comes my
master, with a glad countenance, and glad was I, for these eight days or
nine I had no tidings of him, and knew not if Elliot had returned from
pilgrimage. I rose to greet him, and he took my hand, bidding me be of
good cheer, for that he had good tidings. But what his news might be he
would not tell me; I must come with him, he said, to his house.

All about his door there was much concourse of people, and among them two
archers led a great black charger, fairly caparisoned, and covered with a
rich silk hucque of colour cramoisie, adorned with lilies of silver. As
I marvelled who the rider might be, conceiving that he was some great
lord, the door of my master's house opened, and there, within, and plain
to view, was Elliot embracing a young knight; and over his silver armour
fell her yellow hair, covering gorget and rere-brace. Then my heart
stood still, my lips opened but gave no cry, when, lo! the knight kissed
her and came forth, all in shining armour, but unhelmeted. Then I saw
that this was no knight, but the Maid herself, boden in effeir of war,
{23} and so changed from what she had been that she seemed a thing
divine. If St. Michael had stepped down from a church window, leaving
the dragon slain, he would have looked no otherwise than she, all
gleaming with steel, and with grey eyes full of promise of victory: the
holy sword girdled about her, and a little battle-axe hanging from her
saddle-girth. She sprang on her steed, from the mounting-stone beside
the door, and so, waving her hand, she cried farewell to Elliot, that
stood gazing after her with shining eyes. The people went after the Maid
some way, shouting Noel! and striving to kiss her stirrup, the archers
laughing, meanwhile, and bidding them yield way. And so we came, humbly
enough, into the house, where, her father being present and laughing and
the door shut, Elliot threw her arms about me and wept and smiled on my
breast.

"Ah, now I must lose you again," she said; whereat I was half glad that
she prized me so; half sorry, for that I knew I might not go forth with
the host. This ill news I gave them both, we now sitting quietly in the
great chamber.

"Nay, thou shalt go," said Elliot. "Is it not so, father? For the Maid
gave her promise ere she went to Poictiers, and now she is fulfilling it.
For the gentle King has given her a household--pages, and a maitre
d'hotel, a good esquire, and these two gentlemen who rode with her fr