" He frowned:
"Wilt thou not go with me?" said he. "Not uncompelled," she said:
"if thou biddest me go with threats of hewing and mangling
the body which thou sayest thou lovest, needs must I go then.
Yet scarce wilt thou do this."
"I have a mind to try it," said he; "If I set thee on thine
horse and bound thine hands for thee, and linked thy feet
together under the beast's belly; belike thou wouldest come.
Shall I have slain my brother-in-arms for nought?"
"Thou hast the mind," said she, "hast thou the might?"
"So I deem," said he, smiling grimly.
She looked at him proudly and said: "Yea, but I misdoubt me thereof."
He still had his back to Ralph and was staring at the lady; she turned her
head a little and made a sign to Ralph, just as the Knight of the Sun said:
"Thou misdoubtest thee? Who shall help thee in the desert?"
"Look over thy left shoulder," she said. He turned, and saw
Ralph drawing near, sword in hand, smiling, but somewhat pale.
He drew aback from the Lady and, spinning round on his heel, faced Ralph,
and cried out: "Hah! Hast thou raised up a devil against me,
thou sorceress, to take from me my grief and my lust, and my life?
Fair will the game be to fight with thy devil as I have fought with
my friend! Yet now I know not whether I shall slay him or thee."
She spake not, but stood quietly looking on him, not unkindly,
while a wind came up from the water and played with a few light
locks of hair that hung down from that ruddy crown, and blew
her raiment from her feet and wrapped it close round her limbs;
and Ralph beheld her, and close as was the very death to him
(for huge and most warrior-like was his foeman) yet longing
for her melted the heart within him, and he felt the sweetness
of life in his inmost soul as he had never felt it before.
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