traightway I went in search
of her.

I had gone some six hundred paces when, at a sudden turning, I came upon
her, where she held a little urchin a-straddle of her big deer-hound
"Courage." The child gave chuckles o' delight as he slipped from side to
side, and the sun through the beech-leaves made their heads as like as
two crown pieces. Even as I was about to lift up my voice to halloo unto
her, lo! my lord doth part the thick branches, and steps forth a little
behind her, and stands watching her. And as he did stand there, behold,
a look came o'er his face, that was stranger than any look I had e'er
seen on th' face of man or of woman, and his eyes were no more bright
and eager, but deep and soft. Then she turned and went direct towards
him unknowing.

When she was beside him, still laughing and half out o' breath with
balancing o' th' heavy boy, he saith these two words, "My lady," and
methought there was a whole year's love-making o' ordinary men crammed
into them. Quoth I to myself: "Ah, my little lord, so thou hast that
trick with thee! God keep my little ladies! for if the tongue be a
fire, how must it burn when such a wit doth wag it!" And I determined in
my heart that by some means I would warn my little lady of his sweet
speecheries. Yet was I tender towards him for the sake o' by-gone days.
Mayhap, moreover, his comely face had something to do with it, for, i'
fecks, ne'er saw I a goodlier countenance on Roundhead or Cavalier.

Now when my lady heard his voice at her ear, first gives she such a
start as doth a mettlesome filly when a hare jumps out before it, then
stock-still stands she, and her face whiter than a wind-flower, and her
lips a-tremble as if to speak, but no word comes from them.

He saith again, "My lady."

I saw by the moving of her lips that she fashioned the words "My God!"
but still she spoke not. And the child began to whimper and clutch at
her kirtle, for she had loosened her hold of him, and he feared falling
off of the big dog. So she put one arm about him to hold him, but her
eyes were yet upon his lordship.

Then he came and lifted her hand to his breast, and it lay upon his
dark-green doublet, as a white flower-leaf doth upon grass, and he saith
to her, "Sweetheart, dost thou not know me?"

All at once, for what, God only knoweth, she fell a-weeping, and he had
her in his arms. And being some two years a mother, my care was all for
the poor little rogue on the deer-hound; 't