aw that it was
the King's Son indeed, but that it was the Maid whom he was holding by
the hand. And now he saw of him that his eyes were bright with desire,
and of her that she was very pale. Yet when he heard her begin to speak,
it was in a steady voice that she said: "King's Son, thou hast threatened
me oft and unkindly, and now thou threatenest me again, and no less
unkindly. But whatever were thy need herein before, now is there no more
need; for my Mistress, of whom thou wert weary, is now grown weary of
thee, and belike will not now reward me for drawing thy love to me, as
once she would have done; to wit, before the coming of this stranger.
Therefore I say, since I am but a thrall, poor and helpless, betwixt you
two mighty ones, I have no choice but to do thy will."

As she spoke she looked all round about her, as one distraught by the
anguish of fear. Walter, amidst of his wrath and grief, had wellnigh
drawn his sword and rushed out of his lair upon the King's Son. But he
deemed it sure that, so doing, he should undo the Maid altogether, and
himself also belike, so he refrained him, though it were a hard matter.

The Maid had stayed her feet now close to where Walter lay, some five
yards from him only, and he doubted whether she saw him not from where
she stood. As to the King's Son, he was so intent upon the Maid, and so
greedy of her beauty, that it was not like that he saw anything.

Now moreover Walter looked, and deemed that he beheld something through
the grass and bracken on the other side of those two, an ugly brown and
yellow body, which, if it were not some beast of the foumart kind, must
needs be the monstrous dwarf, or one of his kin; and the flesh crept upon
Walter's bones with the horror of him. But the King's Son spoke unto the
Maid: "Sweetling, I shall take the gift thou givest me, neither shall I
threaten thee any more, howbeit thou givest it not very gladly or
graciously."

She smiled on him with her lips alone, for her eyes were wandering and
haggard. "My lord," she said, "is not this the manner of women?"

"Well," he said, "I say that I will take thy love even so given. Yet let
me hear again that thou lovest not that vile newcomer, and that thou hast
not seen him, save this morning along with my Lady. Nay now, thou shalt
swear it."

"What shall I swear by?" she said.

Quoth he, "Thou shalt swear by my body;" and therewith he thrust himself
close up against her; but she drew h