on the heads and shoulders of such as chanced to be
within reach; in especial upon a mighty fellow in floured smock that
bare a sack on his shoulder and who, stung with the blow, cried a curse
on them in voice so harsh and bold that folk shrank from his
neighbourhood, yet marvelled at his daring. Being come anon within the
city Sir Gui dismounted beside the gate, and giving horse and falcon to
an esquire, beckoned to him a grizzled man-at-arms; now as he did so, a
tall miller passed him by, and stumbling wearily, set down his sack
against the wall and panted.

"Bare you the letter as I commanded, Rolf?"

"Aye, my lord."

"What said she?"

"Wept, my lord."

"Spake she nought?"

"Nought, my lord."

"Lieth the goldsmith deep?"

"Above the water-dungeons, my lord."

"And she wept, say you? Methinks the goldsmith shall go free to-morrow!"

So saying, Sir Gui went on into the city, and as he went, his smile was
back again, and his tongue curved red betwixt his lips. And presently
the tall miller hoisted his burden and went on into the city also;
turned aside down a narrow passage betwixt gloomy houses, and so at
last out into the square that hummed with a clamour hushed and
expectant. But my lord Seneschal, unheeding ever, came unto a certain
quiet corner of the square remote and shady, being far removed from the
stir and bustle of the place; here he paused at an open doorway and
turned to look back into the square, ruddy with sunset--a careless
glance that saw the blue of sky, the heavy-timbered houses bathed in
the warm sunset glow, the which, falling athwart the square, shone red
upon the smock of a miller, who stooping 'neath his burden, stumbled
across the uneven cobble-stones hard by. All this saw Sir Gui in that
one backward glance; then, unheeding as ever, went in at the doorway
and up the dark and narrow stair. But now it chanced that the miller,
coming also to this door, stood a while sack on shoulder, peering up
into the gloom within; thereafter, having set down his burden in
stealthy fashion, he also turned and glanced back with eyes that
glittered in the shadow of his hat: then, setting one hand within his
smock, he went in at the door and, soft-footed began to creep up that
dark and narrow stair. She sat in a great carven chair, her arms
outstretched across the table before her, her face bowed low between,
and the setting sun made a glory of her golden hair. Of a sudden she
started, and lifting he