wain brought face to face."

Prince Edward said, "That is very near the truth." But, indeed, it was
the absolute truth, and as concerned himself already attested.

"Sire Edward," the boy then said, "your wife has wearied of this long
waiting till you chose to whistle for her. Last summer the young
Prince de Gatinais came a-wooing--and he is a handsome man." The page
made known all which de Gatinais and King Alphonso planned, the words
jostling as they came in torrents, but so that one might understand.
"I am her page, my lord. I was to follow her. These fellows were to
be my escort, were to ward off possible pursuit. Cry haro, beau sire!
Cry haro, and lustily, for your wife in company with six other knaves
is at large between here and Burgos--that unreasonable wife who grew
dissatisfied after a mere ten years of neglect."

"I have been remiss," the Prince said, and one huge hand strained at
his chin; "yes, perhaps I have been remiss. Yet it had appeared to
me-- But as it is, I bid you mount, my lad!" he cried, in a new voice.

The boy demanded, "And to what end?"

"Oy Dieus, messire! have I not slain your escort? Why, in common
reason, equity demands that I afford you my protection so far as
Burgos, messire, just as equity demands I on arrival slay de Gatinais
and fetch back my wife to England."

The page wrung exquisite hands with a gesture which was but partially
tinged with anguish and presently began to laugh. Afterward these two
rode southerly, in the direction of Castile.

For it appeared to the intriguing little woman a diverting jest that in
this fashion her husband should be the promoter of her evasion. It
appeared to her more diverting when in two days' space she had become
genuinely fond of him. She found him rather slow of comprehension, and
was namelessly humiliated by the discovery that not an eyelash of the
man was irritated by his wife's decampment; he considered, to all
appearances, that some property of his had been stolen, and he
intended, quite without passion, to repossess himself of it, after, of
course, punishing the thief.

This troubled the Princess somewhat; and often, riding by his more
stolid side, the girl's heart raged at memory of the decade so newly
overpast which had kept her always dependent on the charity of this or
that ungracious patron--on any one who would take charge of her while
the truant husband fought out his endless squabbles in England.
Slights enough sh