e tells you,
and if you are tractable and obedient, be sure, cousin, you shall not
rue it! See that he sleeps and gets strong, Aigleta," she said to her
friend, who nodded, and looked as though she understood more than was
uttered. Meanwhile, the youth who still gazed at Garcinde in utmost
perplexity, had risen from his knees, and loosed her hands. He could
not understand how she could be so composed since he had brought her no
hope. But half from the exhaustion of his wound, and half from his
blind confidence in her strong and lofty nature, he parted from her
with a lightened heart, and followed Aigleta who had now lost all her
gaiety. "What can she be planning?" said he to the girl, as they both
went down the stair together. "Who can tell--obey and sleep," said
Aigleta with a quick hoarse voice, and then turning her head away, she
added, "The Lord gives to those He loves in sleep."

She led him into his turret hermitage; she saw to his wound, which was
indeed but slight, and already disposed to heal; she furnished him with
all that he could need for refreshment, and then seeing that his eyes
were growing heavy she left him.

She herself, however, did not instantly return to Garcinde; she still
lingered among the roses, made a nosegay, pulled it to pieces again,
and when at last she returned to the castle, her eyes were red, and she
washed them long with cold water that no one should observe it.

Geoffroy only slept a few hours: then he awoke a new man, with brow
cool, thanks to Aigleta's salve, and heart on fire, thanks to the
mysterious hope-encouraging words of his cousin. Like a wanderer on
whom the fairy of the woods has bestowed the wishing-rod, by which at
the hour of midnight he may find and possess himself of a treasure, and
who dreams away the intervening time, so the youth sat hour after hour,
gazing only at the sunbeam which slowly moved along the stone floor,
and listening only to the song of the birds around his turret. No one
came to disturb him: the servants lay yawning in shady corners of the
court, the horses were stamping in the stable to shake off the flies;
both girls had locked themselves up in their castle chamber, and did
not appear all day. Once only through his narrow window did he catch
sight of Sir Hugo, who stepped out on the balcony before his chamber,
and looked down into the castle moat as though considering whether it
would not be better for him to dash himself to pieces there. His ha