s as cold as
ever; the earth was all grey and silver with the hoar-frost, and the day
began to break in the east with many colours of purple and orange.

Dick set him down upon the lowest step of the cross, wrapped himself
well in his tabard, and looked vigilantly upon all sides. He had not
long to wait. Down the road from Holywood a gentleman in very rich and
bright armour, and wearing over that a surcoat of the rarest furs, came
pacing on a splendid charger. Twenty yards behind him followed a clump
of lances; but these halted as soon as they came in view of the
trysting-place, while the gentleman in the fur surcoat continued to
advance alone.

His visor was raised, and showed a countenance of great command and
dignity, answerable to the richness of his attire and arms. And it was
with some confusion of manner that Dick arose from the cross and stepped
down the bank to meet his prisoner.

"I thank you, my lord, for your exactitude," he said, louting very low.
"Will it please your lordship to set foot to earth?"

"Are ye here alone, young man?" inquired the other.

"I was not so simple," answered Dick; "and, to be plain with your
lordship, the woods upon either hand of this cross lie full of mine
honest fellows lying on their weapons."

"Y' 'ave done wisely," said the lord. "It pleaseth me the rather, since
last night ye fought foolhardily, and more like a savage Saracen lunatic
than any Christian warrior. But it becomes not me to complain that had
the undermost."

"Ye had the undermost indeed, my lord, since ye so fell," returned Dick;
"but had the waves not holpen me, it was I that should have had the
worst. Ye were pleased to make me yours with several dagger marks, which
I still carry. And in fine, my lord, methinks I had all the danger, as
well as all the profit, of that little blind-man's mellay on the beach."

"Y'are shrewd enough to make light of it, I see," returned the stranger.

"Nay, my lord, not shrewd," replied Dick, "in that I shoot at no
advantage to myself. But when, by the light of this new day, I see how
stout a knight hath yielded, not to my arms alone, but to fortune, and
the darkness, and the surf--and how easily the battle had gone
otherwise, with a soldier so untried and rustic as myself--think it not
strange, my lord, if I feel confounded with my victory."

"Ye speak well," said the stranger. "Your name?"

"My name, an't like you, is Shelton," answered Dick.

"Men call me the Lord