anding. All the way back, the Lady Elaine sang little songs to
herself, and, the while she rode upon her palfrey, touched her zither into
gentle harmonies. After many days, they came within sight of the Castle of
Content._

_As before, it was sunset, and the long light lay upon the hills, while
the valley was in shadow. Purple were the vineyards, heavy with their
clustered treasure, over which the tiny weavers had made their lace, and
purple, too, were the many-spired cliffs, behind which the sunset shone._

_A courier, riding swiftly in advance, had apprised the Lord of the Castle
of Content of the return of the Lady Elaine, and the maids from the
tapestry room, and the keeper of the wine-cellar, and the stable-boys, and
the candle-makers, and the light-bearers all rushed out, heedless of their
manners, for, one and all, they loved the Lady Elaine, and were eager to
behold their beautiful mistress again._

_But the Lord of the Castle of Content, speaking somewhat sternly, ordered
them one and all back to their places, and, shamefacedly, they obeyed. "I
would not be selfish," he muttered to himself, "but surely, Elaine is
mine, and the first gleam of her beauty belongs of right to these misty
old eyes of mine, that have long strained across the dark for the first
hint of her coming. Of a truth her quest has been long."_

_So it came to pass that when the company reached the road that led down
into the valley, the Lord of the Castle of Content was on the portico
alone, though he could not have known that behind every shuttered window
of the Castle, a humble servitor of Elaine's was waiting anxiously for her
coming._

_As before, Elaine rode at the head, waving her hand to her father, while
the cymbals and the bugles crashed out a welcome. She could not see, but
she guessed that he was there, and in return he waved a tremulous hand at
her, though well he knew that in the fast gathering twilight, the child of
his heart could not see the one who awaited her._

_One by one, as they came in single file down the precipice, the old man
counted them, much astonished to see that there was no new member of the
company--that as many were coming back as had gone away. For the moment
his heart was glad, then he reproached himself bitterly for his
selfishness, and was truthfully most tender toward Elaine, because she had
failed upon her quest._

_The light gleamed capriciously upon the bauble of the fool, which he
still carrie