anywise possible."

"Now will I go away from thee," said Ralph, "and I thank thee heartily
for thine help, and deem thee my friend. And if thou think better of
fleeing with me, thou wilt gladden me the more." Redhead shook his head
but spake not, and Ralph went his ways down the dale.

CHAPTER 39

The Lord of Utterbol Makes Ralph a Free Man

He went to and fro that day and the next, and none meddled with him;
with Redhead he spake not again those days, but had talk with Otter and
David, who were blithe enough with him. Agatha he saw not at all; nor
the Lady, and still deemed that the white-skinned woman whom he had
seen sitting by the Lord after the tilting was the Queen.

As for the Lady she abode in her pavilion, and whiles lay in a heap on
the floor weeping, or dull and blind with grief; whiles she walked up
and down mad wroth with whomsoever came in her way, even to the dealing
out of stripes and blows to her women.

But on the eve before the day of departure Agatha came into her, and
chid her, and bade her be merry: "I have seen the Lord and told him
what I would, and found it no hard matter to get him to yeasay our
plot, which were hard to carry out without his goodwill. Withal the
seed that I have sowed two days or more ago is bearing fruit; so that
thou mayst look to it that whatsoever plight we may be in, we shall
find a deliverer."

"I wot not thy meaning," quoth the Lady, "but I deem thou wilt now tell
me what thou art planning, and give me some hope, lest I lay hands on
myself."

Then Agatha told her without tarrying what she was about doing for her,
the tale of which will be seen hereafter; and when she had done, the
Lady mended her cheer, and bade bring meat and drink, and was once more
like a great and proud Lady.

On the morn of departure, when Ralph arose, David came to him and said:
"My Lord is astir already, and would see thee for thy good." So Ralph
went with David, who brought him to the Tower, and there they found the
Lord sitting in a window, and Otter stood before him, and some others
of his highest folk. But beside him sat Joyce, and it seemed that he
thought it naught but good to hold her hand and play with the fingers
thereof, though all those great men were by; and Ralph had no thought
of her but that she was the Queen.

So Ralph made obeisance to the Lord and stood awaiting his word; and
the Lord said: "We have been thinking of thee, young man, and have
deemed thy l