be; do on the same, and make thyself most goodly, and then
come thou hither and eat and drink with me, and afterwards depart whither
thou wilt, till the night has worn to its midmost; and then come thou to
my chamber, to wit, through the ivory door in the gallery above; and then
and there shall I tell thee a thing, and it shall be for the weal both of
thee and of me, but for the grief and woe of the Enemy."

Therewith she reached her hand to him, and he kissed it, and departed and
came to his chamber, and found raiment therebefore rich beyond measure;
and he wondered if any new snare lay therein: yet if there were, he saw
no way whereby he might escape it, so he did it on, and became as the
most glorious of kings, and yet lovelier than any king of the world.

Sithence he went his way into the pillared hall, when it was now night,
and without the moon was up, and the trees of the wood as still as
images. But within the hall shone bright with many candles, and the
fountain glittered in the light of them, as it ran tinkling sweetly into
the little stream; and the silvern bridges gleamed, and the pillars shone
all round about.

And there on the dais was a table dight most royally, and the Lady
sitting thereat, clad in her most glorious array, and behind her the Maid
standing humbly, yet clad in precious web of shimmering gold, but with
feet unshod, and the iron ring upon her ankle.

So Walter came his ways to the high-seat, and the Lady rose and greeted
him, and took him by the hands, and kissed him on either cheek, and sat
him down beside her. So they fell to their meat, and the Maid served
them; but the Lady took no more heed of her than if she were one of the
pillars of the hall; but Walter she caressed oft with sweet words, and
the touch of her hand, making him drink out of her cup and eat out of her
dish. As to him, he was bashful by seeming, but verily fearful; he took
the Lady's caresses with what grace he might, and durst not so much as
glance at her Maid. Long indeed seemed that banquet to him, and longer
yet endured the weariness of his abiding there, kind to his foe and
unkind to his friend; for after the banquet they still sat a while, and
the Lady talked much to Walter about many things of the ways of the
world, and he answered what he might, distraught as he was with the
thought of those two trysts which he had to deal with.

At last spake the Lady and said: "Now must I leave thee for a little, and
tho