s, when they returned from delivering her message,
what the knight had said?

One of them replied: "Madame he said very little; only that he would
take his friends to a place where they would have a hearty welcome and
good cheer."

She quickly guessed where they had gone, and said to herself, "Ah, he
has gone to the house of such an one, who, I know, will not be sorry to
see him, and no doubt they are now plotting against me."

Whilst she was thinking thus, the harshness and un-kindness which she
had felt towards her faithful lover, melted away or was transformed into
hearty affection and good-will, and she longed to bestow upon her
lover whatever he might ask or require. So she at once set to work and
suspecting that the lady to whom they had gone was now enjoying the
society of the man she had treated so rudely, she penned a letter to
her lover, most of the lines of which were written in her most precious
blood, to the effect that as soon as he saw this letter, he should set
all other matters aside, and follow the bearer of the missive, and he
would be so kindly received that no lover in the world could expect more
from his mistress. And as a token of her truth, she placed inside the
letter a diamond ring he well knew.

The bearer of this missive, who was a trustworthy man, went to the
castle where the knight was sitting at supper next to the hostess, and
with all the guests seated round the table. As soon as grace had been
said, the messenger drew the knight aside and handed him the letter.

Having perused it, the good knight was much amazed, and still more
joyous, for though he had determined in his own mind no longer to seek
the love or acquaintance of the writer of the letter, he still felt
tempted when the letter promised him that which he most desired in the
world.

He took his hostess aside, and told her that his master had sent an
urgent message, and that he must leave at once--at which he pretended
to feel much vexed,--and she, who had before been so joyful in the
expectation of that she so much desired, became sad and sorrowful.

He quietly mounted his horse, and leaving all his comrades behind,
arrived with the messenger, soon after midnight, at the castle of the
lady, but her husband had just arrived from Court and was then preparing
to go to bed, and she, who had sent specially to fetch her lover, was
disappointed enough, God knows.

The good knight, who had been all day in the saddle, either hun