nee, and began to
thank him and to ask with what she might reward him for the saving of
the brachet.

"A night's lodging and a day's cheer," quoth Martimor.

"As long as thee liketh," said she, "for my father, the miller, will
return ere sundown, and right gladly will he have a guest so brave."

"Longer might I like," said he, "but longer may I not stay, for I ride
in a quest and seek great adventures to become a knight."

So they bestowed the horse in the stable, and went into the Mill; and
when the miller was come home they had such good cheer with eating of
venison and pan-cakes, and drinking of hydromel, and singing of pleasant
ballads, that Martimor clean forgot he was in a delay. And going to his
bed in a fair garret he dreamed of the Maid of the Mill, whose name was
Lirette.

IV

How the Mill was in Danger and the Delay Endured

In the morning Martimor lay late and thought large thoughts of his
quest, and whither it might lead him, and to what honour it should bring
him. As he dreamed thus, suddenly he heard in the hall below a trampling
of feet and a shouting, with the voice of Lirette crying and shrieking.
With that he sprang out of his bed, and caught up his sword and dagger,
leaping lightly and fiercely down the stair.

There he saw three foul churls, whereof two strove with the miller,
beating him with great clubs, while the third would master the Maid and
drag her away to do her shame, but she fought shrewdly. Then Martimor
rushed upon the churls, shouting for joy, and there was a great medley
of breaking chairs and tables and cursing and smiting, and with his
sword he gave horrible strokes.

One of the knaves that fought with the miller, he smote upon the
shoulder and clave him to the navel. And at the other he foined fiercely
so that the point of the sword went through his back and stuck fast in
the wall. But the third knave, that was the biggest and the blackest,
and strove to bear away the Maid, left bold of her, and leaped upon
Martimor and caught him by the middle and crushed him so that his ribs
cracked.

Thus they weltered and wrung together, and now one of them was above
and now the other; and ever as they wallowed Martimor smote him with his
dagger, but there came forth no blood, only water.

Then the black churl broke away from him and ran out at the door of the
mill, and Martimor after. So they ran through the garden to the river,
and there the churl sprang into the water, an