on, which, indeed, she
seemed never likely to know. Sometimes, being in her robes of state,
crusted with gems, crowned, coifed, ringed, she looked like nothing so
much as a stiff doll-goddess set in glass over an altar. It was thus she
showed her best, when with fixed eyes and a frigid smile she stood above
the court, an unapproachable glittering star set in the clear sky of a
night to give men hopes of an ordered heaven. It was thus Bertran de
Born had seen her, when for a time his hot and wrong heart was at rest,
and he could look on a creature of this world without desire to mar it.
Half in mockery, half in love, he called her Frozen Heart. Later on, you
remember, he called Jehane Bel Vezer. He was the nicknamer of Europe in
his day.

So now, or almost so, he saw her new come from her father's side--a
little flushed, but very much the great small lady, ma dame Berengere of
Navarre.

'The sun shines upon my Frozen Heart,' said Bertran. She gave him her
hand to kiss.

'No heart of yours am I, Bertran,' she said; 'but chosen for a king.'

'A king, lady! Whom then?'

She answered, 'A king to be. My lord Richard of Poictou.'

He clacked his tongue on his palate, and bolted this pill as best he
could. Bad was best. He saw himself made newly so great a fool that he
dared not think of it. If he had known at that time of Richard's dealing
with Jehane Saint-Pol, you may be sure he would have squirted some
venom. But he knew nothing at all about it; and as to the other affair,
even he dared not speak.

'A great lord, a hot lord, a very strenuous lord!' he said in jerks. It
was all there was to say.

'He is a prince who might claim a lady's love, I suppose,' said
Berengere, with considering looks.

'Ho ho! And so he has!' cried Bertran. 'I assure your Grace he is no
novice. Many he has claimed, and many have claimed him. Shall I number
them?'

'I beg that you will not,' she said, stiffening herself. So Bertran
grinned his rage. But he had one thing to say.

'This much I will tell you, Princess. The name I give him is
Yea-and-Nay: beware of it. He is ever of two minds: hot head and cold
heart, flaming heart and chilled head. He will be for God and the enemy
of God; will expect heaven and tamper with hell. With rage he will go
up, laughing come down. Ho! He will be for you and against you; eager,
slow; a wooer, a scorner; a singer of madrigals, ah, and a croaker
afterwards. There is no stability in him, neither leng