ir, those friends to whom thou hast delivered me are my
foes, whether they were thy friends or not. Wilt thou compel me to tell
thee all my shame? They have treated me as a thrall who had whiles to
play a queen's part in a show. To wit, thy chaplain whom thou hast given
me has looked on me with lustful eyes, and has bidden me buy of him ease
and surcease of pain with my very body, and hath threatened me more evil
else, and kept his behest."

Then leapt up the Earl and cried out: "Hah! did he so? Then I tell thee
his monk's hood shall not be stout enough to save his neck. Now, my
child, thou speakest; tell me more, since my hair is whitening."

She said: "The sleek, smooth-spoken woman to whom thou gavest me, didst
thou bid her to torment me with stripes, and the dungeon, and the dark,
and solitude, and hunger?"

"Nay, by Allhallows!" he said, "nor thought of it; trust me she shall
pay therefor if so she hath done."

She said: "I crave no vengeance, but mercy I crave, and thou mayst give
it me."

Then were they both silent, till he said: "Now I, for my part, will pray
thee bear what thou must bear, which shall be nought save this, that thy
queenship lie quiet for a while; nought else of evil shall betide thee
henceforth; but as much of pleasure and joy as may go with it. But tell
me, there is a story of thy snatching a holiday these two days, and of a
young man whom thou didst happen on. Tell me now, not as a maiden to
her father or warder, but as a great lady might tell a great lord, what
betid betwixt you two: for thou art not one on whom a young and doughty
man may look unmoved. By Allhallows! but thou art a firebrand, my Lady!"
And he laughed therewith.

Goldilind flushed red exceeding; but she answered steadily: "Lord Earl,
this is the very sooth, that I might not fail to see it, how he thought
me worth looking on, but he treated me with all honour, as a brother
might a sister."

"Tell me," said the Earl, "what like was this man?"

Said she: "He was young, but strong beyond measure; and full doughty:
true it is that I saw him with mine eyes take and heave up one of our
men in his hands and cast him away as a man would a clod of earth."

The Earl knit his brow: "Yea," said he, "and that story I have heard
from the men-at-arms also. But what was the man like of aspect?"

She reddened: "He was of a most goodly body," she said, "fair-eyed, and
of a face well carven; his speech kind and gentle." And yet more s