and hastened on the +way, and he after her; but when he was come up with her +again, then she said, still not looking at him: "A house of +woodmen and wolf-heads. Is that a meet dwelling-place for +me? Didst thou hear men at Greenharbour say that I am a +Queen?" + +"Hear them I did," quoth he; "but meseemeth nought like a +Queen had they done with thee." + +She said: "And dost thou mock me with that? thou?" And she +burst out weeping. He answered not, for sore grief smote +him, remembering her hand in his but a little while ago. +And again she hurried on, and he followed her. + +When he came up with her she said: "And thou, didst thou +woo me as a Queen?" + +"Lady," he said, "I wooed thee not at all; I was given to +thee, would I, would I not: great joy was that to me." + +Then said she: "Thou sayest sooth, thou hast not wooed me, +but taken me." She laughed therewith, as one in bitterness. +But presently she turned to him, and he wondered, for in her +face was longing and kindness nought like to her words. But +he durst not speak to her lest he should anger her, and she +turned her face from him again: and she said: "Wert thou +given to me? meseems I was given to thee, would I, would I +not; the Queen to the Churl, the Wood-man, the Wolf-head." +And again she rode on, and he followed, sick at heart and +wondering sorely. + +When they were riding together again, they spake not to each +other, though she stole glances at him to see how he fared; +but he rode on with knit brows and a stern countenance. So +in a while she began to speak to him again, but as if there +were nought but courtesy between them, and neither love nor +hatred. She fell to asking him of woodland matters, +concerning bird and beast and things creeping; and at first +he would scarce answer her at all, and then were his answers +short; but at last, despite of all, he began to forget both +grief and anger, so much the sweetness of her speech wound +about his heart; and, withal, she fell to asking him of his +fellows and their life in the woods, and of Jack of the +Tofts and the like; and now he answered her questions fully, +and whiles she laughed at his words, and he laughed also; +and all pleasure had there been of this converse, if he had +not beheld her from time to time and longed for the fairness +of her body, and feared her wrath at his longing. + +So wore the day, and the sun was getting low, and they were +come to another woodland pool which was fed by a +clear-running little brook, and up from it went a low bank +of greensward exceeding sweet, and beyond that oak trees +wide-branched and great, and still fair greensward beneath +them and hazel-thicket beyond them. There, then, Goldilind +reined up, and looked about her, but Christopher looked on +her and nought else. But she said: "Let to-morrow bring +counsel; but now am I weary to-night, and if we are not to +ride night-long, we shall belike find no better place to +rest in. Wilt thou keep watch while I sleep?" + +"Yea," he said, bowing his head to her soberly; and +therewith he got off his horse, and would have helped her +down from hers, but she slipped lightly down and stood +before him face to face, and they were very nigh to each +other, she standing close to her horse. Her face was pale to +his deeming and there was a piteous look in her eyes, so +that he yearned towards her in his bowels, and reached his +hand toward her; but she shrank aback, leaning against her +horse, and said in a trembling voice, looking full at him, +and growing yet paler: "Forester, dost thou think it seemly +that thou shouldst ride with us, thou such as thou hast told +thyself to be, in this lordly raiment, which they gave thee +yonder as part of the price for thy leading us away into the +wild-wood?" + +"Lady," said he, "whether it be seemly or not, I see that it +is thy will that I should go clad as a woodland churl; abide +a little, and thy will shall be done." + +Therewith he did off the burden from the sumpter horse, and +set the chests on the earth; then he took her horse gently, +and led him with the other two in under the oak trees, and +there he tethered them so that they could bite the grass; +and came back thereafter, and took his old raiment out of +the chest, and said: "What thou wilt have me do, I will do +now; and this all the more as to-morrow I should have done +it unbidden, and should have prayed thee to do on garments +less glorious than now thou bearest; so that we may look the +less strange in the woodland if we chance to fall in with +any man. + +Nought she answered as he turned toward the hazel copse; she +had been following him with her eyes while he was about that +business, and when his back was turned, she stood a moment +till her bosom fell a-heaving, and she wept; then she turned +her about to the chest wherein was her raiment, and went +hastily and did off her glorious array, and did on the green +gown wherewith she had fled, and left her feet bare withal. +Then she looked up and saw Christopher, how he was coming +from out the hazel-thicket new clad in his old raiment, and +she cried out aloud, and ran toward him. But he doubted +that some evil had betid, and that she was chased; so he +drew out his sword; but she ran up to him and cried out: +"Put up thy sword, here is none save me." + +But he stood still, gazing on her in wonderment, and now she +was drawn near to him she stood still before him, panting. +Then he said: "Nay, Lady, for this night there was no need +of thy disguising thee, to-morrow it had been soon enough." + +She said: "I were fain if thou wouldst take my hand, and +lead me back to our resting-place." + +Even so he did, and as their palms met he felt how her hand +loved him, and a flood of sweetness swept over his heart, +and made an end of all its soreness. But he led her quietly +back again to their place. Then she turned to him and said: +"Now art thou the woodland god again, and the courtier no +more; so now will I worship thee." And she knelt down +before him, and embraced his knees and kissed them; but he +drew her up to him, and cast his arms about her, and kissed +her face many times, and said: "Now art thou the poor +captive again." + +She said: "Now hast thou forgiven me; but I will tell thee +that my wilfulness and folly was not all utterly feigned; +though when I was about it I longed for thee to break it +down with the fierceness of a man, and bid me look to it how +helpless I was, and thou how strong and my only defence. +Not utterly feigned it was: for I will say it, that I was +grieved to the heart when I bethought me of Meadhamstead and +the seat of my fathers. What sayest thou then? Shalt thou be +ever a woodman in these thickets, and a follower of Jack of +the Tofts? If so thou wilt, it is well." + +He took her by the shoulders and bent her backwards to kiss +her, and held her up above the earth in his arms, waving her +this way and that, till she felt how little and light she +was in his grasp, though she was no puny woman; then he set +her on her feet again, and laughed in her face, and said: +"Sweetling, let to-morrow bring counsel. But now let it all +be: thou hast said it, thou art weary; so now will I dight +thee a bed of our mantles, and thou shalt lie thee down, and +I shall watch thee as thou badest me." + +Therewith he went about, and plucked armfuls of the young +bracken, and made a bed wide and soft, and spread the +mantles thereover. + +But she stood awhile looking on him; then she said: "Dost +thou think to punish me for my wilful folly, and to shame me +by making me speak to thee?" + +"Nay," he said, "it is not so." + +She said: "I am not shamed in that I say to thee: if thou +watch this night, I will watch by thee; and if I lie down to +rest this night, thou shalt lie by me. For my foemen have +given me to thee, and now shalt thou give thyself to me." + +So he drew near to her shyly, like unto one who hath been +forgiven. And there was their bridal bed, and nought but +the oak boughs betwixt them and the bare heavens. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +THEY FALL IN WITH FRIENDS. + + +Now awoke Goldilind when the morning was young and fresh, +and she drew the mantle up over her shoulders; and as she +did so, but half awake, she deemed she heard other sounds +than the singing of the black-birds and throstles about the +edge of the thicket, and she turned her eyes toward the oak +trees and the hazel-thicket, and saw at once three of +mankind coming on foot over the greensward toward her. She +was afraid, so that she durst not put out a hand to awaken +Christopher, but sat gazing on those three as they came +toward her; she saw that two were tall men, clad much as +Christopher; but presently she saw that there was a woman +with them, and she took heart somewhat thereat; and she +noted that one of the men was short-haired and dark-haired, +and the other had long red hair falling about his shoulders; +and as she put out her hand and laid it on Christopher's +shoulder, the red-haired one looked toward her a moment +under the sharp of his hand (for the sun was on their side), +and then set off running, giving out a great whoop +therewithal. Even therewith leapt up Christopher, still +half awake, and the red-haired man ran right up to him, and +caught him by the shoulders, and kissed him on both cheeks; +so that Goldilind saw that these were the fellows whereof +Christopher had told, and she stood there shame-fast and +smiling. + +Presently came up the others, to wit, Gilbert and Joanna, +and they also kissed and embraced Christopher, and all they +were as full of joy as might be. Then came Joanna to +Goldilind, and said: "I wot not who this may be, brother, +yet meseems she will be someone who is dear to thee, +wherefore is she my sister." And therewith she kissed +Goldilind; and she was kind, and sweet of flesh, and goodly +of body, and Goldilind rejoiced in her. + +Joanna made much of her, and said to her: "Here is to do, +whereas two men have broken into a lady's chamber; come, +sister, let us to the thicket, and I will be thy tiring- +maid, and while these others tell their tales we shall tell +ours." And she took her hand and they went into the hazels; +but the two new-come men seemed to find it hard to keep +their eyes off Goldilind, till the hazels had hidden her. + +Then turned David to Christopher, and said: "Thy pardon, +little King, that we have waked thee so early; but we wotted +not that thou hadst been amongst the wood-women; and, sooth +to say, my lad, we had little ease till we found thee, after +we came home and saw all those hoof-marks yonder." + +"Yea," said Gilbert, "if we had lost thee we had been finely +holpen up, for we could neither have gone back to the Tofts +nor into the kingdom: for I think my father would have +hanged us if we had come back with a 'By the way, +Christopher is slain.' But tell us, lad, what hath befallen +thee with yonder sweetling?" + +"Yea, tell us," said David, "and sit down here betwixt us, +with thy back to the hazel-thicket, or we shall get no tale +out of thee--tush, man, Joanna will bring her back, and that +right soon, I hope." + +Christopher laughed, and sat down between them, and told all +how it had gone with him, and of Goldilind, who she was. +The others hearkened heedfully, and Gilbert said: "With all +thou hast told us, brother, it is clear we shall find it +hard to dwell in Littledale; so soon as thy loveling hath +rested her at our house, we must go our ways to the Tofts, +and take counsel of our father." + +Christopher yea-said this, and therewithal was come Joanna +leading Goldilind duly arrayed (yet still in her green gown, +for she would none other), fresh, blushing, and all lovely; +and David and Christopher did obeisance before her as to a +great lady; but she hailed them as brothers, merrily and +kindly, and bade them kiss her; and they kissed her cheek, +but shyly, and especially David. + +Thereafter they broke their fast under the oak trees, and +spent a merry hour, and then departed, the two women riding +the horses, the others afoot; so came they to the house of +Littledale, some while before sunset, and were merry and +glad there. Young they were, troubles were behind them, and +many a joy before them. + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + +THEY TAKE COUNSEL AT LITTLEDALE. + + +Ten days they abode in the house of Littledale in all good +cheer, and Joanna led Goldilind here and there about the +woods, and made much of her, so that the heart within her +was full of joy, for the freedom of the wild-woods and all +the life thereof was well-nigh new to her; whereas on the +day of her flight from Greenharbour, and on two other such +times, deadly fear, as is aforesaid, was mingled with her +joyance, and would have drowned it utterly, but for the +wilfulness which hardened her heart against the punishment +to come. But now she was indeed free, and it seemed to her, +as to Christopher when he was but new healed of his hurt, as +if all this bright beauty of tree and flower, and beast and +bird, was but made for her alone, and she wondered that her +fellow could be so calm and sedate amidst of all this +pleasure. And now, forsooth, was her queenhood forgotten, +and better and better to her seemed Christopher's valiant +love; and the meeting in the hall of the eventide was so +sweet to her, that she might do little but stand trembling +whiles Christopher came up to her, and Joanna's trim feet +were speeding her over the floor to meet her man, that she +might be a sharer in his deeds of the day. + +Many tales withal Joanna told the Queen of the deeds of her +husband and his kindred, and of the freeing of her and the +other three from their captivity at Wailing Knowe, and of +the evil days they wore there before the coming of their +lads, which must have been worser by far, thought Goldilind, +than the days of Greenharbour; so with all these tales, and +the happy days in the house of the wild-woods, Goldilind now +began to deem of this new life as if there had been none +other fated for her, so much a part was she now become of +the days of those woodmen and wolf-heads. + +But when the last of those ten days was wearing to an end +and those five were sitting happy in the hall (albeit David +sat somewhat pensive, now staring at Goldilind's beauty, now +rising from his seat to pace the floor restlessly), Gilbert +spake and said: "Brethren, and thou, Queen Goldilind, it +may be that the time is drawing near for other deeds than +letting fly a few shafts at the dun deer, and eating our +meat, and singing old songs as we lie at our ladies' feet; +for though we be at peace here in the wild-wood, forgetting +all things save those that are worthy to be remembered, yet +in the cities and the courts of kings guile is not +forgotten, and pride is alive, and tyranny, and the sword is +whetted for innocent lives, and the feud is eked by the +destruction of those who be sackless of its upheaving. +Wherefore it behoveth to defend us by the ready hand and the +bold heart and the wise head. So, I say, let us loiter here +no longer, but go our ways to-morrow to the Tofts, and take +the rede of our elders. How say ye, brethren?" + +Quoth Christopher: "Time was, brother, when what thou +sayest would have been as a riddle to me, and I would have +said: Here are we merry, though we be few; and if ye lack +more company, let me ride to the Tofts and come back with a +half score of lads and lasses, and thus let us eke our +mirth; and maybe they will tell us whitherward to ride. But +now there is a change, since I have gained a gift over-great +for me, and I know that they shall be some of the great ones +who would be eager to take it from me; and who knows what +guile may be about the weaving even now, as on the day when +thou first sawest this hall, beloved." + +Goldilind spake and sighed withal: "Whither my lord will +lead me, thither will I go; but here is it fair and sweet +and peaceful; neither do I look for it that men will come +hither to seek the Queen of Meadham." + +David said: "Bethink thee, though, my Lady, that he who +wedded thee to the woodman may yet rue, and come hither to +undo his deed, by slaying the said woodman, and showing the +Queen unto the folk." + +Goldilind turned pale; but Joanna spake: "Nay, brother +David, why wilt thou prick her heart with this fear? For my +part, I think that, chance-hap apart, we might dwell here +for years in all safety, and happily enough, maybe. Yet +also I say that we of the Tofts may well be eager to show +this jewel to our kindred, and especially to our father and +mother of the Tofts; so to-morrow we will set about the +business of carrying her thither, will she, nill she." And +therewith she threw her arms about Goldilind, and clipped +her and kissed her; and Goldilind reddened for pleasure and +for joy that she was so sore prized by them all. + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + +NOW THEY ALL COME TO THE TOFTS. + + +Next morning, while the day was yet young, they rode +together, all of them, the nighest way to the Tofts, for +they knew the wood right well. Again they slept one night +under the bare heavens, and, rising betimes on the morrow, +came out under the Tofts some four hours after high noon, on +as fair and calm a day of early summer as ever was seen. + +They rode up straight to the door of the great hall, and +found but few folk about, and those mostly women and +children; Jack was ridden abroad, they said, but they looked +to see him back to supper, him and his sons, for he was no +great way gone. + +Meantime, when they got off their horses, the women and +children thronged round about them; and the children +especially about Christopher, whom they loved much. The +maidens, also, would not have him pass into the hall +unkissed, though presently, after their faces had felt his +lips, they fell a-staring and wondering at Goldilind, and +when Christopher took her by the hand and gave her welcome +to the House of the Tofts, and they saw that she was his, +they grew to be somewhat afraid, or it might be shy, both of +her and of him. + +Anyhow, folk came up to them in the hall, and made much of +them, and took them unto chambers and washed their feet, and +crowned them with flowers, and brought them into the hall +again, and up on to the dais, and gave them to eat and +drink. Thither came to them also the Lady Margaret, Jack's +wedded wife, and made them the most cheer that she might; +and unto her did Christopher tell his story as unto his very +mother; and what there was in the house, both of carle and +of quean, gathered round about to hearken, and Christopher +nothing loth. And Goldilind's heart warmed toward that +folk, and in sooth they were a goodly people to look on, and +frank and happy, and of good will, and could well of +courtesy, though it were not of the courts. + +Wore the bright day, and it drew toward sunset, and now the +carles came straight into the hall by twos and threes, till +there were a many within its walls. But to each one of +these knots as they entered, someone, carle or quean, spake +a word or two, and straightway the new-comers went up to the +dais and greeted Christopher pleasantly, and made obeisance +to Goldilind. + +At last was the hall, so quiet erst, grown busy as a +beehive, and amidst the throng thereof came in the +serving-folk, women and men, and set the endlong boards up +(for the high-table was a standing one of oak, right thick +and strong); and then they fell to bringing in the service, +all but what the fire was dealing with in the kitchen. And +whiles this was a-doing, the sun was sinking fast, and it +was dusk in the hall by then it was done, though without the +sky was fair and golden, and about the edges of the thicket +were the nightingales singing loud and sweet, but within was +the turmoil of many voices, whereof few heeded if their +words were loud or soft. + +Amidst all this, from close to the hall, rang out the sound +of many horns winding a woodland tune. None was afeard or +astonied, because all knew it for the horns of Jack of the +Tofts; but they stilled their chattering talk somewhat, and +abided his coming; and even therewith came the sound of many +feet and the clash of weapons, and men poured in, and there +was the gleam of steel, as folk fell back to the right and +left, and gave room to the new-comers. Then a loud, clear, +and cheery voice cried out from amidst of them: "Light in +the hall, men and maids! Candles, candles! Let see who is +here before us!" + +Straightway then was there running hither and thither and +light sprang up over all the hall, and there could folk see +Jack of the Tofts, and a score and a half of his best, every +man of them armed with shield and helm and byrny, with green +coats over their armour, and wreaths of young oak about +their basnets; there they stood amidst of the hall, and +every man with his naked sword in his fist. Jack stood +before his folk clad in like wise with them, save that his +head was bare but for an oak wreath. Men looked on a while +and said nought, while Jack looked proudly and keenly over +the hall, and at last his eye caught Christopher's, but he +made the youngling no semblance of greeting. Christopher's +heart fell, and he misdoubted if something were not wrong; +but he spake softly to one who stood by him, and said: "Is +aught amiss, Will Ashcroft? this is not the wont here." + +Said the other: "Not in thy time; but for the last seven +days it hath been the wont, and then off weapons and to +supper peaceably. + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. + +OF THE KING OF OAKENREALM. + + +Even therewith, and while the last word had but come to +Christopher's ears, rang out the voice of Jack of the Tofts +again, louder and clearer than before: and he said: "Men +in this hall, I bear you tidings! The King of Oakenrealm is +amongst us to-night." + +Then, forsooth, was the noise and the turmoil, and cries and +shouts and clatter, and fists raised in air and weapons +caught down from the wall, and the glitter of spear-points +and gleam of fallow blades. For the name of Rolf, King of +Oakenrealm, was to those woodmen as the name of the Great +Devil of Hell, so much was he their unfriend and their +dastard. But Jack raised up his hand, and cried: "Silence +ye! Blow up, horns, The Hunt's Up!" + +Blared out the horns then, strong and fierce, under the +hall-roof, and when they were done, there was more silence +in the hall than in the summer night without; only the voice +of the swords could not be utterly still, but yet tinkled +and rang as hard came against hard here and there in the +hush. + +Again spake Jack: "Let no man speak! Let no man move from +his place! I SEE THE KING! Ye shall see him!" + +Therewith he strode up the hall and on to the dais, and came +up to where stood Christopher holding Goldilind's hand, and +she all pale and trembling; but Jack took him by the +shoulder, and turned him about toward a seat which stood +before the board, so that all men in the hall could see it; +then he set him down in it, and took his sword from his +girdle, and knelt down before the young man, and took his +right hand, and said in a loud voice: "I, Jack of the +Tofts, a free man and a sackless, wrongfully beguilted, am +the man of King Christopher of Oakenrealm, to live and die +for him as need may be. Lo, Lord, my father's blade! Wilt +thou be good to me and gird me therewith, as thy father girt +him?" + +Now when Christopher heard him, at first he deemed that all +this was some sport or play done for his pastime and the +pleasure of the hall-folk in all kindness and honour. But +when he looked in the eyes of him, and saw him fierce and +eager and true, he knew well it was no jest; and as the +shouts of men went up from the hall and beat against the +roof, himseemed that he remembered, as in a dream, folk +talking a-nigh him when he was too little to understand, of +a king and his son, and a mighty man turned thief and +betrayer. Then his brow cleared, and his eyes shone bright, +and he leaned forward to Jack and girt him with the sword, +and kissed his mouth, and said: "Thou art indeed my man and +my thane and my earl, and I gird thee with thy sword as my +father girded thy father." + +Then stood up Jack o' the Tofts and said: "Men in this +hall, happy is the hour, and happy are ye! This man is the +King of Oakenrealm, and he yonder is but a thief of kings, a +dastard!" + +And again great was the shouting, for carle and quean, young +and old, they loved Christopher well: and Jack of the Tofts +was not only their war-duke and alderman, but their wise man +also, and none had any thought of gainsaying him. But he +spake again and said: "Is there here any old man, or not so +old, who hath of past days seen our King that was, King +Christopher to wit, who fell in battle on our behalf? If so +there be, let him come up hither." + +Then arose a greybeard from a bench nigh the high-table, and +came up on to the dais; a very tall man had he been, but was +now somewhat bowed by age. He now knelt before Christopher, +and took his hand, and said: "I, William of Whittenham, a +free man, a knight, sackless of the guilt which is laid on +me, would be thy man, O my lord King, to serve thee in all +wise; if so be that I may live to strike one stroke for my +master's son, whom now I see, the very living image of the +King whom I served in my youth." + +Then Christopher bent down to him and kissed him, and said: +"Thou art indeed my man and my thane & my baron; and who +knows but that thou mayst have many a stroke to strike for +me in the days that are nigh at hand." + +And again the people shouted: and then there came another +and another, and ten more squires and knights and men of +estate, who were now indeed woodmen and wolf-heads, but who, +the worst of them, were sackless of aught save slaying an +unfriend, or a friend's unfriend, in fair fight; and all +these kneeled before him, and put their hands in his, and +gave themselves unto him. + +When this was done, there came thrusting through the throng +of the hall a tall woman, old, yet comely as for her age; +she went right up on to the dais, and came to where sat +Christopher, and without more ado cast her arms about him +and kissed him, and then she held him by the shoulders and +cried out: "O, have I found thee at last, my loveling, and +my dear, and my nurse-chick? and thou grown so lovely and +yet so big that I may never more hold thee aloft in mine +arms, as once I was wont; though high enough belike thou +shalt be lifted; and I say praise be to God and to his +Hallows that thou art grown so beauteous and mighty a man!" + +Therewith she turned about toward the hall-throng and said: +"Thou, duke of these woodmen, and all ye in this hall, I +have been brought hither by one of you; and though I have +well-nigh died of joy because of the suddenness of this +meeting, yet I thank him therefor. For who is this goodly +and gracious young man save the King's son of Oakenrealm, +Christopher that was; and that to my certain knowledge; for +he is my fosterling and my milk-child, and I took him from +the hands of the midwife in the High House of Oakenham a +twenty-one years ago; and they took him from Oakenham, and +me with him to the house of Lord Richard the Lean, at +Longholms, and there we dwelt; but in a little while they +took him away from Longholms to I wot not whither, but would +not suffer me to go along with him, and ever sithence have I +been wandering about and hoping to see this lovely child +again, and now I see him, what he is, and again I thank God +and Allhallows therefor." + +Once more then was there stir and glad tumult in the hall. +But Goldilind stood wondering, and fear entered into her +soul; for she saw before her a time of turmoil and unpeace, +and there seemed too much between her and the sweetness of +her love. Withal it must be said, that for as little as she +knew of courts and war-hosts, she yet seemed to see lands +without that hall, and hosts marching, and mighty walls +glittering with spears, and the banners of a great King +displayed; and Jack of the Tofts and his champions and good +fellows seemed but a frail defence against all that, when +once the hidden should be shown, and the scantiness of the +woodland should cry on the abundance of the kingdom to bow +down. + +Now she came round the board and stood beside Christopher, +and he turned to her, and stood up and took her hand, in +such wise that she felt the caress of it; and joy filled her +soul, as if she had been alone with him in the wild-wood. + +But he spake and said: "All ye my friends: I see and wot +well that ye would have me sit in my father's seat and be +the King of