would be eager to take it from
me; and who knows what guile may be about the weaving even now, as on
the day when thou first sawest this hall, beloved."

Goldilind spake and sighed withal: "Whither my lord will lead me,
thither will I go; but here is it fair and sweet and peaceful; neither
do I look for it that men will come hither to seek the Queen of
Meadham."

David said: "Bethink thee, though, my Lady, that he who wedded thee to
the woodman may yet rue, and come hither to undo his deed, by slaying
the said woodman, and showing the Queen unto the folk."

Goldilind turned pale; but Joanna spake: "Nay, brother David, why
wilt thou prick her heart with this fear? For my part, I think that,
chance-hap apart, we might dwell here for years in all safety, and
happily enough, maybe. Yet also I say that we of the Tofts may well be
eager to show this jewel to our kindred, and especially to our father
and mother of the Tofts; so to-morrow we will set about the business of
carrying her thither, will she, nill she." And therewith she threw her
arms about Goldilind, and clipped her and kissed her; and Goldilind
reddened for pleasure and for joy that she was so sore prized by them
all.

CHAPTER XXV. NOW THEY ALL COME TO THE TOFTS.

Next morning, while the day was yet young, they rode together, all of
them, the nighest way to the Tofts, for they knew the wood right well.
Again they slept one night under the bare heavens, and, rising betimes
on the morrow, came out under the Tofts some four hours after high noon,
on as fair and calm a day of early summer as ever was seen.

They rode up straight to the door of the great hall, and found but few
folk about, and those mostly women and children; Jack was ridden abroad,
they said, but they looked to see him back to supper, him and his sons,
for he was no great way gone.

Meantime, when they got off their horses, the women and children
thronged round about them; and the children especially about
Christopher, whom they loved much. The maidens, also, would not have
him pass into the hall unkissed, though presently, after their faces had
felt his lips, they fell a-staring and wondering at Goldilind, and when
Christopher took her by the hand and gave her welcome to the House
of the Tofts, and they saw that she was his, they grew to be somewhat
afraid, or it might be shy, both of her and of him.

Anyhow, folk came up to them in the hall, and made much of them, and
took them unt