ved not her hand from his, and she said: "Good and true Squire, I
said ere I entered the thicket e'en now that I would reward thee if thou
slewest the quarry. He is dead, though thou hast left the skin behind
upon the carcase. Ask now thy reward, but take time to think what it
shall be."

He felt her hand warm upon his, and drew in the sweet odour of her
mingled with the woodland scents under the hot sun of the afternoon, and
his heart was clouded with manlike desire of her. And it was a near
thing but he had spoken, and craved of her the reward of the freedom of
her Maid, and that he might depart with her into other lands; but as his
mind wavered betwixt this and that, the Lady, who had been eyeing him
keenly, drew her hand away from him; and therewith doubt and fear flowed
into his mind, and he refrained him of speech.

Then she laughed merrily and said: "The good Squire is shamefaced; he
feareth a lady more than a lion. Will it be a reward to thee if I bid
thee to kiss my cheek?"

Therewith she leaned her face toward him, and he kissed her
well-favouredly, and then sat gazing on her, wondering what should betide
to him on the morrow.

Then she arose and said: "Come, Squire, and let us home; be not abashed,
there shall be other rewards hereafter."

So they went their ways quietly; and it was nigh sunset against they
entered the house again. Walter looked round for the Maid, but beheld
her not; and the Lady said to him: "I go to my chamber, and now is thy
service over for this day."

Then she nodded to him friendly and went her ways.

CHAPTER XVI: OF THE KING'S SON AND THE MAID

But as for Walter, he went out of the house again, and fared slowly over
the woodlawns till he came to another close thicket or brake; he entered
from mere wantonness, or that he might be the more apart and hidden, so
as to think over his case. There he lay down under the thick boughs, but
could not so herd his thoughts that they would dwell steady in looking
into what might come to him within the next days; rather visions of those
two women and the monster did but float before him, and fear and desire
and the hope of life ran to and fro in his mind.

As he lay thus he heard footsteps drawing near, and he looked between the
boughs, and though the sun had just set, he could see close by him a man
and a woman going slowly, and they hand in hand; at first he deemed it
would be the King's Son and the Lady, but presently he s