Oakenrealm, and that ye will give me help and +furtherance therein to the utmost; nor will I cast back the +gift upon you; and I will say this, that when I am King +indeed, it is my meaning and my will now, that then I shall +be no less one of you good fellows and kind friends than ye +have known me hitherto; and even so I deem that ye think of +me. But, good friends, it is not to be hidden that the road +ye would have me wend with you is like to be rough; and it +may well be that we shall not come to be kings or kings' +friends but men hunted, and often, maybe, men taken and +slain. Therefore, till one thing or the other come, the +kingship, or the taking, I will try to be no less joyous +than now I am, and so meseemeth shall ye; and if ye be of +this mind, then shall the coming days be no worse than the +days which have been; and God wot they have been happy +enough. Now again, ye see this most fair lady, whose hand I +hold; she is my beloved and my wife; and therewithal she is +the true Queen of Meadham, and a traitor sits in her place +even as a traitor sits in mine. But I must tell you that +when she took me for her beloved, she knew not, nor did I, +that I was a King's son, but she took me as a woodman and an +outcast, and as a wood-man and outcast I wooed her, trusting +in the might that was in my body, and the love that was in +my heart; and now before all you, my friends, I thank her +and worship her that my body and my love was enough for her; +as, God wot, the kingship of the whole earth should not be +overmuch for her, if it lay open to her to take. But, sweet +friends, here am I talking of myself as a King wedded unto a +Queen, whereas meseemeth the chiefest gift our twin kingship +hath brought you to-night is the gift of two most mighty +unfriends for you; to wit, her foeman and mine. See ye to +it, then, if the wild-wood yonder is not a meeter dwelling +for us than this your goodly hall; and fear not to put us to +the door as a pair of make-bates and a peril to this goodly +company. Lo you, the sky without has not yet lost all +memory of the sun, and in a little while it will be +yellowing again to the dawn. Nought evil shall be the +wild-wood for our summer dwelling; and what! ere the winter +come, we may have won us another house where erst my fathers +feasted. And thereto, my friends, do I bid you all." + +But when they heard his friendly words, and saw the beauty +of the fair woman whose hand he held, his face grew so +well-beloved to them, that they cried out with so great a +voice of cheer, wordless for their very joy, that the +timbers of the hall quavered because of it, and it went out +into the wild-wood as though it had been the feastful +roaring of the ancient gods of the forest. + +But when the tumult sank a little, then cried out Jack of +the Tofts: "Bring now the mickle shield, and let us look +upon our King." + +So men went and fetched in a huge ancient shield, plated +with berry-brown iron, inlaid with gold, and the four +biggest men in the hall took it on their shoulders and knelt +down anigh the dais, before Christopher, and Jack said +aloud: "King! King! Stand up here! for this war-board of +old days is the castle and the burg alone due to thee, and +these four fellows here are the due mountains to upbear it." + +Then lightly strode Child Christopher on to the shield, and +when he stood firm thereon, they rose heedfully underneath +him till they were standing upright on their feet, and the +King stood on the shield as if he were grown there, and +waved his naked sword to the four orts. + +Then cried out an old woman in a shrill voice: "Lo, how the +hills rise up into tall mountains; even so shall arise Child +Christopher to the kingship." + +Thereat all the folk laughed for joy and cried out: "Child +Christopher! Child Christopher, our King!" And for that +word, when he came to the crown indeed, and ruled wide +lands, was he called Child Christopher; and that name clave +to him after he was dead, and but a name in the tale of his +kindred. + +Now the King spake and said: "Friends, now is it time to +get to the board, and the feast which hath been stayed this +while; and I pray you let it be as merry as if there were no +striving and unpeace betwixt us and the winning of peace. +But to-morrow we will hallow-in the Mote, and my earl and my +barons and good men shall give counsel, and then shall it be +that the hand shall do what the heart biddeth." + +Therewith he leapt down from the shield, and went about the +hall talking to this one and that, till the board was full +dight; then he took his place in the high-seat, beside Jack +of the Tofts; and David and Gilbert and his other +foster-brethren sat on either side of him, and their wives +with them; and men fell to feasting in great glee. + +But one thing there is yet to tell of this feast. When men +had drunk a cup or two, and drunk memories to good men dead, +and healths to good men living, amidst this arose a +grey-head carle from the lower end of the hall, and said: +"Child Christopher, thy grace, that I may crave a boon of +thee on this day of leal service.' + +"Ask then," said Christopher, with a pleasant face. + +"King," quoth the carle, "here are we all gathered together, +and we have before us the most beautifullest woman of the +world, who sitteth by thy side; now to-night we be all dear +friends, and there is no lack between us; yet who can say +how often we may meet and things be so? I do not say that +there shall enmity and dissension arise between us, though +that may betide; but it is not unlike that another time +thou, King, and thy mate, may be prouder than now ye be, +since now ye are new to it. And if that distance grow +between us, it will avail nought to ask my boon then." + +"Well, well, ask it now, friend," said the King, laughing; +"I were fain of ending the day with a gift." + +"This it is then, King," said the carle: "since we are here +set down before the loveliest woman in the world, grant us +this, that all we men-folk may for this once kiss the face +of her, if she will have it so." + +Huge laughter and cheers arose at his word; but King +Christopher arose and said: "Friend, thy boon is granted +with a good will; or how sayest thou, Goldilind my beloved? + +For all answer she stood up blushing like a rose, and held +out her two hands to the men in the hall. And straightway +the old carle rose up and went in haste to the high-table, +before another man might stir, and took Goldilind by the +chin, and kissed her well-favouredly, and again men laughed +joyously. Then came before her Jack of the Tofts and all +his sons, one after other, and kissed her face, save only +David, who knelt humbly before her, and took her right hand +and kissed it, while the tears were in his eyes. Then came +many of the men in the hall, and some were bold, but many +were shy, and when they came before her durst kiss neither +hand nor face of her, but their hearts were full of her when +they went to their places again; and all the assembly was +praising her. + +So wore the time of that first night of the kingship of +Child Christopher. + + + +CHAPTER XXVII. + +OF THE HUSTING OF THE TOFTS. + + +When morning was, there were horns sounding from the tower +on the toft, and all men hastening in their war-gear to the +topmost of the other toft, the bare one, whereon was no +building; for thereon was ever the mote-stead of these +woodmen. But men came not only from the stead and houses of +the Tofts, but also from the woodland cots and dwellings +anigh, of which were no few. And they that came there first +found King Christopher sitting on the mound amid the +mote-stead, and Jack of the Tofts and his seven sons sitting +by him, and all they well-weaponed and with green coats over +their hauberks; and they that came last found three hundreds +of good men and true gathered there, albeit this was but the +Husting of the Tofts. + +So when there were no more to come, then was the Mote +hallowed, and the talk began; but short and sharp was their +rede, for well did all men wot who had been in the hall the +night before that there was now no time to lose. For though +nigh all the men that had been in the hall were well known +to each other, yet might there perchance have been some spy +unknown, who had edged him in as a guest to one of the good +men. Withal, as the saw saith: The word flieth, the wight +dieth. And it were well if they might gather a little host +ere their foeman might gather a mickle. + +First therefore arose Jack of the Tofts, and began shortly +to put forth the sooth, that there was come the son of King +Christopher the Old, and that now he was seeking to his +kingdom, not for lust of power and gain, but that he might +be the friend of good men and true, and uphold them and be +by them upholden. And saith he: "Look ye on the face of +this man, and tell me where ye shall find a friend +friendlier than he, and more single-hearted?" And therewith +he laid his hand on Christopher's head, and the young man +rose up, blushing like a maid, and thereafter a long time +could no lord be heard for the tumult of gladness and the +clashing of weapons. + +But when it was a little hushed, then spake Jack again: +"Now need no man say more to man on this matter, for ye call +this curly-headed lad the King of Oakenrealm, even as some +of ye did last night." + +Mighty was the shout of yea-say that arose at that word; and +when it was stilled, a grey-head stood up and said: "King +Christopher, and thou, our leader, whom we shall henceforth +call Earl, it is now meet that we shear up the war-arrow, +and send it forth to whithersoever we deem our friends +dwell, and that this be done at once here in this Mote, and +that the hosting be after three nights' frist in the plain +of Hazeldale, which all ye know is twelve miles nigher to +Oakenrealm than this." + +All men yea-said this, no one gainsaid it; and straightway +was fire kindled and the bull slain, for the said elder had +brought him thither; and the arrow was sheared and scorched +and reddened, and the runners were fetched, and the word +given them, and they were sped on their errand. + +Up rose then another, a young man, and spake: "Many stout +fellows be here, and some wise and well-ruled, and many also +hot-head and wilful: Child Christopher is King now, and we +all know him that when he cometh into the fray he is like to +strike three strokes for two that any other winneth; but as +to his lore of captainship, if he hath any, he was born with +it, as is like enough, seeing who was his father; therefore +we need a captain well-proven, to bid us how to turn hither +and thither, and where to gather thickest, and where to +spread thinnest; and when to fall on fiercely and when to +give way, and let the thicket cover us; for wise in war +shall our foemen be. Now therefore if anyone needeth a +better captain than our kin-father and war-father Jack of +the Tofts, he must needs go fetch him from otherwhere! How +sayest thou, Christopher lad?" + +Great cheer there was at the word, and laughter no little +therewith. But Christopher stood up, and took Jack by the +hand, and said: "Now say I, that if none else follow this +man into battle, yet will I; and if none else obey him to go +backward or forward to the right hand or to the left as he +biddeth, yet will I. Thou, Wilfrid Wellhead, look to it +that thou dost no less. But ye folk, what will ye herein?" + +So they all yea-said Jack of the Tofts for captain; and +forsooth they might do no less, for he was wary and wise, +and had done many deeds, and seen no little of warfare. + +Then again arose a man of some forty winters, strong built +and not ungoodly, but not merry of countenance, and he +spake: "King and war-leader, I have a word to say: We be +wending to battle, we carles, with spear in fist and sword +by side; and if we die in the fray, of the day's work is it; +but what do we with our kinswomen, as mothers and daughters +and wives and she-friends, and the little ones they have +borne us? For, see ye! this warfare we are faring, maybe it +shall not last long, and yet maybe it shall; and then may +the foeman go about us and fall on this stead if we leave +them behind here with none to guard them; and if, on the +other hand, we leave them men enough for their warding, then +we minish our host overmuch. What do we then?" + +Then spake Jack of the Tofts: "This is well thought of by +Haward of Whiteacre, and we must look to it. And, by my +rede, we shall have our women and little ones with us; and +why not? For we shall then but be moving Toftstead as we +move; and ever to some of us hath it been as a camp rather +than an house. Moreover, ye know it, that our women be no +useless and soft queans, who durst not lie under the oak +boughs for a night or two, or wade a water over their +ankles, but valiant they be, and kind, and helpful; and many +of them are there who can draw a bow with the best, and, it +may be, push a spear if need were. How say ye, lads?" + +Now this also they yea-said gladly; forsooth they had scarce +been fain of leaving the women behind, at least the younger +ones, even had they been safe at the Tofts; for there is no +time when a man would gladlier have a fair woman in his arms +than when battle and life-peril are toward. + +Thereafter the Mote sundered, when the Captain had bidden +his men this and that matter that each should look to; and +said that he, for his part, with King Christopher and a +chosen band, would set off for Hazeldale on the morrow morn, +whereas some deal of the gathering would of a certainty be +come thither by then; and that there was enough left of that +day to see to matters at the Tofts. + +So all men went about their business, which was, for the +most part, seeing to the victualling of the host. + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII. + +OF THE HOSTING IN HAZELDALE. + + +On the morrow early was Jack of the Tofts dight for +departure, with Christopher and David and Gilbert and five +score of his best men. But when they went out of the porch +into the sweet morning, lo! there was Goldilind before them, +clad in her green gown, and as fresh and dear as the early +day itself. And Jack looked on her and said: "And thou, my +Lady and Queen, thou art dight as thou wouldst wend with +us?" + +"Yea," she said, "and why not?" + +"What sayest thou, King Christopher?" said