himself
that of all her beauty there was nought but the eyes of her left. But
he thought: Let her rest a little, and be by herself if she will, and
have good and pleasant meat and drink, and not be worried and
troubled; and I will withhold the heat of my longing, and then in a
day or two it will all come back again. So he bade his varlets deal
with her as ye have heard, and suffered her to have the fellowship of
the Carline her friend.

After this it befel that about noon the chapman and his men saw the
riding of folk; so they looked to their weapons, and presently came
riding up to the tent a Knight in bright armour, and two men-at-arms,
and all of them right well arrayed. The Knight bore on his coat-armour
wavy of blue and white, and he looked like to be a proper man of his
hands.

Now when he had drawn rein at the tent door, and saw the men standing
to their arms thereby, he seemed to be not thinking of battle with
them, but he said: "The sele of the day to the men. Which of you is
the master?" Then came forward the chapman, and sheathed his sword and
said: "That am I, Sir Knight; and to make a long story short, I am no
warrior or fighting man, but a merchant seeking gain from town to town
and house to house. And I have some pretty things amongst my packs.
Might I ask of your valour what thou wouldst have of me?"

The Knight, who by this time was off his horse, laughed and said:
"Well, first we three would have meat and drink of you, and some
horse-meat also, for we have ridden far this morning; and next,
meseems, after what thou hast said, that it would help the victual
down if I were to turn over some of those dear-bought and far-fetched
wares of thine, even if I have to pay for peeping."

Who then was was full of smiles and soft words save the chapman; he
bade the Knight into his tent most sweetly, and set his folk to
dighting a noble dinner. The Knight entered and did off his basnet,
and showed a well-looking face, with good grey eyes like a hawk, and
dark hair curling close to his head; there was nought cruel or base to
be seen in his visage, though it had the fierceness of the warrior. So
they sat down to meat, and talked the while of their eating; and a
good deal of their talk was concerning the Knight of Longshaw, Sir
Godrick, and his uprising, and what his chances might be of his
outfacing all his foes, who, said the chapman, were many and great,
and more belike than Sir Godrick wotted of. Quoth he: "An