ever; I shall ride to see thee once and again, I promise thee."

Now the Maiden flushed red and the tears gathered in her eyes, and she
looked piteous-kind on him; but she said: "Thou art kind indeed; but
that farewell in the Dale needeth not to be, for I have no will to go
back home. Such an errand is laid on me that hath made me homeless
now; for I must go seeking that which is lost, it may be, wide over
the world; and if thou wilt shelter me a while in Brookside Castle I
shall thank thee and bless thee as scarce a man hath yet been thanked
since earth was new."

The Knight hung down his head, but presently he raised it, and heaved
a sigh as if a weight were lifted from his heart, and he said: "Let
each of us take what content may be in the passing days." Then he
shook his rein, and they both sped on together till they caught up
with their company.

That night they harboured at a husbandman's cot, where was no room
save for the two women, and the men lay out under the bare heaven, but
all was done that might be for the easement of the Maiden. The
franklin's folk rode on with them on the morrow, and whereas they must
needs wend a somewhat thick wood the more part of the day, they rode
close, and had the Maiden in their midst, while the Blue Knight went
the foremost of their company, and was as wary as might be. So
whatever strong-thieves might have been lurking under cover of the
thicket, they adventured them not against so stout and well-ordered a
company, and they all came safely through the wood into a fair grassy
valley some little time before sunset. But though the pasture was good
there and the land well watered, there were no houses within sight,
for it was over-nigh to the wood for folk to venture their goods, yea
and their lives, by dwelling in neighbourhood to such ill men as
haunted the thickets of the forest. Wherefore this night all the
company, women as well as men, must needs forego lying under rafters:
albeit they dight some kind of tent within what cloths they had for
the Maiden and her fosterer.

The fourth day, as they rode the grassy fair valley, as it was noon,
they saw somewhat aloof the riding of another company, which they
deemed to be more than they. So they looked to their weapons and rode
on steadily, but without haste, lest the others might deem they were
fleeing them. So the others, when they had well espied their
demeanour, passed on without meddling with them; and well-nigh the
whol