ing's Son,
and he clad in thin and wanton raiment, but she in nought else save what
God had given her of long, crispy yellow hair. Then was Walter ashamed
to look on her, seeing that there was a man with her, and gat him back to
his bed; but yet a long while ere he slept again he had the image before
his eyes of the fair woman on the dewy moonlit grass.

The next day matters went much the same way, and the next also, save that
his sorrow was increased, and he sickened sorely of hope deferred. On
the fourth day also the forenoon wore as erst; but in the heat of the
afternoon Walter sought to the hazel-copse, and laid him down there hard
by a little clearing thereof, and slept from very weariness of grief.
There, after a while, he woke with words still hanging in his ears, and
he knew at once that it was they twain talking together.

The King's Son had just done his say, and now it was the Lady beginning
in her honey-sweet voice, low but strong, wherein even was a little of
huskiness; she said: "Otto, belike it were well to have a little
patience, till we find out what the man is, and whence he cometh; it will
always be easy to rid us of him; it is but a word to our Dwarf-king, and
it will be done in a few minutes."

"Patience!" said the King's Son, angrily; "I wot not how to have patience
with him; for I can see of him that he is rude and violent and
headstrong, and a low-born wily one. Forsooth, he had patience enough
with me the other even, when I rated him in, like the dog that he is, and
he had no manhood to say one word to me. Soothly, as he followed after
me, I had a mind to turn about and deal him a buffet on the face, to see
if I could but draw one angry word from him."

The Lady laughed, and said: "Well, Otto, I know not; that which thou
deemest dastardy in him may be but prudence and wisdom, and he an alien,
far from his friends and nigh to his foes. Perchance we shall yet try
him what he is. Meanwhile, I rede thee try him not with buffets, save he
be weaponless and with bounden hands; or else I deem that but a little
while shalt thou be fain of thy blow."

Now when Walter heard her words and the voice wherein they were said, he
might not forbear being stirred by them, and to him, all lonely there,
they seemed friendly.

But he lay still, and the King's Son answered the Lady and said: "I know
not what is in thine heart concerning this runagate, that thou shouldst
bemock me with his valiancy, whereof