Earl, forsooth!" he cried, "the clothes have made you mighty
courtly all at once. Godwine and Redwald are going back to Bosham,
and the earl bides at Chichester Cross--mind you that!"

And he swung himself on his horse laughing, and we rode away, while
the people shouted, for they had gathered in twos and threes to
look on him.

Now when we came back to the great house, there was Relf sitting on
the bench where we had sat yesterday, and he looked as if he had
had good news.

"Now, thane," said Godwine, "here is a new messenger to your
sorrowful damsel."

Relf stared at me and laughed, and when I got off my horse Godwine
would have us go at once. So Relf took my arm and we went, while
the young earl joked us till we were out of hearing.

"Now," said the thane, "we will not spoil the earl's jest, but must
even let him think that all has been his doing thus."

"Why, he will see us start for Penhurst, and if Uldra is not
there--"

"Aye, but she will be. She is coming gladly," Relf said.

"How is this?" I asked.

"Just that I have been to see the maiden while you were gone, and I
spoke to her as to a daughter, and so she is coming."

"You would not wait for me, then?" I said, being glad that he had
managed without me, as things had turned out.

"Methought I could do better alone. The girl would say more to me
than if you were there, perhaps. Moreover, I had a notion why she
would not come, and I wanted to ask her if I was right. And I was."

"I thought of that," said I; "she was in the same plight as myself
until Godwine decked me out thus. Women think more of their attire
than we."

The thane chuckled in his quiet way.

"Why, perhaps that had somewhat to do with it, but I did not ask
her, I forgot. But I did tell the old Lady Superior to do so, and
gave her withal to care for the maiden."

Then I said:

"It is well that you persuaded her; maybe I should have been in the
way. I should have lost my tongue again, I think."

"Well, yes," said Relf, still laughing to himself, "it was you who
were in the way; however, as you say, all is well, and she rides
with us tomorrow. We will go and find a mule or a good forest pony
for her, and so tell Godwine that the clothes have done it."

Now I never thought that there was anything more behind the thane's
words, for of all things that had made my soul weary in these last
weeks the complaints of Emma the queen about her dress had been the
worst. So this seemed t