essing the dear and friendly Maid, his heart all turned against her,
despite what his eyes and his ears told his mind, and she seemed like as
it were a serpent enfolding the simplicity of the body which he loved.

But now it was all changed, and he lay on the grass and longed for her
coming; which was delayed for somewhat more than an hour. Then she came
back to him, smiling and fresh and cheerful, her green gown let down to
her heels.

He sprang up to meet her, and she came close to him, and spake from a
laughing face: "Squire, hast thou no meat in thy wallet? For, meseemeth,
I fed thee when thou wert hungry the other day; do thou now the same by
me."

He smiled, and louted to her, and took his wallet and brought out thence
bread and flesh and wine, and spread them all out before her on the green
grass, and then stood by humbly before her. But she said: "Nay, my
Squire, sit down by me and eat with me, for to-day are we both hunters
together."

So he sat down by her trembling, but neither for awe of her greatness,
nor for fear and horror of her guile and sorcery.

A while they sat there together after they had done their meat, and the
Lady fell a-talking with Walter concerning the parts of the earth, and
the manners of men, and of his journeyings to and fro.

At last she said: "Thou hast told me much and answered all my questions
wisely, and as my good Squire should, and that pleaseth me. But now tell
me of the city wherein thou wert born and bred; a city whereof thou hast
hitherto told me nought."

"Lady," he said, "it is a fair and a great city, and to many it seemeth
lovely. But I have left it, and now it is nothing to me."

"Hast thou not kindred there?" said she.

"Yea," said he, "and foemen withal; and a false woman waylayeth my life
there."

"And what was she?" said the Lady.

Said Walter: "She was but my wife."

"Was she fair?" said the Lady.

Walter looked on her a while, and then said: "I was going to say that she
was wellnigh as fair as thou; but that may scarce be. Yet was she very
fair. But now, kind and gracious Lady, I will say this word to thee: I
marvel that thou askest so many things concerning the city of Langton on
Holm, where I was born, and where are my kindred yet; for meseemeth that
thou knowest it thyself."

"I know it, I?" said the Lady.

"What, then! thou knowest it not?" said Walter.

Spake the Lady, and some of her old disdain was in her words: "Dost thou
deem tha