I wondered exceedingly at beholding him and the heart leaped within me
at his beauty; for though the carline had told me of the loveliness
of the sons of men, that was but words and I knew not what they meant;
and the others that I had seen were not young men or goodly,
and those last, as I told thee, I could scarce see their faces.
"And this one was even fairer than the dead woman that I had buried,
whose face was worn with toil and trouble, as now I called to mind.
He was clad in bright shining armour with a gay surcoat of green,
embroidered with flowers over it; he had a light sallet on his head,
and the yellow locks of his hair flowed down from under, and fell
on his shoulders: his face was as beardless as thine, dear friend,
but not clear brown like to thine but white and red like a blossom."
Ralph spake and said: "Belike it was a woman;" and his voice
sounded loud in the quiet place. She smiled on him and kissed
his cheek, and said: "Nay, nay, dear Champion, it is not so.
God rest his soul! many a year he has been dead."
Said Ralph: "Many a year! what meanest thou?" "Ah!" she said,
"fear not! as I am now, so shall I be for thee many a year.
Was not thy fear that I should vanish away or change into something
unsightly and gruesome? Fear not, I say; am I not a woman, and thine own?"
And again she flushed bright red, and her grey eyes lightened,
and she looked at him all confused and shamefaced.
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