? Thou should'st
be henceforth my lord, my knight-at-arms to lead my powers 'gainst Duke
Ivo, teaching Mortain to cringe no more to a usurper--to free
Pentavalon from her sorrows--ah, see you not, Beltane?"

"Helen!" he murmured, "O Helen, poor am I--a beggar--"

"Beltane," she whispered, "an thou wed this lonely maid within the
forest, then will I be beggar with thee; but, an thou take to wife the
Duchess, then shalt thou be my Duke, lord of me and of Mortain, with
her ten thousand lances in thy train."

"Thou would'st give me so much," he sighed at last, "so much, my
Helen?"

"Nay," said she, with red lips curved and tender, "for this wide world
to me is naught without thee, Beltane. And I do need thy mighty arm--to
shelter me, Beltane, since Ivo hath defied me, threatening Mortain with
fire and sword. So when he cometh, instead of a woman he shall find a
man to withstand him, whose sword is swift and strong to smite and who
doeth such deeds as no man ever did; so shalt thou be my love, my lord,
my champion. Wilt not refuse me the shelter of thy strength, Beltane?"

Now of a sudden Beltane lifted his head and seized her in his arms and
held her close.

Quoth he:

"So be it, my Helen. To wife will I take thee so soon as may be, to
hold thee ever in love and reverence, to serve thee ever, to live for
thee and for thee to die an needs be."

But now strode Godric forward, with hands outstretched in eager
protest.

"Lady," he cried, "O dear lady bethink thee, now, bethink thee, thy
choice is a perilous choice--"

"Yet is it my choice, Godric."

"But, O, dear my mistress--"

"O my faithful Godric, look now upon lord Beltane, my well-beloved who
shall be Duke of Mortain ere the moon change. Salute thy lord, Godric!"

So, perforce, came old Godric to fall upon his knee before Beltane, to
take his hand and swear the oath of fealty.

"Lord Beltane," said he, "son art thou of a mighty Duke; God send
Mortain find in thee such another!"

"Amen!" said Beltane.

Thereafter Godric rose and pointed up to the zenith.

"Behold, my lady," said he, "it groweth to noon and there is danger
hereabouts--more danger e'en than I had dreamed. Let us therefore haste
over into Mortain--to thy Manor of Blaen."

"But Godric, see you not my lord is faint of his wound, and Blaen is
far, methinks."

"Not so, lady, 'tis scarce six hours' journey to the north, nay, I do
know of lonely bridle-paths that shall bring us sooner."