of the woodland!"

Then the King looked on him and knew him at once, and stood up at once
with a glad cry, and came round unto him, and took his arms about him
and kissed him, and led him into the high-seat, and set him betwixt him
and Goldilind, and she also greeted him and took him by the hand and
kissed him; and Jack of the Tofts, now a very old man, but yet hale
and stark, who sat on the left hand of the King, leaned toward him and
kissed him and blessed him; for lo! it was David of the Tofts.

Spake he now and said: "Christopher, this is now a happy day!"

Said the King: "David, whither away hence, and what is thine heart set
upon?"

"On the renewal of our youth," said David, "and the abiding with thee.
By my will no further will I go than this thine house. How sayest thou?"

"As thou dost," said Christopher, "that this is indeed a happy day;
drink out of my cup now, to our abiding together, and the end of
sundering till the last cometh."

So they drank together, they two, and were happy amidst the folk of the
hall; and at last the King stood up and spake aloud, and did all to wit
that this was his friend and fellow of the old days; and he told of his
doughty deeds, whereof he had heard many a tale, and treasured them in
his heart while they were apart, and he bade men honour him, all such as
would be his friends. And all men rejoiced at the coming of this doughty
man and the friend of the King.

So there abode David, holden in all honour, and in great love of Child
Christopher and Goldilind; and when his father died, his earldom did the
King give to David his friend, who never sundered from him again, but
was with him in peace and in war, in joy and in sorrow.

CHAPTER XXXVIII. OF MATTERS OF MEADHAM.

GOES the tale back now to the time when the kingship of Child
Christopher was scarce more than one month old; and tells that as
the King sat with his Queen in the cool of his garden on a morning of
August, there came to him a swain of service, who did him to wit that an
outland lord was come, and would see him and give him a message.

So the King bade bring him in to the garden to him straight-way; so the
man went, and came back again leading in a knight somewhat stricken in
years, on whose green surcoat was beaten a golden lion.

He came to those twain and did obeisance to them, but spake, as it
seemed, to Goldilind alone: "Lady, and Queen of Meadham," said he, "it
is unto thee, first of all, th