h them. But if thou wilt do after my rede, get thee away to-morrow,
or better, to-night, and desire our fellowship no more."

Ralph heard him, and the heart within him was divided. It was in his
mind to speak debonnairely to the knight; but again he felt as if he
hated him, and the blythe words would not come, and he answered
doggedly: "I will not leave my Lady since she biddeth me go with her.
If thou wilt then, make the most of it that thou art stronger than I,
and a warrior more proven; set me before thy sword, and fight with me
and slay me."

Then rose the wrath to the knight's lips, and he brake forth: "Then is
there one other thing for thee to do, and that is that thou take thy
sword, which I have just given back to thee, and thrust her through
therewith. That were better for thee and for me, and for him who lieth
yonder."

Therewith he arose and strode up and down in the dusk, and Ralph
wondered at him, yet hated him now not so much, since he deemed that
the Lady would not love him, and that he was angered thereby. Yet
about Ralph's heart there hung a certain fear of what should be.

But presently the knight came and sat down by him again, and again fell
to speech with him, and said: "Thou knowest that I may not slay thee,
and yet thou sayest, fight with me; is this well done?" "Is it ill
done?" said Ralph, "I wot not why."

The knight was silent awhile, and then he said: "With what words shall
I beseech thee to depart while it is yet time? It may well be that in
days to come I shall be good to thee, and help thee."

But Ralph said never a word. Then said the knight, and sighed withal:
"I now see this of thee, that thou mayst not depart; well, so let it
be!" and he sighed heavily again. Then Ralph strove with himself, and
said courteously: "Sir, I am sorry that I am a burden irksome to thee;
and that, why I know not, thou mayst not rid thyself of me by the
strong hand, and that otherwise thou mayst not be rid of me. What then
is this woman to thee, that thou wouldst have me slay her, and yet art
so fierce in thy love for her?" The Knight of the Sun laughed
wrathfully thereat, and was on the point of answering him, when up came
those two from the wounded man, and the Friar said: "The knight shall
do well; but well it is for him that the Lady of Abundance was here for
his helping; for from her hands goeth all healing, as it was with the
holy men of old time. May the saints keep her from all harm