e. At times she even
thought of killing herself. She would draw out Guy's great sword,
which he had left behind, and think how easy it would be to run
it through her heart. But she remembered that the good fairies had
promised to send her a little son, and so she made up her mind to live
until he came. When the good fairies brought the baby she called
him Reinbroun, and he was so pretty and so dear that Phyllis was
comforted.

Then, because her lord was far away, and could not attend to his great
lands nor to the ruling of his many servants, Phyllis did so for
him. She ruled and ordered her household well; she made new roads and
rebuilt bridges which had been broken down. She journeyed through all
the land, seeing that wrong was made right and evildoers punished.
She fed the poor, tended the sick, and comforted those in sorrow, and,
besides all this, she built great churches and abbeys.

So year after year passed, but still Guy did not return. All day
Phyllis was busy and had no time for grief, but when evening came she
would go to pace up and down the path (which to this day is called
"Fair Phyllis's Walk") where she and Guy had often walked together.
Now as she wandered there alone, the hot, slow tears would come, and
she would feel miserable and forsaken.

At last, after many years full of adventures and travel, Guy reached
England once more. He was now an old man. His beard was long, his
hair had grown white, and in the weather-beaten pilgrim none could
recognize the gallant knight and earl, Guy of Warwick.

When Guy landed in England he found the whole country in sore dread.
For Anlaf, King of Denmark, had invaded England with a great army.
With fire and sword he had wasted the land, sparing neither tower nor
town, man, woman, nor child, but destroying all that came in his path.
Fight how they might, the English could not drive out the Danes.

Now they were in deep despair, for the enemy lay before the King's
city of Winchester. With them was a terrible giant called Colbrand,
and Anlaf had sent a message to King Athelstane, as the King who now
reigned over all England was called, demanding that he should either
find a champion to fight with Colbrand or deliver over his kingdom.

So the King had sent messengers north, south, east, and west, but in
all the land no knight could be found who was brave enough to face the
awful giant. And now within the great church of Winchester the King
with his priests and peop