But whatever may be said
of her, no man would have deemed her aught save most lovely.
Now her face grew calm and stately again as it was at the first,
and she laid a hand on Ralph's shoulder, and smiled in his face and said:
"Surely thou art fair, though thy strokes be not light."
Then she took his hand and caressed it, and said again:
"Dost thou deem that thou hast done great things,
fair child? Maybe. Yet some will say that thou hast but slain
two butchers: and if thou wilt say that thou hast delivered me;
yet it may be that I should have delivered myself ere long.
Nevertheless hold up thine heart, for I think that greater
things await thee."
Then she turned about, and saw the dead man, how his
feet yet hung in the stirrups as his fellow's had done,
save that the horse of this one stood nigh still, only reaching
his head down to crop a mouthful of grass; so she said:
"Take him away, that I may mount on his horse."
So he drew the dead man's feet out of the stirrups, and dragged
him away to where the bracken grew deep, and laid him down there,
so to say hidden. Then he turned back to the lady, who was pacing up
and down near the horse as the beast fed quietly on the cool grass.
When Ralph came back she took the reins in her hand and put one
foot in the stirrup as if she would mount at once; but suddenly
lighted down again, and turning to Ralph, cast her arms about him,
and kissed his face many times, blushing red as a rose meantime.
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