ke him of me, and lay him on thy bed
and look to him, and do thy best: for if thou heal him thou shalt
thrive, and if thou heal him not thou shalt dwindle." "Fair sir," said
the hermit, "I need neither promise nor threat, for God's love and
Allhallows' I will heal him if it may be."

So he took Osberne from Steelhead's arms, and being a stark and big
man got him on to the bed and did off his raiment. Then he searched
his grievous hurts according to leechcraft, and presently looked up
from the wounded man and said: "Since this man is not yet dead, I deem
not his hurts deadly, and I think to heal him with the help of the
Holy Saints." Said Steelhead: "Thou hast in thy mouth, my friend, a
deal of holiness that I know nought of. But I thank thee, and if thou
heal my friend verily I will call thee Holy. Now shall I depart, but
tomorrow forenoon I shall come her again and learn tidings of him."

"Go in peace, and God and Allhallows keep thee," said the hermit.

"Well, well," said Steelhead, "we will not contend about it, but I
look to it to keep myself." And therewith he strode off into the
night.

Then lay Osberne between life and death a long while; but after a time
he began to mend, and came to his right mind, and remembered the
felon-strokes in the ghyll; but of Steelhead's being there he knew
nothing, for Steelhead had charged the hermit to say no word of it to
Osberne. The hermit was a good and kind man and a well-learned leech,
and after a while Osberne began to mend speedily. And he would have
amended speedier, but he was sick at heart that his sudden hope had so
failed him, and said within himself that now all hope was gone. Albeit
the Dale and Wethermel drew him to them without ceasing.

Chapter LII. The Meeting of Osberne and Elfhild

At last, when it was some six weeks from the time of that felony, and
Osberne was on his legs again, and had gone to and fro in the wood
nigh to the hermit's cell, now he began to think he must get him home
to the House of Longshaw, and thence away to the Dale with a trusty
guide; and the hermit would not say him nay, whereas his strength was
but just come back to him.

On a time he went abroad from the cell, and was girt to Boardcleaver
lest he should come across aught ill; he went somewhat further than he
had been wont, till the day was beginning to draw toward sunset. It
was now the latter end of May, and the leafy boughs were at their
fairest; the sky was bright and bl