the Captain. + +"Nay," said King Christopher, reddening, "it is for thee to +yea-say or nay-say; though true it is that I have bidden her +farewell for two days' space." And the two stood looking on +one another. + +But Jack laughed and said: "Well, then, so be it; but let +us get to the way, or else when the sweethearts of these +lads know that we have a woman with us we shall have them +all at our backs." Thereat all laughed who were within +earshot, and were merry. + +So they wended the woodland ways, some afoot, some +a-horseback, of whom was Jack of the Tofts, but Christopher +and David went afoot. And Goldilind rode a fair white horse +which the Captain had gotten her. + +As they went, and King Christopher ever by Goldilind's right +hand, and were merry and joyous, they two were alone in the +woodland way; so Christopher took her hand and kissed it, +and said: "Sweetling, why didst thou tell me nought of thy +will to come along with us? Never had I balked thee." + +She looked at him, blushing as a rose, and said: "Dear +friend, I will tell thee; I knew that thou wouldst make our +parting piteous-sweet this morning; and of that I would not +be balked. See, then, how rich I am, since I have both +parted from thee and have thee." And therewith she louted +down from her saddle, and they kissed together sweetly, and +so thereafter wore the way. + +So came they to the plain of Hazeldale, which was a wide +valley with a middling river winding about it, the wild-wood +at its back toward the Tofts, and in front down-land nought +wooded, save here and there a tree nigh a homestead or cot; +for that way the land was builded for a space. Forsooth it +was not easy for the folk thereabout to live quietly, but if +they were friends in some wise to Jack of the Tofts. + +So when the company of the Tofts came out into the dale +about three hours after noon, it was no wonder to them to +see men riding and going to and fro, and folk pitching tents +and raising booths nigh to the cover of the wood; and when +the coming of the Toft-folk was seen, and the winding of +their horns heard, there was many a glad cry raised in +answer, and many an horn blown, and all men there came +running together toward where now was stayed Jack of the +Tofts and Christopher and their men. + +Then Goldilind bade Christopher help her light down; so he +took her in his arms, and was not over hasty in setting her +down again. But when she stood by him, she looked over the +sunny field darkened by the folk hastening over the +greensward, and her eyes glittered and her cheek flushed, +and she said: "Lord King, be these some others of thy men?" + +"Yea, sweetling," said he, "to live and die with me." + +She looked on him, and said softly: "Maybe it were an ill +wish to wish that I were thou; yet if it might be for one +hour!" + +Said he: "Shall it not be for more than one hour? Shall it +not be for evermore, since we twain are become one?" + +"Nay," she said, "this is but a word; I am but thine +handmaid: and now I can scarce refrain my body from falling +before thy feet." + +He laughed in her face for joy, and said: "Abide a while, +until these men have looked on thee, and then shalt thou see +how thou wilt be a flame of war in their hearts that none +shall withstand." + +Now were the dale-dwellers all come together in their +weapons, and they were glad of their King and his loveling; +and stout men were they all, albeit some were old, and some +scarce of man's age. So they were ranked and told over, and +the tale of them was over six score who had obeyed the +war-arrow, and more and more, they said, would come in every +hour. But now the Captains of them bade the Toft-folk eat +with them; and they yea-said the bidding merrily, and word +was given, and sacks and baskets brought forth, and barrels +to boot, and all men sat down on the greensward, and high +was the feast and much the merriment on the edge of +Hazeldale. + + + +CHAPTER XXIX. + +TIDINGS COME TO HAZELDALE. + + +But they had not done their meat, and had scarce begun upon +their drink, ere they saw three men come riding on the spur +over the crown of the bent before them; these made no stay +for aught, but rode straight through the ford of the river, +as men who knew well where it was, and came on hastily +toward the feasters by the wood-edge. Then would some have +run to meet them, but Jack of the Tofts bade them abide till +he had heard the tidings; whereas they needed not to run to +their weapons, for, all of them, they were fully dight for +war, save, it might be, the doing on of their sallets or +basnets. But Jack and Christopher alone went forward to +meet those men; and the foremost of them cried out at once: +"I know thee, Jack of the Tofts! I know thee! Up and arm! up +and arm! for the foemen are upon thee; and so choose thee +whether thou wilt fight or flee." + +Quoth Jack, laughing: "I know thee also, Wat of Whiteend; +and when thou hast told me how many and who be the foemen, +we will look either to fighting or fleeing." + +Said Wat: "Thou knowest the blazon of the banner which we +saw, three red wolves running on a silver field?" + +"Yea, forsooth," said Jack; "'tis the Baron of Brimside that +beareth that shield ever; and the now Baron, hight the Lord +Gandolf, how many was he?" + +Said Wat: "Ten hundreds or more. But what say fellows?" + +Quoth the other twain: "More, more they were." + +Said Jack of the Tofts: "And when shall he be here, deem +ye?" + +"In less than an hour," said Wat, "he will be on thee with +great and small; but his riders, some of them, in lesser +space." + +Then turned Jack about and cried out for David, and when he +came, he said: "Put thy long legs over a good horse, and +ride straight back to the Tofts and gather whatever may bear +spear and draw bow, and hither with them, lad, by the +nighest road; tarry not, speak no word, be gone!" + +So David turned, and was presently riding swiftly back +through the woodland paths. But Jack spake to the bearers of +tidings: "Good fellows, go ye yonder and bid them give you +a morsel and a cup; and tell all the tidings, and this, +withal, that we have nought to flee from a good fightstead +for Gandolf of Brimside." Therewith he turned to +Christopher and said: "Thy pardon, King, but these matters +must be seen to straightway. Now do thou help me array our +folk, for there is heart enough in them as in thee and me; +and mayhappen we may make an end to this matter now and +here. Moreover, the Baron of Brimside is a stout carle, so +fight we must, meseemeth." + +Then he called to them one of the captains of the Tofts and +they three spake together heedfully a little, and thereafter +they fell to work arraying the folk; and King Christopher +did his part therein deftly and swiftly, for quick of wit he +was, and that the more whenso anything was to be done. + +As to the array, the main of the folk that were spearmen and +billmen but moved forward somewhat from where they had dined +to the hanging of the bent, so that their foemen would have +the hill against them or ever they came on point and edge. +But the bowmen, of whom were now some two hundreds, for many +men had come in after the first tally, were spread abroad on +the left hand of the spearmen toward the river, where the +ground was somewhat broken, and bushed with thorn-bushes. +And a bight of the water drew nearer to the Tofters, amidst +of which was a flat eyot, edged with willows and covered +with firm and sound greensward, and was some thirty yards +endlong and twenty overthwart. So there they abode the +coming of the foe, and it was now hard on five o'clock. + +But Christopher went up to Goldilind where she stood amidst +of the spearmen, hand turning over hand, and her feet +wandering to and fro almost without her will; and when he +came to her, she had much ado to refrain her from falling on +his bosom and weeping there. But he cried to her gaily: +"Now, my Lady and Queen, thou shalt see a fair play toward +even sooner than we looked for; and thine eyes shall follow +me, if the battle be thronged, by this token, that amongst +all these good men and true I only wear a forgilded basnet +with a crown about it." + +"O!" she said, "if it were but over, and thou alive and +free! I would pay for that, I deem, if I might, by a sojourn +in Greenharbour again." + +"What!" he said, "that I might have to thrust myself into +the peril of snatching thee forth again?" And he laughed +merrily. "Nay," said he, "this play must needs begin before +it endeth; and by Saint Nicholas, I deem that to-day it +beginneth well." + +But she put her hands before her face, and her shoulders +were shaken with sobs. "Alas! sweetling," said he, "that my +joy should be thy sorrow! But, I pray thee, take not these +stout-hearts for runaways. And Oh! look, look!" + +She looked up, wondering and timorous, but all about her the +men sprang up and shouted, and tossed up bill and sword, and +the echo of their cries came back from the bowmen on the +left, and Christopher's sword came rattling out of the +scabbard and went gleaming up aloft. Then words came into +the cry of the folk, and Goldilind heard it, that they cried +"Child Christopher! King Christopher!" Then over her head +came a sound of flapping and rending as the evening wind +beat about the face of the wood; and she heard folk cry +about her: "The banner, the banner! Ho for the Wood-wife of +Oakenrealm!" + +Then her eyes cleared for what was aloof before her, and she +saw a dark mass come spreading down over the bent on the +other side of the river, and glittering points and broad +gleams of white light amidst of it, and noise came from it; +and she knew that here were come the foemen. But she +thought to herself that they looked not so many after all; +and she looked at the great and deft bodies of their folk, +and their big-headed spears and wide-bladed glaves and +bills, and strove with her heart and refrained her fear, and +thrust back the image which had arisen before her of +Greenharbour come back again, and she lonely and naked in +the Least Guard-chamber: and she stood firm, and waved her +hand to greet the folk. + +And lo! there was Christopher kneeling before her and +kissing her hand, and great shouts arising about her of "The +Lady of Oakenrealm! The Lady of Meadham! For the Lady! For +the Lady!" + + + +CHAPTER XXX. + +OF THE FIELD THAT WAS SET IN THE HOLM OF HAZELDALE. + + +Now thither cometh Jack o' the Tofts, and spake to +Christopher: "See thou, lad--Lord King, I should say; this +looketh not like very present battle, for they be stayed +half way down the bent; and lo thou, some half score are +coming forth from the throng with a white shield raised +aloft. Do we in likewise, for they would talk with us." + +"Shall we trust them, father?" said Christopher. + +"Trust them we may, son," said Jack; "Gandolf is a violent +man, and a lifter of other men's goods, but I deem not so +evil of him as that he would bewray troth." + +So then they let do a white cloth over a shield and hoist it +on a long spear, and straightway they gat to horse, Jack of +the Tofts, and Christopher, and Haward of Whiteacre, and +Gilbert, and a half score all told; and they rode straight +down to the ford, which was just below the tail of the eyot +aforesaid, and as they went, they saw the going of the +others, who were by now hard on the waterside; and said +Jack: "See now, King Christopher, he who rides first in a +surcoat of his arms is even the Baron, the black +bullet-headed one; and the next to him, the red-head, is his +squire and man, Oliver Marson, a stout man, but fierce and +grim-hearted. Lo thou, they are taking the water, but they +are making for the eyot and not our shore: son mine, this +will mean a hazeled field in the long run; but now they will +look for us to come to them therein. Yea, now they are +aland and have pitched their white shield. And hearken, +that is their horn; blow we an answer: ho, noise! set thy +lips to the brass." + +So then, when one horn had done its song, the other took it +up, and all men of both hosts knew well that the horns blew +but for truce and parley. + +Now come the Toft-folk to the ford, and take the water, +which was very shallow on their side, and when they come up +on to the eyot, they find the Baron and his folk off their +horses, and lying on the green grass, so they also lighted +down and stood and hailed the new comers. Then uprose the +Lord Gandolf, and greeted the Toft-folk, and said: "Jack of +the Tofts, thou ridest many-manned to-day." + +"Yea, Lord," said Jack, "and thou also. What is thine +errand?" + +"Nay," said the Baron, "what is thine? As for mine host +here, there came a bird to Brimside and did me to wit that I +should be like to need a throng if I came thy way; and sooth +was that. Come now, tell us what is toward, thou rank +reiver, though I have an inkling thereof; for if this were a +mere lifting, thou wouldst not sit still here amidst thy +friends of Hazeldale." + +"Lord," said Jack o' the Tofts, "thou shalt hear mine +errand, and then give heed to what thou wilt do. Look to +the bent under the wood, and tell me, dost thou see the +blazon of the banner under which be my men?" + +"That can I not," said the Lord Gandolf; "but I have seen +the banner of Oakenrealm, which beareth the wood-woman with +loins garlanded with oak-leaves, look much like to it at +such a distance." + +Said Jack: "It is not ill guessed. Yonder banner is the +King's banner, and beareth on it the woman of Oakenrealm ." + +The Lord bent his brows on him, and said: "Forsooth, rank +reiver, I wotted not that thou hadst King Rolf for thy +guest." + +Quoth Jack of the Tofts: "Forsooth, Lord, no such guest as +the Earl Marshal Rolf would I have alive in my poor house." + +"Well, Jack," said the big Lord, grinning, "arede me the +riddle, and then we shall see what is to be done, as thou +sayest." + +"Lord," said Jack, "dost thou see this young man standing by +me?" + +"Yea," said the other, "he is big enough that I may see him +better than thy banner: if he but make old bones, as is +scarce like, since he is of thy flock, he shall one day make +a pretty man; he is a gay rider now. What else is he?" + +Quoth Jack of the Tofts: "He is my King and thy King, and +the all-folk's King, and the King of Oakenrealm: and now, +hearken mine errand: it is to make all folk name him King." + +Said the Lord: "This minstrel's tale goes with the song the +bird sang to me this morning; and therefore am I here +thronging--to win thy head, rank reiver, and this young +man's head, since it may not better be, and let the others +go free for this time. Hah! what sayest thou? and thou, +youngling? 