.

"Not here," she said, and in silence led the way to a pleached alley out
of sight of the windows. There they stood still. It was a strange
meeting of two who had not seen each other for fourteen years, when the
one was a tall, ungainly youth, the other well-nigh a child. And now
Giles was a fine, soldierly man in the prime of life, with a short,
curled beard, and powerful, alert bearing, and Aldonza, though the first
flower of her youth had gone by, yet, having lived a sheltered and far
from toilsome life, was a really beautiful woman, gracefully
proportioned, and with the delicate features and clear olive, skin of
the Andalusian Moor. Her eyes, always her finest feature, were sunken
with weeping, but their soft beauty could still be seen. Giles threw
himself on his knee and grasped at her hand.

"My love!--my only love!" he cried.

"Oh! how can I think of such matters now--now, when it is thus with my
dear mistress," said Aldonza, in a mournful voice, as though her tears
were all spent--yet not withholding her hand.

"You knew me before you knew her," said Giles. "See, Aldonza, what I
have brought back to you."

And he half drew the sword her father had made. She gave a gasp of
delight, for well she knew every device in the gold inlaying of the
blade, and she looked at Giles with eyes full of gratitude.

"I knew thou wouldst own me," said Giles. "I have fought and gone far
from thee, Aldonza. Canst not spare one word for thine old Giles?"

"Ah, Giles--there is one thing which if you will do for my mistress, I
would be yours from--from my heart of hearts."

"Say it, sweetheart, and it is done."

"You know not. It is perilous, and may be many would quail. Yet it may
be less perilous for you than for one who is better known."

"Peril and I are well acquainted, my heart."

She lowered her voice as her eyes dilated, and she laid her hand on his
arm. "Thou wottest what is on London Bridge gates?"

"I saw it, a sorry sight."

"My mistress will not rest till that dear and sacred head, holy as any
blessed relic, be taken down so as not to be the sport of sun and wind,
and cruel men gaping beneath. She cannot sleep, she cannot sit or stand
still, she cannot even kiss her child for thinking of it. Her mind is
set on taking it down, yet she will not peril her husband. Nor verily
know I how any here could do the deed."

"Ha! I have scaled a wall ere now. I bare our banner at Goletta, with
the ba