" Said the Knight:
"Where dost thou come from, where is thine home?" Said Ralph, "Upmeads."
"Well then," quoth the big knight, "go back to Upmeads, and live."
Ralph shook his head and knit his brows and said, "I will not."
"Yea," said the Knight, "thou wilt not live? Then must I shape me
to thy humour. Stand on thy feet and fight it out; for now I am cool
I will not slay a swordless man."
Ralph staggered up to his feet, but was so feeble still, that he sank
down again, and muttered: "I may not; I am sick and faint;"
and therewith swooned away again. But the Knight stood a while
leaning on his sword, and looking down on him not unkindly.
Then he turned about to the Lady, but lo! she had left his side.
She had glided away, and got to her horse, which was tethered on
the other side of the oak-tree, and had loosed him and mounted him,
and so sat in the saddle there, the reins gathered in her hands.
She smiled on the knight as he stood astonished, and cried to him;
"Now, lord, I warn thee, draw not a single foot nigher to me;
for thou seest that I have Silverfax between my knees, and thou knowest
how swift he is, and if I see thee move, he shall spring away with me.
Thou wottest how well I know all the ways of the woodland,
and I tell thee that the ways behind me to the Dry Tree be all
safe and open, and that beyond the Gliding River I shall come on
Roger of the Ropewalk and his men. And if thou thinkest to ride
after me, and overtake me, cast the thought out of thy mind.
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