have done no
less, and if thou hast lied, even so have I; and if thou hast played the
wanton, as I deem not that thou hast, I full surely have so done. So now
thou shalt pardon me, and when thy spirit has come back to thee, thou
shalt tell me thy tale in all friendship, and in all loving-kindness will
I hearken the same."

Therewith he knelt before her and kissed her feet. But she said: "Yea,
yea; what thou willest, that will I do. But first tell me one thing.
Hast thou buried this horror and hidden him in the earth?"

He deemed that fear had bewildered her, and that she scarcely yet knew
how things had gone. But he said: "Fair sweet friend, I have not done it
as yet; but now will I go and do it, if it seem good to thee."

"Yea," she said, "but first must thou smite off his head, and lie it by
his buttocks when he is in the earth; or evil things will happen else.
This of the burying is no idle matter, I bid thee believe."

"I doubt it not," said he; "surely such malice as was in this one will be
hard to slay." And he picked up his sword, and turned to go to the field
of deed.

She said: "I must needs go with thee; terror hath so filled my soul, that
I durst not abide here without thee."

So they went both together to where the creature lay. The Maid durst not
look on the dead monster, but Walter noted that he was girt with a big
ungainly sax; so he drew it from the sheath, and there smote off the
hideous head of the fiend with his own weapon. Then they twain together
laboured the earth, she with Walter's sword, he with the ugly sax, till
they had made a grave deep and wide enough; and therein they thrust the
creature, and covered him up, weapons and all together.

CHAPTER XXIII: OF THE PEACEFUL ENDING OF THAT WILD DAY

Thereafter Walter led the Maid down again, and said to her: "Now,
sweetling, shall the story be told."

"Nay, friend," she said, "not here. This place hath been polluted by my
craven fear, and the horror of the vile wretch, of whom no words may tell
his vileness. Let us hence and onward. Thou seest I have once more come
to life again."

"But," said he, "thou hast been hurt by the Dwarf's arrow."

She laughed, and said: "Had I never had greater hurt from them than that,
little had been the tale thereof: yet whereas thou lookest dolorous about
it, we will speedily heal it."

Therewith she sought about, and found nigh the stream-side certain herbs;
and she spake words over th