t to my lady, as God knows), and she
answered him and saith,

"It were well worth the washing, my lord; but an higher than I must
cleanse it."

And he saith, "There is none higher."

At that my lady's blood rose in her cheek, but she besought him that he
would not speak to her in such wise. When she had made a compress of the
napkins in the basket wherein I was carrying Dame Gobble's butter, and
had stanched the blood, she unwound the ribbon from her silver
hunting-horn, and cast it about his neck for a rest to his wounded arm.
Then he did bend down his head and kissed the ribbon, and my lady turned
quickly, and got upon the roan, and rode away at so smart a pace that
methinks Dame Gobble's butter and wine did reach her in a closer
conjunction than she could have found pleasant.

When I told Marian of this encounter, merely by the way of a bit of
gossip, she did smile in such a wise that I was minded to cuff a woman
for the first time in a long life.

It was that same night that Marian did tell me how that she feared the
earl was in danger of some sort, judging by certain words that my lady
had let fall in her sleep. I noticed how that my lady seemed restless,
and would start at the clap o' a door, or when Herne did come suddenly
upon her. And one day she leaned from a window, as I swept up the
rose-leaves from the grass on the east terrace, and called to me to come
thither. She was as white as her kirtle, and her gray eyes were dark
like water before a storm. She did not look at me, but beyond into the
air. So I waited, having plucked off my cap, and my lady stood looking,
looking; and after a while she saith,

"Thou hast aye been a true and faithful servant unto me: therefore I am
about to give unto thee a great charge."

And I said, "My lady, thou knowest that thou canst trust me;" and in
truth I could say no more, for my throat was stiff.

And she continued and said,

"Thou must be to-night at the Red Deer, and that by nine of the clock.
One will be there in whom we have both deep interest. I cannot tell thee
more. Take thy sword with thee, but have no fear--thou wilt have no
cause to use it. Yet, lest thou be fearful, take it with thee." And she
said, "Thou wilt remember?"

"My lady, when have I e'er forgotten word of thine?" Whereat she did put
out her fair hand to me, saying, "Never," and there were tears in her
eyes.

So that night (for the first time in many years) did I find myself
within the do