ent, and tarried not to gaze upon it; for he said,
Belike there will be time for me to look on all this before I die. But
he said also, that, though the house was not of the greatest, it was
beyond compare of all houses of the world.

Now he entered it by the porch, and came into a hall many-pillared, and
vaulted over, the walls painted with gold and ultramarine, the floor
dark, and spangled with many colours, and the windows glazed with knots
and pictures. Midmost thereof was a fountain of gold, whence the water
ran two ways in gold-lined runnels, spanned twice with little bridges of
silver. Long was that hall, and now not very light, so that Walter was
come past the fountain before he saw any folk therein: then he looked up
toward the high-seat, and himseemed that a great light shone thence, and
dazzled his eyes; and he went on a little way, and then fell on his
knees; for there before him on the high-seat sat that wondrous Lady,
whose lively image had been shown to him thrice before; and she was clad
in gold and jewels, as he had erst seen her. But now she was not alone;
for by her side sat a young man, goodly enough, so far as Walter might
see him, and most richly clad, with a jewelled sword by his side, and a
chaplet of gems on his head. They held each other by the hand, and
seemed to be in dear converse together; but they spake softly, so that
Walter might not hear what they said, till at last the man spake aloud to
the Lady: "Seest thou not that there is a man in the hall?"

"Yea," she said, "I see him yonder, kneeling on his knees; let him come
nigher and give some account of himself."

So Walter stood up and drew nigh, and stood there, all shamefaced and
confused, looking on those twain, and wondering at the beauty of the
Lady. As for the man, who was slim, and black-haired, and
straight-featured, for all his goodliness Walter accounted him little,
and nowise deemed him to look chieftain-like.

Now the Lady spake not to Walter any more than erst; but at last the man
said: "Why doest thou not kneel as thou didst erewhile?"

Walter was on the point of giving him back a fierce answer; but the Lady
spake and said: "Nay, friend, it matters not whether he kneel or stand;
but he may say, if he will, what he would have of me, and wherefore he is
come hither."

Then spake Walter, for as wroth and ashamed as he was: "Lady, I have
strayed into this land, and have come to thine house as I suppose, and if
I be n