l consent to neither for man's force nor yet for lady's pleasure.
Pardon me if I speak my plain thoughts plainly; but where a maid is very
bold, a poor man must even be the bolder."

"Dick," she said, "ye sweet boy, ye must come and kiss me for that word.
Nay, fear not, ye shall kiss me for Joanna; and when we meet, I shall
give it back to her, and say I stole it. And as for what ye owe me, why,
dear simpleton, methinks ye were not alone in that great battle; and even
if York be on the throne, it was not you that set him there. But for a
good, sweet, honest heart, Dick, y' are all that; and if I could find it
in my soul to envy your Joanna anything, I would even envy her your
love."

CHAPTER VI--NIGHT IN THE WOODS (concluded): DICK AND JOAN

The horses had by this time finished the small store of provender, and
fully breathed from their fatigues. At Dick's command, the fire was
smothered in snow; and while his men got once more wearily to saddle, he
himself, remembering, somewhat late, true woodland caution, chose a tall
oak and nimbly clambered to the topmost fork. Hence he could look far
abroad on the moonlit and snow-paven forest. On the south-west, dark
against the horizon, stood those upland, heathy quarters where he and
Joanna had met with the terrifying misadventure of the leper. And there
his eye was caught by a spot of ruddy brightness no bigger than a
needle's eye.

He blamed himself sharply for his previous neglect. Were that, as it
appeared to be, the shining of Sir Daniel's camp-fire, he should long ago
have seen and marched for it; above all, he should, for no consideration,
have announced his neighbourhood by lighting a fire of his own. But now
he must no longer squander valuable hours. The direct way to the uplands
was about two miles in length; but it was crossed by a very deep,
precipitous dingle, impassable to mounted men; and for the sake of speed,
it seemed to Dick advisable to desert the horses and attempt the
adventure on foot.

Ten men were left to guard the horses; signals were agreed upon by which
they could communicate in case of need; and Dick set forth at the head of
the remainder, Alicia Risingham walking stoutly by his side.

The men had freed themselves of heavy armour, and left behind their
lances; and they now marched with a very good spirit in the frozen snow,
and under the exhilarating lustre of the moon. The descent into the
dingle, where a stream strained sobbi