'Tis but the stroke of a sword, since thou hast +fallen into my hands, and not into the hangman's or the +King's." + +"Thou must win them first, Lord," said Jack of the Tofts. +"Therefore, what sayest thou? Where shall we cast down the +white shield and uprear the red?" + +"Hot art thou, head, heart, and hand, rank reiver," said the +Lord; "bide a while." So he sat silent a little; then he +said: "Thou seest, Jack of the Tofts, that now thou hast +thrust the torch into the tow; if I go back to King Rolf +without the heads of you twain, I am like to pay for it with +mine own. Therefore hearken. If we buckle together in +fight presently, it is most like that I shall come to my +above, but thou art so wily and stout that it is not unlike +that thou, and perchance this luckless youngling, may slip +through my fingers into the wood; and then it will avail me +little with the King that I have slain a few score nameless +wolf-heads. So, look you! here is a fair field hazelled by +God; let us two use it to-day, and fight to the death here; +and then if thou win me, smite off my head, and let my men +fight it out afterwards, as best they may without me, and +'tis like they will be beaten then. But if I win thee, then +I win this youngling withal, and bear back both heads to my +Lord King, after I have scattered thy wolf-heads and slain +as many as I will; which shall surely befall, if thou be +slain first." + +Then cried out Jack of the Tofts: "Hail to thy word, +stout-heart! this is well offered, and I take it for myself +and my Lord King here." And all that stood by and heard +gave a glad sound with their voices, and their armour +rattled and rang as man turned to man to praise their +captains. + +But now spake Christopher: "Lord of Brimside, it is nought +wondrous though thou set me aside as of no account, whereas +thou deemest me no king or king's kindred; but thou, Lord +Earl, who wert once Jack of the Tofts, I marvel at thee, +that thou hast forgotten thy King so soon. Ye twain shall +now wot that this is my quarrel, and that none but I shall +take this battle upon him. + +"Thou servant of Rolf, the traitor and murderer, hearken! I +say that I am King of Oakenrealm, and the very son of King +Christopher the Old; and that will I maintain with my body +against every gainsayer. Thou Lord of Brimside, wilt thou +gainsay it? Then I say thou liest, and lo here, my glove!" +And he cast it down before the Lord. + +Again was there good rumour, and that from either side of +the bystanders; but Jack of the Tofts stood up silent and +stiff, and the Baron of Brimside laughed, and said: "Well, +swain, if thou art weary of life, so let it be, as for me; +but how sayest thou, Jack of the Tofts? Art thou content to +give thine head away in this fashion, whereas thou wottest +that I shall presently slay this king of thine?" + +Said Jack: "The King of Oakenrealm must rule me as well as +others of his liege-men: he must fight if he will, and be +slain if he will." Then suddenly he fell a-laughing, and +beat his hand on his thigh till the armour rattled again, +and then he cried out: "Lord Gandolf, Lord Gandolf, have a +care, I bid thee! Where wilt thou please to be buried, +Lord?" + +Said the other: "I wot not what thou wilt mean by thy +fooling, rank reiver. But here I take up this youngling's +glove; and on his head be his fate! Now as to this battle. +My will is, that we two champions be all alone and afoot on +the eyot. How say ye?" + +"Even so be it," said Jack; "but I say that half a score on +each side shall be standing on their own bank to see the +play, and the rest of the host come no nigher than now we +are." + +"I yea-say it," said the Baron; "and now do thou, rank +reiver, go back to thy fellowship and tell them what we have +areded, and do thou, Oliver Marson, do so much for our folk; +and bid them wot this, that if any of them break the troth, +he shall lose nought more than his life for that same." + +Therewith all went ashore to either bank, save the Baron of +Brimside and Christopher. And the Baron laid him down on the +ground and fell to whistling the tune of a merry Yule dance; +but as for Christopher, he looked on his foeman, and deemed +he had seldom seen so big and stalwarth a man; and withal he +was of ripe age, and had seen some forty winters. Then he +also cast himself down on the grass, and fell into a kind of +dream, as he watched a pair of wagtails that came chirping +up from the sandy spit below the eyot; till suddenly great +shouting broke out, first from his own bent, and then from +the foemen's, and Christopher knew that the folk on either +side had just heard of the battle that was to be on the +holm. The Baron arose at the sound and looked to his own +men, whence were now coming that half-score who were to look +on the battle from the bank; but Christopher stirred not, +but lay quietly amongst the flowers of the grass, till he +heard the splash of horse-hoofs in the ford, and there +presently was come Jack of the Tofts bearing basnet and +shield for his lord. And he got off his horse and spake to +Christopher: "If I may not fight for thee, my son and King, +yet at least it is the right of thine Earl to play the +squire to thee: but a word before thy basnet is over thine +ears; the man yonder is well-nigh a giant for stature and +strength; yet I think thou mayest deal with him, and be none +the sorer when thou liest down to-night. To be short, this +is it: when thou hast got a stroke in upon him, and he +falters, then give him no time, but fly at him in thy +wild-cat manner and show what-like thews thou hast under thy +smooth skin; now thine helm, lad. So art thou dight; and +something tells me thou shalt do it off in victory." + + + +CHAPTER XXXI. + +THE BATTLE ON THE HOLM. + + +So when Christopher was armed, Jack turned about speedily, +and so gat him back through the ford and stood there on the +bank with the nine other folk of the Tofts. And by this +time was Gandolf of Brimside armed also, and Oliver Marson, +who had done his helm on him, was gone to his side of the +river. + +Drew the huge man-at-arms then toward Christopher, but his +sword was yet in the sheath: Christopher set his point to +the earth and abode him; and the Baron spake: "Lad, thou art +fair and bold both, as I can see it, and Jack of the Tofts +is so much an old foe of mine that he is well-nigh a friend: +so what sayest thou? If thou wilt yield thee straightway, I +will have both thine head and the outlaw's with me to King +Rolf, but yet on your shoulders and ye two alive. Haps will +go as haps will; and it maybe that ye shall both live for +another battle, and grow wiser, and mayhappen abide in the +wood with the reiver's men. Hah? What sayest thou?" + +Christopher laughed and said: "Wouldst thou pardon one who +is not yet doomed, Baron? And yet thy word is pleasant to +us; for we see that if we win thee, thou shalt be good +liegeman of us. Now, Baron, sword in fist!" + +Gandolf drew his sword, muttering: "Ah, hah! he is lordly +and kingly enough, yet may this learn him a lesson. "Indeed +the blade was huge and brown and ancient, and sword and man +had looked a very terror save to one great-hearted. + +But Christopher said: "What sayest thou now, Baron, shall +we cast down our shields to earth? For why should we chop +into wood and leather?" + +The Baron cast down his shield, and said: "Bold are thy +words, lad; if thy deeds go with them, it may be better for +thee than for me. Now keep thee." + +And therewith he leapt forward and swept his huge sword +around; but Christopher swerved speedily and enough, so that +the blade touched him not, and the huge man had over-reached +himself, and ere he had his sword well under sway again, +Christopher had smitten him so sharply on the shoulder that +the mails were sundered & the blood ran; and withal the +Baron staggered with the mere weight of the stroke. Then +Christopher saw his time, and leapt aloft and dealt such a +stroke on the side of his head, that the Baron tottered yet +more; but now was he taught by those two terrible strokes, +and he gathered all his heart to him, and all the might of +his thews, and leapt aback and mastered his sword, and came +on fierce but wary, shouting out for Brimside and the King. + +Christopher cried never a cry, but swung his sword well +within his sway, and the stroke came on Gandolf's fore-arm +and brake the mails and wounded him, and then as the Baron +rushed forward, the wary lad gat his blade under his +foeman's nigh the hilts, and he gave it a wise twist and +forth flew the ancient iron away from its master. + +Gandolf seemed to heed not that he was swordless, but gave +out a great roar and rushed at Christopher to close with +him, and the well-knit lad gave back before him and turned +from side to side, and kept the sword-point before Gandolf's +eyes ever, till suddenly, as the Baron was running his +fiercest, he made a mighty sweep at his right leg, since he +had no more to fear his sword, and the edge fell so strong +and true, that but for the byrny-hose he had smitten the +limb asunder, and even as it was it made him agrievous +wound, so that the Lord of Brimside fell clattering to the +earth, and Christopher bestrode him and cried: "How sayest +thou, champion, is it enough?" + +"Yea, enough, and maybe more," said the Baron. "Wilt thou +smite off mine head? Or what wilt thou?" + +Said Christopher: "Here hath been enough smiting, +meseemeth, save thy lads and ours have a mind to buckle to; +and lo thou! men are running down from the bents towards us +from both sides, yet not in any warlike manner as yet. Now, +Baron, here cometh thy grim squire that I heard called +Oliver, and if thou wilt keep the troth, thou shalt bid him +order thy men so that they fall not upon us till the battle +be duly pitched. Then shalt thou be borne home, since thou +canst not go, with no hindrance from us." + +Now was Oliver come indeed, and the other nine with him, and +on the other side was come Jack of the Tofts and four +others. + +Then spake the Baron of Brimside: "I may do better than +thou biddest me; for now I verily trow herein, that thou art +the son of Christopher the Old; so valiant as thou art, and +so sad a smiter, and withal that thou fearest not to let thy +foeman live. So hearken all ye, and thou specially, Oliver +Marson, my captain: I am now become the man of my lord King +Christopher, and will follow him whereso he will; and I deem +that will presently be to Oakenham, and the King's seat +there. Now look to it that thou, Oliver, order my men under +King Christopher's banner, till I be healed; and then if all +be not over, I shall come forth myself, shield on neck and +spear in fist, to do battle for my liege lord; so help me +God and St. James of the Water!" + +Therewith speech failed him and his wit therewith; so +betwixt them they unarmed him and did him what leechdom they +might do there and then; and he was nowise hurt deadly: as +for Child Christopher, he had no scratch of steel on him. +And Oliver knelt before him when he had dight his own lord, +and swore fealty to him then and there; and so departed, to +order the folk of Brimside and tell them the tidings, and +swear them liege men of King Christopher. + + + +CHAPTER XXXII. + +OF GOLDILIND AND CHRISTOPHER. + + +Now Jack of the Tofts said a word to one of his men, and he +rode straightway up into the field under the wood, and spake +to three of the captains of the folk, and they ranked a +hundred of the men, of those who were best dight, and +upraised amongst them the banner of Oakenrealm, and led all +them down to the river bank; and with these must needs go +Goldilind; and when they came down thither, Christopher and +Jack were there on the bank to hail them, and they raised a +great shout when they saw their King and their Earl standing +there, and the shout was given back from the wood-side; and +then the men of Brimside took it up, for they had heard the +bidding of their Lord, and he was now in a pavilion which +they had raised for him on the mead, and the leeches were +looking to his hurts; and they feared him, but rather loved +than hated him, and he was more to them than the King in +Oakenrealm and they were all ready to do his will. + +But as to Goldilind, her mind it had been, as she was going +down the meadow, that she would throw herself upon +Christopher's bosom and love him with glad tears of love; +but as she came and stood over against him, she was abashed, +and stood still looking on him, and spake no word; and he +also was ashamed before all that folk to say the words +whereof his heart was full, and longed for the night, that +they might be alone together. + +But at last he said: "Lady and Queen, thou seest that we be +well-beloved that they rejoice so much in a little deed of +mine." And still she spake nought, and held hand in hand. + +But Jack of the Tofts spake and said: "By St. Hubert! the +deed may be little, though there be men who would think no +little of overcoming the biggest man and the fellest fighter +of Oakenrealm, but at least great things shall come thereof. +King, thy strokes of this day have won thee Oakenrealm, or +no man I know in field, and many a mother's son have they +saved from death. For look thou yonder over the river, +Goldilind, my Lady, and tell me what thou seest." She +turned to him and said: "Lord Earl, I see warriors a many." + +"Yea," said Jack, "and stout fellows be they for the more +part; and hard had been the hand-play had we met, ere they +had turned their backs; but now, see thou, we shall wend +side by side toward Oakenrealm, for our Lord there hath won +them to his friends; and doubt thou not that when they see +him and thee anigh, they shall be friends indeed. What! dost +thou weep for this? Or is it because he hath done the deed +and not thou? or rather, because thine heart is full for the +love of him?" + +She smiled kindly on Jack, but even therewith she felt two +hands laid on her shoulders, and Christopher kissed her +without any word. + + + +CHAPTER XXXIII. + +A COUNCIL OF CAPTAINS: THE HOST