her, as if he were seeking something; and the Lady
followed his eyes, smiling a little and flushing as if with merriment.

But the Lord was silent a while, and then let his brow clear and said:
"Yea, Lady, thou art thanked for coming to meet us; and timely is thy
coming, since there is game and glee for thee at hand; I have cheapened
a likely thrall of Morfinn the Unmanned, and he is a gift to thee; and
he hath given out that he is no ill player with the spear after the
fashion of them of the west; and we are going to prove his word here in
this meadow presently."

The Lady's face grew glad, and she said, looking toward the ring of new
comers: "Yea, Lord, and which of these is he, if he be here?"

The Lord turned a little to point out Ralph, but even therewith the
Lady's eyes met Ralph's, who reddened for shame of being so shown to a
great lady; but as for her she flushed bright red all over her face and
even to her bosom, and trouble came into her eyes, and she looked
adown. But the Lord said: "Yonder is the youngling, the swordless one
in the green coat; a likely lad, if he hath not lied about his prowess;
and he can sing thee a song withal, and tell a piteous tale of old, and
do all that those who be reared in the lineages of the westlands deem
meet and due for men of knightly blood. Dost thou like the looks of
him, lady! wilt thou have him?"

The Lady still held her head down, and tormented the grass with her
foot, and murmured somewhat; for she could not come to herself again as
yet. So the Lord looked sharply on her and said: "Well, when this
tilting is over, thou shalt tell me thy mind of him; for if he turn out
a dastard I would not ask thee to take him."

Now the lady lifted up her face, and she was grown somewhat pale; but
she forced her speech to come, and said: "It is well, Lord, but now
come thou into my pavilion, for thy meat is ready, and it lacketh but a
minute or so of noon." So he took her hand and led her in to the
pavilion, and all men got off their horses, and fell to pitching the
tents and getting their meat ready; but Otter drew Ralph apart into a
nook of the homestead, and there they ate their meat together.

CHAPTER 36

The Talk of Two Women Concerning Ralph

But when dinner was done, came David and a man with him bringing
Ralph's war gear, and bade him do it on, while the folk were fencing
the lists, which they were doing with such stuff as they had at the
Tower; and the L