and told him that he
should by no means stop at our house, and I told him what it was like,
so that he might give it the go by. I said, 'Even if thou hast to turn
back again, and fail to find the thing thou seekest, yet I beseech thee
ride not into that trap.'

"He sat still on his saddle a while, staring at me and I at him; and
then he thanked me, but with so bad a grace, that I wondered of him if
he were angry; and then he shook his rein, and rode off briskly, and I
looked after him a while, and then went on my way; but I had gone but a
short while, when I heard horse-hoofs behind me, and I turned and
looked, and lo! it was the knight coming back again. So I stayed and
abided him; and when he came up to me, he leapt from his horse and
stood before me and said: 'I must needs see thee once again.'

"I stood and trembled before him, and longed to touch him. And again
he spake, breathlessly, as one who has been running: 'I must depart,
for I have a thing to do that I must do; but I long sorely to touch
thee, and kiss thee; yet unless thou freely willest it, I will refrain
me.' Then I looked at him and said, 'I will it freely.' Then he came
close up to me, and put his hand on my shoulder and kissed my cheek;
but I kissed his lips, and then he took me in his arms, and kissed me
and embraced me; and there in that place, and in a little while, we
loved each other sorely.

"But in a while he said to me: 'I must depart, for I am as one whom
the Avenger of Blood followeth; and now I will give thee this, not so
much as a gift, but as a token that we have met in the wilderness, thou
and I.' Therewith he put his hand to his neck, and took from it this
necklace which thou seest here, and I saw that it was like that which
my mistress took from the neck of the dead woman. And no less is it
like to the one that thou wearest, Ralph.

"I took it in my hand and wept that I might not help him. And he said:
'It is little likely that we shall meet again; but by the token of this
collar thou mayest wot that I ever long for thee till I die: for
though I am a king's son, this is the dearest of my possessions.' I
said: 'Thou art young, and I am young; mayhappen we shall meet again:
but thou shalt know that I am but a thrall, a goatherd.' For I knew by
what the old woman told me of somewhat of the mightiness of the kings
of the world. 'Yea,' he said, and smiled most sweetly, 'that is easy
to be seen: yet if I live, as I think not