COMES TO BROADLEES, AND +MAKES FOR WOODWALL. + + +That night, though there was some little coming and going +between the Tofters and the Brimsiders, yet either flock +slept on their own side of the river. Moreover, before the +midst of the night, cometh David to the wood-side, and had +with him all men defensible of the Tofts and the houses +thereabout, and most of the women also many of whom bore +spear or bow, so that now by the wood-side, what with them +of the Tofts and the folk who joined them thereto from the +country-side about Hazeldale, there were well-nigh ten +hundreds of folk under weapons; and yet more came in the +night through; for the tidings of the allegiance of Brimside +was spreading full fast. + +Betimes on the morrow was King Christopher afoot, and he and +Jack and David and Gilbert, and they twelve in company, went +down to the banner by the water-side; and to them presently +came Oliver Marson and ten other of the captains of +Brimside, and did them to wit that the Baron were fain if +they would come to his pavilion and hold counsel therein, +for that he was not so sick but he might well speak his mind +from where he lay. So thither they went all, with good will, +and the Baron greeted them friendly, and made what reverence +he might to Christopher, and bade him say what was his mind +and his will. But Christopher bade them who were his elders +in battle to speak; and the Baron laughed outright and said: +"Meseemeth, Lord King, thou didst grow old yesterday at my +costs; but since thou wilt have me to speak, I will even do +so. And to make matters the shorter, I will say that I wot +well what ye have to do; and that is, to fall upon the Earl +Marshal's folk ere they fall upon us. Now some folk deem we +should fare to Brimside and have a hosting there; but I say +nay; whereas it lieth out of the road to Oakenham, and +thereby is our road, meseemeth; and it is but some six days' +riding hence, save, as is most like, two of those days be +days of battle But if we go straight forward with banners +displayed, each day's faring shall be a day of hosting and +gathering; for I tell thee, Lord King, the fame of thee has +by now gone far in this country-side. Wherefore I say no +more, since I wax weary, than this: to the road this +morning, and get we so far as Broadlees ere night-fall, for +there we shall get both victual and folk." + +There was good cheer made at his word, so Christopher spake: +"Baron of Brimside, thou hast spoken my very mind and will; +and but if these lords and captains gainsay it, let us tarry +no longer, but array all our folk in good order and take +tale of them, and so for Broadlees. What say ye, lords?" + +None nay-said it, so there was no more talk save as to the +ordering of this or the other company. And it was so areded +that the Brimside men should fare first at the head of the +host with the banner of Brimside, and that then should go +the mingled folk of the country-side, and lastly the folk of +the Tofts with the banner of Oakenrealm; so that if the host +came upon foemen, they might be for a cloud to hide the +intent of their battles awhile till they might take their +advantage. + +So went the captains to their companies, and the Tofters and +their mates crossed the river to the men of Brimside, who +gave them good cheer when they came amongst them; and it was +hard to order the host for a while, so did the upland folk +throng about the King and the Queen; and happy were they who +had a full look on Goldilind; and yet were some so lucky and +so bold that they kissed a hand of her; and one there was, a +very tall young man, and a goodly, who stood there and +craved to kiss her cheek, and she did not gainsay him, and +thereafter nought was good to him save an occasion to die +for her. + +As for Christopher, he spake to many, and said to them that +wheresoever his banner was, he at least should be at the +forefront whenso they came upon unpeace; and so soon as they +gat to the road, he went from company to company, speaking +to many, and that so sweetly and friendly that all praised +him, and said that here forsooth was a king who was all good +and nothing bad, whereas hitherto men had deemed them lucky +indeed if their king were half good and half bad. + +Merry then was the road to Broadlees, and they came there +before night-fall; and it was a little cheaping town and +unwalled, and if the folk had had any will to ward them, +they lacked might. But when they found they were not to be +robbed, and that it was but the proclaiming of King +Christopher in the market-place, and finding victual and +house-room for the host, and the Mayor taking a paper in +payment thereof, none stirred against them, and a many +joined the host to fight for the fair young King. Now +nought as yet had they heard at Broadlees of any force +stirring against them. + +But in the morning when they went on their ways again, and +were bound for Cheaping Woodwall, which was a fenced town, +they sent out well-horsed riders to espy the road, who came +back on the spur two hours after noon, and did them to wit +that there was a host abiding them beneath the walls of +Woodwall under the banner of Walter the White, an old +warrior and fell fighter; but what comfort he might have +from them of Woodwall they wotted not; but they said that +the tidings of their coming had gone abroad, and many folk +were abiding the issue of this battle ere they joined them +to either host. Now on these tidings the captains were of +one mind, to wit, to fare on softly till they came to a +defensible place not far from the foemen, since they could +scarce come to Woodwall in good order before nightfall, and +if they were unfoughten before, to push forward to battle in +the morning. + +Even so did they, and made a halt at sunset on a pleasant +hill above a river some three miles from Woodwall, and there +they passed the night unmeddled with. + + + +CHAPTER XXXIV. + +BATTLE BEFORE WOODWALL. + + +When morning was, the captains came to King Christopher to +council: but while they were amidst of their talk came the +word that the foe was anigh and come close to the +river-bank; whereat was none abashed; but to all it seemed +wisdom to abide them on the vantage-ground. So then there +was girding of swords and doing on of helms; as for ordering +of the folk, it was already done, for all the host was +ranked on the bent-side, with the banner of Oakenrealm in +the midst; on its left hand the banner of the Tofts, and on +the right the banner of Brimside. + +Now when Christopher was come to his place, he looked down +and saw how the foemen were pouring over the river, for it +was nowhere deep, and there were four quite shallow fords: +many more were they than his folk, but he deemed that they +fared somewhat tumultuously; and when the bowmen of the +Tofts began shooting, the foemen, a many of them, stayed +amidst of the river to bend bow in their turn, and seemed to +think that were nigh enough already; nay, some went back +again to the other bank, to shoot thence the surer and the +drier, and some went yet a little further back on the field. +So that when their sergeants and riders were come on to the +hither bank, they lacked about a fifth of all their host; +and they themselves, for all they were so many, had some ado +to make up their minds to go forward. + +Forsooth, when they looked up to the bent and saw the three +banners of Oakenrealm and the Tofts and Brimside all waving +over the same ranks, they knew not what to make of it. And +Christopher's host, when they saw them hang back, brake out +into mocking whoops and shouts, and words were heard in +them: "Come and dine at Brimside, good fellows! Come up to +the Tofts for supper and bed! A Christopher! A Christopher!" +and so forth. Now all King Christopher's men were afoot, +saving a band of the riders of Brimside, who bestrode strong +and tall horses, and bore jack and sallet and spear, but no +heavy armour. + +So Christopher heard and saw, and the heart rose high in +him, and he sent messengers to the right and the left, and +bade the captains watch till he waved his sword aloft, and +then all down the bent together; and he bade the Brimside +riders edge a little outward and downward, and be ready for +the chase, and suffer not any of the foemen to gather +together when once they fell to running; for he knew in his +heart that the folk before him would never abide their +onfall. And the day was yet young, and it lacked four hours +of noon. + +King Christopher abode ill he saw the foemen were come off +the level ground, and were mounting the bent slowly, and not +in very good order or in ranks closely serried. Then he +strode forth three paces, and waved his sword high above his +head, and cried out: "A Christopher! A Christopher! +Forward, banner of the Realm!" And forth he went, steady and +strong, and a great shout arose behind him, and none shrank +or lagged, but spears and bills, and axes and swords, all +came on like a wall of steel, so that to the foemen the +earth seemed alive with death, and they made no show of +abiding the onset, but all turned and ran, save Walter the +White and a score of his knights, who forsooth were borne +down in a trice, and were taken to mercy, those of them who +were not slain at the first crash of weapons. + +There then ye might have seen great clumps of men making no +defence, but casting down their weapons and crying mercy; +and forsooth so great was the throng, that no great many +were slain; but on the other hand, but few gat away across +the water, and on them presently fell the Brimside riders, +and hewed down and slew and took few to mercy. And some few +besides the first laggards of the bowmen, it might be three +hundreds in all, escaped, and gat to Woodwall, but when they +of the town saw them, they made up their minds speedily, and +shut their gates, and the poor fleers found but the points +of shafts and the heads of quarrels before them. + +But on the field of deed those captives were somewhat +fearful as to what should be done with them, and they spake +one to the other about it, that they would be willing to +serve the new King, since he was so mighty. And amidst of +their talk came the captains of King Christopher, and they +drew into a ring around them, and the lords bade them look +to it whether they would be the foemen of the King, the son +of that King Christopher the Old. "If so ye be," said they, +"ye may escape this time; but ye see how valiant a man he +is, and how lucky withal, and happy shall they be whom he +calleth friends. Now what say ye, will ye take up your +weapons again, and be under the best of kings and a true +one, or will ye depart and take the chance of his wrath in +the coming days? We say, how many of you will serve King +Christopher. + +Then arose from them a mighty shout: "All! All! One and +All!" Albeit some there were who slunk away and said nought; +and none heeded them. + +So then all the sergeants and the common folk swore +allegiance to King Christopher; but of the knights who were +left alive, some said Yea, and some Nay; and these last were +suffered to depart, but must needs ride unarmed. + +Now by the time all was done, and the new men had dined +along with the rest of the host, and of the new-comers tale +had been taken, the day was wearing; so they set off for +Woodwall, and on the way they met the Mayor and Aldermen +thereof, who came before King Christopher and knelt to him, +and gave him the keys of their town; so he was gracious to +them, and thanked them, and bade see to the victual and +lodging of the host, and that all should be paid thereafter. +And they said that they had seen to all this before they +came forth of the town, and that if the Lord King would ride +forth, he would find fair lodging in the good town. So King +Christopher was pleased, and bade the burgesses ride beside +him, and he talked merrily with them on the way, so that +their hearts rejoiced over the kindness of their lord. + +So they came to the gate, and there the King made stay till +Goldilind was fetched to him, so that they might ride into +the good town side by side. And in the street was much +people thronging, and the sun was scarce set, so that the +folk could see their King and Queen what they were; and they +who were nighest unto them, they let their shouts die out, +so were their hearts touched with the sight of them and the +love of their beauty. + +Thus rode they in triumph through the street till they were +come to their lodging, which was great and goodly as for a +cheaping town; and so the day was gone and the night was +come, and the council and the banquet were over; then were +the King and Goldilind together again, like any up-country +lad and lass. But she stood before him and said: "O thou +King and mighty warrior, surely I ought to fear thee now, +but it is not so, so sore as I desire thee; but yet it +maketh both laughter and tears come to me when I think of +the day we rode away from Greenharbour with thee, and I +seemed to myself a great lady, though I were unhappy; and +though I loved thy body, I feared lest the churl's blood in +thee might shame me perchance, and I was proud and unkind to +thee, and I hurt thee sorely; and now I will say it, and +confess, that somewhat I joyed to see thine anguish, for I +knew that it meant thy love for me and thy desire to me. Lo +now, wilt thou forgive me this, or wilt thou punish me, O +Lord King?" + +He laughed. "Sweetling," he said, "meseemeth now all day +long I have been fighting against raiment rather than men; +no man withstood me in the battle, for that they feared the +crown on my helm and the banner over my head; and when those +good men of the town brought me the keys, how should I have +known them from borrel folk but for their scarlet gowns and +fur hoods? And meseemed that when they knelt to me, it was +the scarlet gowns kneeling to the kingly armour. Therefore, +sweetheart, if thou fearest that the King should punish thee +for so wounding the poor Christopher of those few days ago, +as belike thou deservest it, bid the King do off his +raiment, and do thou in likewise, and then there shall be no +King to punish, and no King's scather to thole the +punishment, but only Christopher and Goldilind, even as they +met erewhile on the dewy grass of Littledale." + +She blushed blood-red; but ere his words were