his mount,
detached the belt of his sword, took off his blouse, remaining in his
thick jacket of the material of his breeches, and said to Thetralde:

"I consented to accept your scarf. It is now your turn. You must now
consent to cover yourself with my blouse. It will serve you for a
mantle."

"Place it on my shoulders," answered Thetralde blushing; "I dare not
drop the reins of my palfrey."

No less agitated than his girl companion, Vortigern drew near her and
laid his garment on the shoulders of Thetralde. But when it came to
tying the sleeves of the blouse around her neck and almost upon the
palpitating bosom of the young girl, who, with her eyes lowered and her
cheeks burning, raised her little pink chin in order to afford Vortigern
full ease in the accomplishment of his kindly office, the hands of the
lad shook so violently, that his mission was not accomplished until
after repeated trials.

"Thou art cold; thou art shivering worse than thou didst before."

"It is not the cold that makes me shiver--"

"What ails thee then?"

"I know not--the uneasiness that I feel on your behalf, seeing that
night approaches. We have lost our way in the forest. The rain is coming
down heavier. And we know not what road to take--"

Interrupting her companion with a cry of joy, Thetralde pointed with her
finger to one side of the avenue of trees that they were on, and
exclaimed: "There is a hut down yonder!"

So there was. Vortigern perceived in the center of a cluster of
centenarian chestnut trees a hut constructed of thick layers of peat
heaped upon one another. A narrow opening gave entrance to the bower,
before which the remnants of some dry wood recently lighted were still
seen smouldering. "It is one of the huts in which the woodcutter slaves
take refuge during the day when it rains," explained Thetralde. "We
shall be then under cover. Tie thy horse to a tree and help me alight."

At the bare thought of sharing the solitary retreat with the young girl,
Vortigern felt his heart thump under his ribs. A flush of burning fever
rose to his face while, nevertheless, he shivered. After a moment's
hesitation, the lad complied with the orders of his companion. He tied
his horse to a tree, and, in order to assist the young girl to alight
from her mount, he extended to her his arms and received within them the
supple and nimble body of Thetralde. So profound was the emotion
experienced by Vortigern at the touch of the maid, t