that made her rosy enough. Not that she denied
him: good heaven, who was she to do that? There as he had her close upon
his breast he kissed her a dozen times, and "Jehane, wilt thou fare with
me to England?" he asked her fondly, "or must I leave thee peaking here,
my Countess of Anjou?"

'She would have had her own answer ready to that, good soul, but that
the leper gave her another. In a low, urgent voice she answered, "Ah,
sweet lord, I must never leave thee now"--as if to ask, Was there need?
So he went on talking to her, lover talk, teasing talk, to see what she
would say; and all the while Jehane stood very near him, with her face
held between his two hands as closely as wine is held by a cup. To
whatever he chose to say, and in whatever fashion, whether strokingly
(as to a beloved child), or gruffly (in sport) as one speaks to a pet
dog, she replied in very meek manner, eyeing him intently, "Yea,
Richard," or "Nay, Richard," agreeing with him always. This he observed.
"They call me Yea-and-Nay, dear girl," he said, "and thou hast learned
it of them. But I warn thee, Jehane, _ma mie_, I am in a mood of Yea
this night. Therefore deny me not."

'"Lord, I shall never deny thee," says Jehane, red as a rose. And reason
enough! I remembered the words; for while she said them, it is certain
she was praying how best she might make herself a liar, like Saint
Peter.

'Pretty matters! on the faith I profess. And if a man, who is king of
men, may not play with his young wife, I know not who may play with her.
That is my answer to King Philip Augustus, who fretted and chafed at
this harmless performance. As for Saint-Pol, who ground his teeth over
it, I would have a different answer for him.'

I have given Milo his full tether; but there are things to say which he
knew nothing about. Richard was changed, for all his wild mood of that
night; nor was Jehane slow to perceive it. Perhaps, indeed, she was too
quick, with her wit oversharpened by her uneasy conscience. But that
night she saw, or thought she saw this in Richard: that whereas the
righting of her had been his only concern before the day of the bowing
Rood, now he had another concern. And the next day, when at dawn he left
her and was with his Council until dinner, she knew it for sure. After
dinner (which he scarcely ate) he rose and visited King Philip. With
him, the Legate and the Archbishops, he remained till late at night. Day
succeeded day in this manner. The