So I stayed and abided him; and when he came up to me, he leapt
from his horse and stood before me and said: 'I must needs see
thee once again.'
"I stood and trembled before him, and longed to touch him.
And again he spake, breathlessly, as one who has been running:
'I must depart, for I have a thing to do that I must do;
but I long sorely to touch thee, and kiss thee; yet unless
thou freely willest it, I will refrain me.' Then I looked
at him and said, 'I will it freely.' Then he came close up
to me, and put his hand on my shoulder and kissed my cheek;
but I kissed his lips, and then he took me in his arms,
and kissed me and embraced me; and there in that place,
and in a little while, we loved each other sorely.
"But in a while he said to me: 'I must depart, for I am as one whom
the Avenger of Blood followeth; and now I will give thee this,
not so much as a gift, but as a token that we have met in the wilderness,
thou and I.' Therewith he put his hand to his neck, and took
from it this necklace which thou seest here, and I saw that it was
like that which my mistress took from the neck of the dead woman.
And no less is it like to the one that thou wearest, Ralph.
"I took it in my hand and wept that I might not help him.
And he said: 'It is little likely that we shall meet again;
but by the token of this collar thou mayest wot that I ever
long for thee till I die: for though I am a king's son,
this is the dearest of my possessions.
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