I that when our flight is discovered, my
father will not mount his horse and follow us to punish the son as he
did the father; he knows that he dare not judge, that a judge should
have a guiltless heart. But we--where shall we fly? Are not all places
home to us, so I am with thee, Jaufret, and thou with thy Garcinde?"

With these words she gave him her little hand, but while he, in a
transport of silent rapture, took it and held it fast, Aigleta stepped
forward and said in her lively way, and with a smiling face. "Just look
at this coy gentleman, Garcinde. Can this be the son of the man whose
lips overflowed with sweetest sayings, and not a single poor word falls
from _his_ mouth; even when one brings him the fairest of count's
daughters, who whistles all the castles and lands of Gaillac down the
wind, in order to beg her way through the world with this helpless
lover. But come, come, we cannot wait till a miracle is wrought, and
the dumb regains his speech. You must exchange rings, and pronounce the
marriage-vow, and then go forth and far away, and I--poor forsaken
one--have only to make the sign of the cross behind you; for to me you
are dead and buried, that I know all too well. I shall--"

Her voice broke down, spite of all her self-control and her effort to
smile, and she had to stoop and pretend to adjust her shoe, that her
tears might drop unnoticed. Geoffroy, meantime, had collected himself
and now drew a ring from his finger.

"Do you know it?" he said to Garcinde. "With this little ring my father
betrothed himself to my mother, and as in his case it betokened the
firmest constancy--a constancy that was sealed by death--I now give it
to thee, my passionately loved bride, and swear in presence of the Holy
Trinity, and before our true friend, I will never be the husband of any
other woman than Garcinde of Malaspina."

"And I will never be the wife of any other man than my Geoffroy," said
the bride.

"Amen. So be it," said Aigleta, in corroboration of their vow,
laying--after the exchange of rings--their hands together. Then the
pair knelt down before the picture of the Mother of God, and remained
for a short season, in silent prayer. But when they rose again and sank
into each other's arms, and with heart on heart, and mouth on mouth,
ratified their holy vow, the witness slipped softly away. By-and-bye,
they found her outside amongst the roses, of which she had woven two
garlands. "No wedding without a garla