ere stood my Lady Aelueva, and she said to me: "Sir Richard,
will it please you enter your Great Hall?" Then she wept, but we were
alone.'

The knight was silent for a long time, his face turned across the
valley, smiling. 'Oh, well done!' said Una, and clapped her hands very
softly. 'She was sorry, and she said so.'

'Aye, she was sorry, and she said so,' said Sir Richard, coming back
with a little start. 'Very soon--but he said it was two full hours
later--De Aquila rode to the door, with his shield new scoured (Hugh
had cleansed it), and demanded entertainment, and called me a false
knight, that would starve his overlord to death. Then Hugh cried out
that no man should work in the valley that day, and our Saxons blew
horns, and set about feasting and drinking, and running of races, and
dancing and singing; and De Aquila climbed upon a horse-block and spoke
to them in what he swore was good Saxon, but no man understood it. At
night we feasted in the Great Hall, and when the harpers and the
singers were gone we four sat late at the high table. As I remember,
it was a warm night with a full moon, and De Aquila bade Hugh take down
his sword from the wall again, for the honour of the Manor of
Dallington, and Hugh took it gladly enough. Dust lay on the hilt, for I
saw him blow it off.

'She and I sat talking a little apart, and at first we thought the
harpers had come back, for the Great Hall was filled with a rushing
noise of music. De Aquila leaped up; but there was only the moonlight
fretty on the floor.

"'Hearken!" said Hugh. "It is my sword," and as he belted it on the
music ceased.

"'Over Gods, forbid that I should ever belt blade like that," said De
Aquila. "What does it foretell?"

"'The Gods that made it may know. Last time it spoke was at Hastings,
when I lost all my lands. Belike it sings now that I have new lands
and am a man again," said Hugh.

'He loosed the blade a little and drove it back happily into the
sheath, and the sword answered him low and crooningly, as--as a woman
would speak to a man, her head on his shoulder.

'Now that was the second time in all my life I heard this Sword sing.'
...

'Look!' said Una. 'There's Mother coming down the Long Slip. What
will she say to Sir Richard? She can't help seeing him.'

'And Puck can't magic us this time,' said Dan.

'Are you sure?' said Puck; and he leaned forward and whispered to Sir
Richard, who, smiling, bowed his head. '