t, and all that
give him savour and value."

"He will never want house or land," said Matilda, "while the meeting
boughs weave a green roof in the wood, and the free range of the hart
marks out the bounds of the forest."

"Vert and venison! vert and venison!" exclaimed the baron. "Treason
and flat rebellion. Confound your smiling face! what makes you look so
good-humoured? What! you think I can't look at you, and be in a passion?
You think so, do you? We shall see. Have you no fear in talking thus,
when here is the king's liegeman come to take us all into custody, and
confiscate our goods and chattels?"

"Nay, Lord Fitzwater," said Sir Ralph, "you wrong me in your report. My
visit is one of courtesy and excuse, not of menace and authority."

"There it is," said the baron: "every one takes a pleasure in
contradicting me. Here is this courteous knight, who has not opened
his mouth three times since he has been in my house except to take in
provision, cuts me short in my story with a flat denial."

"Oh! I cry you mercy, sir knight," said Matilda; "I did not mark you
before. I am your debtor for no slight favour, and so is my liege lord."

"Her liege lord!" exclaimed the baron, taking large strides across the
chamber.

"Pardon me, gentle lady," said Sir Ralph. "Had I known you before
yesterday, I would have cut off my right hand ere it should have been
raised to do you displeasure.

"Oh sir," said Matilda, "a good man may be forced on an ill office: but
I can distinguish the man from his duty." She presented to him her
hand, which he kissed respectfully, and simultaneously with the contact
thirty-two invisible arrows plunged at once into his heart, one from
every point of the compass of his pericardia.

"Well, father," added Matilda, "I must go to the woods."

"Must you?" said the baron; "I say you must not."

"But I am going," said Matilda

"But I will have up the drawbridge," said the baron.

"But I will swim the moat," said Matilda.

"But I will secure the gates," said the baron.

"But I will leap from the battlement," said Matilda.

"But I will lock you in an upper chamber," said the baron.

"But I will shred the tapestry," said Matilda, "and let myself down."

"But I will lock you in a turret," said the baron, "where you shall only
see light through a loophole."

"But through that loophole," said Matilda, "will I take my flight, like
a young eagle from its eerie; and, father, while I go out freel