find her alone in the chamber, putting spring flowers in a
very fair vessel of glass. I made no more ado, but coming in stealthily,
I caught her boldly about the body, saying--

"Yield you, rescue or no rescue, and strive not against me, lest you slay
a wounded man-at-arms."

For very fear, as I believe, lest she might stir my wound again, she was
still as a bird that lies in your hands when once you have caught it. And
all that passes of kiss and kind word between happy lovers passed between
us, till I prayed of her grace, that I might tell her father how things
stood, for well I had seen by his words and deeds that he cherished me as
a son. So she granted this, and we fell to devising as to what was to be
in days to come. Lackland was I, and penniless, save for my pay, if I
got it; but we looked to the common fortune of young men-at-arms, namely,
spoil of war and the ransom of prisoners of England or Burgundy. For I
had set up my resolve either to die gloriously, or to win great wealth
and honour, which, to a young man and a lover, seem things easily come
by. Nor could my master look for a great fortune in marriage, seeing
that, despite his gentle birth, he lived but as a burgess, and by the
work of his hands.

As we thus devised, she told me how matters now were in the country, of
which, indeed, I still knew but little, for, to a man sick and nigh upon
death, nothing imports greatly that betides beyond the walls of his
chamber. What I heard was this: namely, that, about Orleans, the English
ever pressed the good town more closely, building new bastilles and other
great works, so as to close the way from Blois against any that came
thence of our party with victual and men-at-arms. And daily there was
fighting without the walls, wherein now one side had the better, now the
other; but food was scant in Orleans, and many were slain by
cannon-shots. Yet much was spoken of a new cannonier, lately come to aid
the men of Orleans, and how he and John of Lorraine slew many of the
hardiest of the English with their couleuvrines.

At this telling I bethought me of Brother Thomas, but spoke no word
concerning him, for my mistress began very gladly to devise of her dear
Maid, concerning whom, indeed, she could never long be silent. "Faithless
heart and fickle," I said in a jest, "I believe you love that Maid more
than you love me, and as she wears sword at side, like a man, I must even
challenge her to fight in the i