er hand from his, and laid it on his
breast, and said: "I swear it by thy body."

He smiled on her licorously, and took her by the shoulders, and kissed
her face many times, and then stood aloof from her, and said: "Now have I
had hansel: but tell me, when shall I come to thee?"

She spoke out clearly: "Within three days at furthest; I will do thee to
wit of the day and the hour to-morrow, or the day after."

He kissed her once more, and said: "Forget it not, or the threat holds
good."

And therewith he turned about and went his ways toward the house; and
Walter saw the yellow-brown thing creeping after him in the gathering
dusk.

As for the Maid, she stood for a while without moving, and looking after
the King's Son and the creature that followed him. Then she turned about
to where Walter lay and lightly put aside the boughs, and Walter leapt
up, and they stood face to face. She said softly but eagerly: "Friend,
touch me not yet!"

He spake not, but looked on her sternly. She said: "Thou art angry with
me?"

Still he spake not; but she said: "Friend, this at least I will pray
thee; not to play with life and death; with happiness and misery. Dost
thou not remember the oath which we swore each to each but a little while
ago? And dost thou deem that I have changed in these few days? Is thy
mind concerning thee and me the same as it was? If it be not so, now
tell me. For now have I the mind to do as if neither thou nor I are
changed to each other, whoever may have kissed mine unwilling lips, or
whomsoever thy lips may have kissed. But if thou hast changed, and wilt
no longer give me thy love, nor crave mine, then shall this steel" (and
she drew a sharp knife from her girdle) "be for the fool and the dastard
who hath made thee wroth with me, my friend, and my friend that I deemed
I had won. And then let come what will come! But if thou be nought
changed, and the oath yet holds, then, when a little while hath passed,
may we thrust all evil and guile and grief behind us, and long joy shall
lie before us, and long life, and all honour in death: if only thou wilt
do as I bid thee, O my dear, and my friend, and my first friend!"

He looked on her, and his breast heaved up as all the sweetness of her
kind love took hold on him, and his face changed, and the tears filled
his eyes and ran over, and rained down before her, and he stretched out
his hand toward her.

Then she said exceeding sweetly: "Now indeed I