done, her +hands were busy with girdle and clasp, and her raiment fell +from her to the earth, and his kingly raiment was cast from +him, and he took her by the hand and led her to the bed of +honour, that their love might have increase that night also. + + + +CHAPTER XXXV. + +AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE AND AN EVIL DEED. + + +When morning was, and it was yet early, the town was all +astir and the gates were thrown open, and weaponed men +thronged into it crying out for Christopher the King. Then +the King came forth, and Jack o' the Tofts and his sons, and +Oliver Marson, and the captains of Brimside; and the host +was blown together to the market-place, and there was a new +tale of them taken, and they were now hard on seventy +hundreds of men. So then were new captains appointed, and +thereafter they tarried not save to eat a morsel, but went +out a-gates faring after the banners to Oakenrealm, all folk +blessing them as they went. + +Nought befell them of evil that day, but ever fresh +companies joined them on the road; and they gat harbour in +another walled town, hight Sevenham, and rested there in +peace that night, and were now grown to eighty hundreds. + +Again on the morrow they were on the road betimes, and again +much folk joined them, and they heard no tidings of any +foeman faring against them; whereat Jack o' the Tofts +marvelled, for he and others had deemed that now at last +would Rolf the traitor come out against them. Forsooth, +when they had gone all day and night was at hand, it seemed +most like to the captains that he would fall upon them that +night, whereas they were now in a somewhat perilous pass; +for they must needs rest at a little thorpe amidst of great +and thick woods, which lay all round about the frank of +Oakenham as a garland about a head. So there they kept +watch and ward more heedfully than their wont was; and King +Christopher lodged with Goldilind at the house of a good man +of the thorpe. + +Now when it lacked but half an hour of midnight, and Jack o' +the Tofts and Oliver Marson and the Captain of Woodwall had +just left him, after they had settled the order of the next +day's journey, and Goldilind lay abed in the inner chamber, +there entered one of the men of the watch and said: "Lord +King, here is a man hereby who would see thee; he is +weaponed, and he saith that he hath a gift for thee: what +shall we do with him?" + +Said Christopher: "Bring him in hither, good fellow." And +the man went back, and came in again leading a tall man, +armed, but with a hood done over his steel hat, so that his +face was hidden, and he had a bag in his hand with something +therein. + +Then spake the King and said: "Thou man, since thy face is +hidden, this trusty man-at-arms shall stand by thee while +we talk together." + +"Lord," said the man, "let there be a dozen to hear our talk +I care not; for I tell thee that I come to give thee a gift, +and gift-bearers are oftenest welcome." + +Quoth the King: "Maybe, yet before thou bring it forth I +would see thy face, for meseems I have an inkling of thy +voice." + +So the man cast back his hood, and lo, it was Simon the +squire. "Hah!" said Christopher, "is it thou then! hast +thou another knife to give me?" + +"Nay," said Simon, "only the work of the knife." And +therewith he set his hand to the bag and drew out by the +hair a man's head, newly hacked off and bleeding, and said: +"Hast thou seen him before, Lord? He was a great man +yesterday, though not so great as thou shalt be to-morrow." + +"Once only I have seen him, "said Christopher," and then he +gave me this gift" (and he showed his father's ring on his +finger): "thou hast slain the Earl Marshal, who called +himself the King of Oakenrealm: my traitor and dastard he +was but thy friend. Wherefore have I two evil deeds to +reward thee, Simon, the wounding of me and the slaying of +him. Dost thou not deem thee gallows-ripe?" + +"King," said Simon, "what wouldst thou have done with him +hadst thou caught him?" + +Said Christopher: "I had slain him had I met him with a +weapon in his fist; and if we had taken him I had let the +folk judge him." + +Said Simon: "That is to say, that either thou hadst slain +him thyself, or bidden others to slay him. Now then I ask +thee, King, for which deed wilt thou slay me, for not +slaying thee, or for doing thy work and slaying thy foe?" + +Said Christopher to the guard: "Good fellow, fetch here a +good horse ready saddled and bridled, and be speedy." + +So the man went: and Christopher said to Simon: "For the +knife in my side, I forgive it thee; and as to the slaying +of thy friend, it is not for me to take up the feud. But +this is no place for thee: if Jack of the Tofts, or any of +his sons, or one of the captains findeth thee, soon art thou +sped; wherefore I rede thee, when yonder lad hath brought +thee the horse, show me the breadth of thy back, and mount +the beast, and put the most miles thou canst betwixt me and +my folk; for they love me." + +Said Simon: "Sorry payment for making thee a king!" + +Said Christopher: "Well, thou art in the right; I may well +give gold for getting rid of such as thou." And he put his +hand into a pouch that hung on his chair, and drew out +thence a purse, and gave it unto Simon, who took it and +opened it and looked therein, and then flung it down on the +ground. + +Christopher looked on him wrathfully with reddened face, and +cried out: "Thou dog! wouldst thou be an earl and rule the +folk? What more dost thou want?" + +"This!" cried out Simon, and leapt upon him, knife aloft. +Christopher was unarmed utterly; but he caught hold of the +felon's right arm with his right hand, and gripped the wrist +till he shrieked; then he raised up his mighty left hand, +and drave it down on Simon's head by the ear, and all gave +way before it, and the murderer fell crushed and dead to +earth. + +Therewith came in the man-at-arms to tell him that the horse +was come; but stared wild when he saw the dead man on the +ground. But Christopher said: "My lad, here hath been one +who would have thrust a knife into an unarmed man, wherefore +I must needs give him his wages. But now thou hast this to +do: take thou this dead man and bind him so fast on the +horse thou hast brought that he will not come off till the +bindings be undone; and bind withal the head of this other, +who was once a great man and an evil, before the slayer of +him, so that it also may be fast; then get thee to horse and +lead this beast and its burden till ye are well on the +highway to Oakenham, and then let him go and find his way to +the gate of the city if God will. And hearken, my lad; +seest thou this gold which lieth scattering on the floor +here? this was mine, but is no longer, since I have given it +away to the dead man just before he lifted his hand against +me. Wherefore now I will keep it for thee against thou +comest back safe to me in the morning betimes, as I deem +thou wilt, if thou wilt behight to St. Julian the helping of +some poor body on the road. Go therefore, but send hither +the guard; for I am weary now, and would go to sleep without +slaying any man else." + +So departed the man full of joy, and Christopher gathered +his money together again, and so fared to his bed +peacefully. + + + +CHAPTER XXXVI. + +KING CHRISTOPHER COMES TO OAKENHAM. + + +But on the morrow the first man who came to the King was the +man-at-arms aforesaid; and he told that he had done the +King's errand, and ridden a five miles on the road to +Oakenham before he had left the horse with his felon load, +and that he had found nought stirring all that way when he +had passed through their own out-guards, where folk knew him +and let him go freely. "And," quoth he, "it is like enough +that this gift to Oakenham, Lord King, has by now come to +the gate thereof." Then the King gave that man the gold +which he had promised, and he kissed the King's hand and +went his ways a happy man. + +Thereafter sent Christopher for Jack of the Tofts, and told +him in few words what had betid, and that Rolf the traitor +was dead. Then spake Jack: "King and fosterling, never +hath so mighty a warrior as thou waged so easy a war for so +goodly a kingdom as thou hast done; for surely thy war was +ended last night, wherefore will we straight to Oakenham, if +so thou wilt. But if it be thy pleasure I will send a +chosen band of riders to wend on the spur thereto, and bid +them get ready thy kingly house, and give word to the Barons +and the Prelates, and the chiefs of the Knighthood, and the +Mayor and the Aldermen, and the Masters of the Crafts, to +show themselves of what mind they be towards thee. But I +doubt it not that they will deem of thee as thy father come +back again and grown young once more." + +Now was Christopher eager well nigh unto weeping to behold +his people that he should live amongst, and gladly he +yea-said the word of Jack of the Tofts. So were those +riders sent forward; and the host was ordered, and +Christopher rode amidst it with Goldilind by his side; and +the sun was not yet gone down when they came within sight of +the gate of Oakenham, and there before the gate and in the +fields on either side of it was gathered a very great and +goodly throng, and there went forth from it to meet the King +the Bishop of Oakenham, and the Abbot of St. Mary's and the +Priors of the other houses of religion, all fairly clad in +broidered copes, with the clerks and the monks dight full +solemnly; and they came singing to meet him, and the Bishop +blessed him and gave him the hallowed bread, and the King +greeted him and craved his prayers. Then came the Burgreve +of Oakenham, and with him the Barons and the Knights, and +they knelt before him, and named him to king, and the +Burgreve gave him the keys of the city. Thereafter came the +Mayor and the Aldermen, and the Masters of the Crafts, and +they craved his favour, and warding of his mighty sword; and +all these he greeted kindly and meekly, rather as a friend +than as a great lord. + +Thereafter were the gates opened, and King Christopher +entered, and there was no gainsaying, and none spake a word +of the Traitor Rolf. + +But the bells of the minster and of all the churches rang +merrily, and songs were sung sweetly by fair women +gloriously clad; and whereas King Christopher and Queen +Goldilind had lighted down from their horses and went afoot +through the street, roses and all kinds of sweet flowers +were cast down before the feet of them all the way from the +city gate to the King's High House of Oakenham. + +There then in the great hall of his father's house stood +Christopher the King on the dais, and Goldilind beside him. +And Jack of the Tofts and the chiefest of the Captains, and +the Bishop, and the greatest lords of the Barons, and the +doughtiest of the Knights, and the Mayor and the Aldermen, +and the Masters of the Crafts, sat at the banquet with the +King and his mate; they brake bread together and drank cups +of renown, till the voidee cup was borne in. Then at last +were the King & the Queen brought to their chamber with +string-play and songs and all kinds of triumph; and that +first night since he lay in his mother's womb did Child +Christopher fall asleep in the house which the fathers had +builded for him. + + + +CHAPTER XXXVII. + +OF CHILD CHRISTOPHER'S DEALINGS WITH HIS FRIENDS & HIS FOLK. + + +It was in the morning when King Christopher arose, and +Goldilind stood before him in the kingly chamber, that he +clipped her and kissed her, and said: "This is the very +chamber whence my father departed when he went to his last +battle, and left my mother sickening with the coming birth +of me. And never came he back hither, nor did mine eyes +behold him ever. Here also lay my mother and gave birth to +me, and died of sorrow, and her also I never saw, save with +eyes that noted nought that I might remember. And my third +kinsman was the traitor, that cast me forth of mine +heritage, and looked to it that I should wax up as a churl, +and lose all hope of high deeds; and at the last he strove +to slay me. + +"Therefore, sweet, have I no kindred, and none that are +bound to cherish me, and it is for thee to take the place of +them, and be unto me both father and mother, and brother and +sister, and all kindred." + +She said: "My mother I never saw, and I was but little when +my father died; and if I had any kindred thereafter they +loved me not well enough to strike one stroke for me, nay, +or to speak a word even, when I was thrust out of my place +and delivered over to the hands of pitiless people, and my +captivity worsened on me as the years grew. Wherefore to me +also art thou in the stead of all kindred and affinity." + +Now Christopher took counsel with Jack of the Tofts and the +great men of the kingdom, and that same day, the first day +of his kingship in Oakenham, was summoned a great mote of +the whole folk; and in half a month was it holden, and +thereat was Christopher taken to king with none gainsaying. + +Began now fair life for the people of Oakenrealm; for Jack +of the Tofts abode about the King in Oakenham; and wise was +his counsel, and there was no greed in him, and yet he +wotted of greed and guile in others, and warned the King +thereof when he saw it, and the tyrants were brought low, +and no poor and simple man had need to thieve. As for +Christopher, he loved better to give than to take; and the +grief and sorrow of folk irked him sorely; it was to him as +if he had gotten a wound when he saw so much as one unhappy +face in a day; and all folk loved him, and the fame of him +went abroad through the lands and the roads of travel, so +that many were the wise and valiant folk that left their own +land and came into Oakenrealm to dwell there, because of the +good peace and the kindliness that there did abound; so that +Oakenrealm became both many-peopled and joyous. + +Though Jack of the Tofts abode with the King at Oakenham, +his sons went back to the Tofts, and Gilbert was deemed the +head man of them; folk gathered to them there, and the +wilderness about them became builded in many places, and the +Tofts grew into a goodly cheaping town, for those brethren +looked to it that all roads in the woodland should be safe +and at peace, so that no chapman need to arm him or his +folk; nay, a maiden might go to and fro on the