Agatha he saw not at all;
nor the Lady, and still deemed that the white-skinned woman whom
he had seen sitting by the Lord after the tilting was the Queen.
As for the Lady she abode in her pavilion, and whiles lay
in a heap on the floor weeping, or dull and blind with grief;
whiles she walked up and down mad wroth with whomsoever came
in her way, even to the dealing out of stripes and blows
to her women.
But on the eve before the day of departure Agatha came into her,
and chid her, and bade her be merry: "I have seen the Lord and told
him what I would, and found it no hard matter to get him to yeasay
our plot, which were hard to carry out without his goodwill.
Withal the seed that I have sowed two days or more ago is bearing fruit;
so that thou mayst look to it that whatsoever plight we may be in,
we shall find a deliverer."
"I wot not thy meaning," quoth the Lady, "but I deem thou wilt
now tell me what thou art planning, and give me some hope,
lest I lay hands on myself."
Then Agatha told her without tarrying what she was about doing for her,
the tale of which will be seen hereafter; and when she had done,
the Lady mended her cheer, and bade bring meat and drink, and was once
more like a great and proud Lady.
On the morn of departure, when Ralph arose, David came to him and said:
"My Lord is astir already, and would see thee for thy good."
So Ralph went with David, who brought him to the Tower, and there
they found the Lord sitting in a window, and Otter stood before him,
and some others of his highest folk.
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