out to him her lily hand in its
gold sleeve, and said: "Thou must do thy will."

So he kissed the hand reverently, and said: "And these my lords, may
they enter and do obeisance and kiss hands, my Lady?"

Said Goldilind: "I will not strive to gainsay their will, or thine, my
Lord."

So they entered and knelt before her, and kissed her hand; and, to say
sooth, most of them had been fain to kiss both hands of her, yea, and
her cheeks and her lips; though but little cheer she made them, but
looked sternly on them.

Then the Earl spake to her, and told her of her realm, and how folk
thrived, and of the deep peace that was upon the land, and of the merry
days of Meadham, and the praise of the people. And she answered him
nothing, but as he spake her bosom began to heave, and the tears came
into her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Then man looked on man, and
the Earl said: "My masters, I deem that my Lady hath will to speak to me
privily, as to one who is her chiefest friend and well-willer. Is it so,
my Lady?"

She might not speak for the tears that welled out from her heart; but
she bowed her head and strove to smile on him.

But the Earl waved his hand, and those lords, and the women also, voided
the chamber, and left those two alone, the Earl standing before her.
But ere he could speak, she arose from her throne and fell on her knees
before him, and joined hands palm to palm, and cried in a broken voice:
"Mercy! Mercy! Have pity on my young life, great Lord!"

But he lifted her up, and set her on her throne again, and said: "Nay,
my Lady, this is unmeet; but if thou wouldst talk and tell with me I am
ready to hearken."

She strove with her passion a while, and then she said: "Great Lord, I
pray thee to hearken, and to have patience with a woman's weak heart.
Prithee, sit down here beside me.

"It were unfitting," he said; "I shall take a lowlier seat." Then he
drew a stool to him, and sat down before her, and said: "What aileth
thee? What wouldest thou?"

Then she said: "Lord Earl, I am in prison; I would be free."

Quoth he: "Yea, and is this a prison, then?"

"Yea," she said, "since I may not so much as go out from it and come
back again unthreatened; yet have I been, and that unseldom, in a worser
prison than this: do thou go look on the Least Guard-chamber, and see if
it be a meet dwelling for thy master's daughter."

He spake nought awhile; then he said: "And, yet if it grieveth thee, it
marreth th