woodland +ways, with a golden girdle about her, without so much as the +crumpling of a lap of her gown unless by her own will. + +As to David, at first Christopher bade him strongly to abide +with him ever, for he loved him much. But David nay-said +it, and would go home to the Tofts; and when the King +pressed him sore, at last he said: "Friend and fellow, I +must now tell thee the very sooth, and then shalt thou +suffer me to depart, though the sundering be but sorrow to +me. For this it is, that I love thy Lady and wife more than +meet is, and here I find it hard to thole my desire and my +grief; but down in the thicket yonder amongst my brethren of +the woods, and man and maid, and wife and babe, nay, the +very deer of the forest, I shall become a man again, and be +no more a peevish and grudging fool; and as the years wear, +shall sorrow wear, and then, who knows but we may come +together again." + +Then Christopher smiled kindly on him and embraced him, but +they spake no more of that matter, but sat talking a while, +and then bade each other farewell, and David went his ways +to the Tofts. But a few months thereafter, when a son had +been born to Christopher, David came to Oakenrealm, but +stayed there no longer than to greet the King, and do him to +wit that he was boun for over-sea to seek adventure. Many +gifts the King gave him, and they sundered in all +loving-kindness, and the King said: "Farewell, friend, I +shall remember thee and thy kindness for ever." But David +said: "By the roof in Littledale and by the hearth thereof, +thou shalt be ever in my mind." + +Thus they parted for that time; but five and twenty years +afterwards, when Child Christopher was in his most might and +majesty, and Goldilind was yet alive and lovely, and sons +and daughters sat about their board, it was the Yule feast +in the King's Hall at Oakenham, and there came a man into +the hall that none knew, big of stature, grey-eyed and +hollow-cheeked, with red hair grizzled, and worn with the +helm; a weaponed man, chieftain-like and warrior-like. And +when the serving-men asked him of his name, and whence and +whither, he said: "I have come from over-seas to look upon +the King, and when he seeth me he will know my name." Then +he put them all aside and would not be gainsaid, but strode +up the hall to the high-seat, and stood before the King and +said: "Hail, little King Christopher! Hail, stout babe of +the woodland!" + +Then the King looked on him and knew him at once, and stood +up at once with a glad cry, and came round unto him, and +took his arms about him and kissed him, and led him into the +high-seat, and set him betwixt him and Goldilind, and she +also greeted him and took him by the hand and kissed him; +and Jack of the Tofts, now a very old man, but yet hale and +stark, who sat on the left hand of the King, leaned toward +him and kissed him and blessed him; for lo! it was David of +the Tofts. + +Spake he now and said: "Christopher, this is now a happy +day!" + +Said the King: "David, whither away hence, and what is +thine heart set upon?" + +"On the renewal of our youth," said David, "and the abiding +with thee. By my will no further will I go than this thine +house. How sayest thou?" + +"As thou dost," said Christopher, "that this is indeed a +happy day; drink out of my cup now, to our abiding together, +and the end of sundering till the last cometh." + +So they drank together, they two, and were happy amidst the +folk of the hall; and at last the King stood up and spake +aloud, and did all to wit that this was his friend and +fellow of the old days; and he told of his doughty deeds, +whereof he had heard many a tale, and treasured them in his +heart while they were apart, and he bade men honour him, all +such as would be his friends. And all men rejoiced at the +coming of this doughty man and the friend of the King. + +So there abode David, holden in all honour, and in great +love of Child Christopher and Goldilind; and when his father +died, his earldom did the King give to David his friend, who +never sundered from him again, but was with him in peace and +in war, in joy and in sorrow. + + + +CHAPTER XXXVIII. + +OF MATTERS OF MEADHAM. + + +GOES the tale back now to the time when the kingship of +Child Christopher was scarce more than one month old; and +tells that as the King sat with his Queen in the cool of his +garden on a morning of August, there came to him a swain of +service, who did him to wit that an outland lord was come, +and would see him and give him a message. + +So the King bade bring him in to the garden to him +straight-way; so the man went, and came back again leading +in a knight somewhat stricken in years, on whose green +surcoat was beaten a golden lion. + +He came to those twain and did obeisance to them, but spake, +as it seemed, to Goldilind alone: "Lady, and Queen of +Meadham," said he, "it is unto thee, first of all, that mine +errand is." + +Then she spoke and said: "Welcome to thee, Sir Castellan of +Greenharbour, we shall hear thy words gladly." + +Said the new-comer: "Lady, I am no longer the Burgreve of +Greenharbour, but Sir Guisebert, lord of the Green March, +and thy true servant and a suitor for thy grace and pardon." + +"I pardon thee not, but thank thee for what thou didst of +good to me," said Goldilind, "and I think that now thine +errand shall be friendly." + +Then turned the Green Knight to the King, and he said: +"Have I thy leave to speak, Lord King?" and he smiled +covertly. + +But Christopher looked on the face and coat-armour of him, +and called him to mind as the man who had stood betwixt him +and present death that morning in the porch of the +Littledale house; so he looked on him friendly, and said: +"My leave thou hast, Sir Knight, to speak fully and freely, +and that the more as meseemeth I saw thee first when thou +hadst weaponed men at thy back, and wert turning their +staves away from my breast." + +"Even so it is, Lord King," said the Knight; "and to say +sooth, I fear thee less for thy kingship, than because I wot +well that thou mayst lightly take me up by the small of my +back and cast me over thy shoulder if thou have a mind +therefor." + +Christopher laughed at his word, and bade him sit down upon +the green grass and tell his errand straightway; and the +Knight tarried not, but spake out: "Queen of Meadham, I am +a friend and fellow, and in some sort a servant, to Earl +Geoffrey, Regent of Meadham, whom thou knowest; and he hath +put a word in my mouth which is both short and easy for me +to tell. All goes awry in Meadham now, and men are arming +against each other, and will presently be warring, but if +thou look to it; because all this is for lack of thee. But +if thou wilt vouchsafe to come to Meadhamstead, and sit on +thy throne for a little while, commanding and forbidding; +and if thou wilt appoint one of the lords for thine Earl +there, and others for thy captains, and governors and +burgreves and so forth; then if the people see thee and hear +thee, the swords will go into their sheaths, and the spears +will hang on the wall again, and we shall have peace in +Meadham, for all will do thy bidding. Wherefore, Lady and +Queen, I beseech thee to come to us, and stave off the riot +and ruin. What sayest thou?" + +Goldilind made answer in a while: "Sir Guisebert, true it +is that I long to see my people, and to look once more on my +father's house, and the place where he was born and died. +But how know I but this is some wile of Earl Geoffrey, for +he hath not been abounding in trustiness toward us?" + +But Sir Guisebert swore on his salvation that there was no +guile therein, and they were undone save Goldilind came unto +them. Then spake Christopher: "Sir Knight, I am willing to +pleasure my Lady, who, as I can see, longeth to behold her +own land and people; and also by thy voice and thy face I +deem that thou art not lying unto me, and that no harm will +befall the Lady; yet will I ask thee right out what thou and +thy lord would think thereof if she come into Meadham +accompanied; to wit, if I rode with her, and had five +hundreds of good riders at my back, would ye have guesting +for so many and such stark lads?" + +The Knight took up the word eagerly, and said: "Wilt thou +but come, dearlord, and bring a thousand or more, then the +surer and the safer it would be for us." + +Said the King, smiling: "Well, it shall be thought on; and +meantime be thou merry with us; for indeed I deem of thee, +that but for thy helping my life had been cast away that +morning in Littledale." + +So they made much of the Meadham man for three days, and +thereafter they rode into Meadham and to Meadhamstead, +Christopher, and Jack of the Tofts, and Goldilind, in all +honour and triumph, they and seven hundreds of spears, and +never were lords received with such joy and kindness as were +they, but it were on the day when Christopher and his +entered Oakenham. + +The Earl Geoffrey was not amongst them that met them; but +whenas they sat at the banquet in the hall, and Goldilind +was in the high-seat, gloriously clad and with the kingly +crown on her head, there came a tall man up to the dais, +grey-headed and keen-eyed, and he was unarmed, without so +much as a sword by his side, and clad in simple black; and +he knelt before Goldilind, and laid his head on her lap, and +spake: "Lady and Queen, here is my head to do with as thou +wilt; for I have been thy dastard, and I crave thy pardon, +if so it may be, for I am Geoffrey." + +She looked kindly on him, and raised him up; and then she +turned to the chief of the serving-men, and said: "Fetch me +a sword with its sheath and its girdle, and see that it be a +good blade, and all well-adorned, both sword and sheath and +girdle." Even so it was done; and when she had the sword, +she bade Sir Geoffrey kneel again before her, and she girt +him with the said sword and spake: "Sir Geoffrey, all the +wrong which thou didest to me, I forgive it thee and forget +it; but wherein thou hast done well, I will remember it, for +thou hast given me a mighty King to be my man; nay, the +mightiest and the loveliest on earth; wherefore I bless +thee, and will make thee my Earl to rule all Meadham under +me, if so be the folk gainsay it not. Wherefore now let +these folk fetch thee seemly garments and array thee, and +then come sit amongst us, and eat and drink on this high +day; for a happy day it is when once again I sit in my +father's house, and see the faces of my folk that loveth +me." + +She spake loud and clear, so that most folk in the hall +heard her; and they rejoiced at her words, for Sir Geoffrey +was no ill ruler, but wise and of great understanding, keen +of wit and deft of word, and a mighty warrior withal; only +they might not away with it that their Lady and Queen had +become as alien to them. So when they heard her speak her +will, they shouted for joy of the peace and goodwill that +was to be. + +There then sat Geoffrey at the banquet; and Christopher +smiled on him, and said: "See now, lord, if I have not done +as thou badest when thou gavest me the treasure of +Greenharbour, for I have brought the wolf-heads to thy +helping and not to thy scathing. Do thou as much for me, and +be thou a good earl to thy Lady and mine, and then shalt +thou yet live and die a happy man, and my friend. Or +else--" + +"There shall be no else, Lord King," quoth Geoffrey; "all +men henceforth shall tell of me as a true man." + +So they were blithe and joyous together. But a seven days +thence was the Allmen's Mote gathered to the wood-side +without Meadhamstead, and thronged it was: and there +Goldilind stood up before all the folk and named Sir +Geoffrey for Earl to rule the land under her, and none +gainsaid it, for they knew him meet thereto. Then she named +from the baronage and knighthood such men as she had been +truly told were meet thereto to all the offices of the +kingdom, and there was none whom she named but was well- +pleasing to the folk; for she had taken counsel beforehand +with all the wisest men of all degrees. + +As for herself, all loved and worshipped her; and this alone +seemed hard unto them, that she must needs go back to +Oakenrealm in a few days: but when she heard them murmur +thereat, she behight them, that once in every year she would +come into Meadham and spend one whole month therein; and, +were it possible, ever should that be the month of May. So +when they heard that, they all praised her, and were the +more content. This custom she kept ever thereafter, and she +lay in with her second son in the city of Meadhamstead, so +that he was born therein; and she named him to be King after +her, to the great joy of that folk; and he grew up strong +and well-liking, and came to the kingship while his mother +was yet alive, and was a good man and well-beloved of his +folk. + +Before she turned back with her man, she let seek out +Aloyse, and when she came before her, gave her gifts and +bade her come back with her to Oakenham and serve her there +if she would: and the damsel was glad, for there in +Meadhamstead was she poor and not well seen to, whereas it +was rumoured of her that she had been one of the jailers of +Goldilind. + +When they came back to Oakenham, there they met Gandolf, +Baron of Brimside, now whole of his hurts, and the King +greeted him kindly, and did well to him all his life; and +found him ever a true man. + +Good thenceforward was the life of Child Christopher and +Goldilind: whiles indeed they happed on unpeace or other +trouble; but never did fair love and good worship depart +from them, either of each unto each, or of the whole folk +unto them twain. + +To no man did Christopher mete out worse than his deserts, +nay, to most far better he meted: no man he feared, nor +hated any save the tormentors of poor folk; and but a little +while abided his hatred of those, for it cut short their +lives, so that they were speedily done with and forgotten. +And when he died a very old man but one year after Goldilind +his dear, no king that ever lived was so bewailed by his +folk as was Child Christopher. + + + + +The end of Project Gutenberg etext of Child Christopher by +William Morris. + + + + + + diff --git a/old/chilc10.zip b/old/chilc10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..41123e1 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/chilc10.zip |