e too far from her trust."

"but oh, my dear lord," she cried with a trembling lip, "let me

bide with you for one furlong further--or one and a half perhaps.

you may spare me this out of the weary miles that you will

journey along."

"come, then, my heart's comfort," he answered. "but i must crave

a gage from thee. it is my custom, dearling, and hath been since

i have first known thee, to proclaim by herald in such camps,

townships, or fortalices as i may chance to visit, that my lady-

love, being beyond compare the fairest and sweetest in

christendom, i should deem it great honor and kindly

condescension if any cavalier would run three courses against me

with sharpened lances, should he chance to have a lady whose

claim he was willing to advance. i pray you then my fair dove,

that you will vouchsafe to me one of those doeskin gloves, that i

may wear it as the badge of her whose servant i shall ever be."

"alack and alas for the fairest and sweetest!" she cried. "fair

and sweet i would fain be for your dear sake, my lord, but old i

am and ugly, and the knights would laugh should you lay lance in

rest in such a cause."

"edricson," quoth sir nigel, "you have young eyes, and mine are

somewhat bedimmed. should you chance to see a knight laugh, or

smile, or even, look you, arch his brows, or purse his mouth, or

in any way show surprise that i should uphold the lady mary, you

will take particular note of his name, his coat-armor, and his

lodging. your glove, my life's desire!"

the lady mary loring slipped her hand from her yellow leather

gauntlet, and he, lifting it with dainty reverence, bound it to

the front of his velvet cap.

"it is with mine other guardian angels," quoth he, pointing at

the saints' medals which hung beside it. "and now, my dear-est,

you have come far enow. may the virgin guard and prosper thee!

one kiss!" he bent down from his saddle, and then, striking

spurs into his horse's sides, he galloped at top speed after his

men, with his three squires at his heels. half a mile further,

where the road topped a hill, they looked back, and the lady mary

on her white palfrey was still where they had left her. a moment

later they were on the downward slope, and she had vanished from

their view.

chapter xiv.

how sir nigel sought for a wayside venture.

for a time sir nigel was very moody and downcast, with bent brows

and eyes upon the pommel of his saddle. edricson and terlake

rode behind him in little better case, while ford, a careless and

light-hearted youth, grinned at the melancholy of his companions,

and flourished his lord's heavy spear, making a point to right

and a point to left, as though he were a paladin contending

against a host of assailants. sir nigel happened, however, to

turn himself in his saddle-ford instantly became as stiff and as

rigid as though he had been struck with a palsy. the four rode

alone, for the archers had passed a curve in the road, though

alleyne could still hear the heavy clump, clump of their

marching, or catch a glimpse of the sparkle of steel through the

tangle of leafless branches.

"ride by my side, friends, i entreat of you," said the knight,

reining in his steed that they might come abreast of him. "for,

since it hath pleased you to follow me to the wars, it were well

that you should know how you may best serve me. i doubt not,

terlake, that you will show yourself a worthy son of a valiant

father; and you, ford, of yours; and you, edricson, that you are

mindful of the old-time house from which all men know that you

are sprung. and first i would have you bear very steadfastly in

mind that our setting forth is by no means for the purpose of

gaining spoil or exacting ransom, though it may well happen that

such may come to us also. we go to france, and from thence i

trust to spain, in humble search of a field in which we may win

advancement and perchance some small share of glory. for this

purpose i would have you know that it is not my wont to let any

occasion pass where it is in any way possible that honor may be

gained. i would have you bear this in mind, and give great heed

to it that you may bring me word of all cartels, challenges,

wrongs, tyrannies, infamies, and wronging of damsels. nor is any

occasion too small to take note of, for i have known such trifles

as the dropping of a gauntlet, or the flicking of a breadcrumb,

when well and properly followed up, lead to a most noble spear-

running. but, edricson, do i not see a cavalier who rides down

yonder road amongst the nether shaw? it would be well,

perchance, that you should give him greeting from me. and,

should he be of gentle blood it may be that he would care to

exchange thrusts with me."

"why, my lord," quoth ford, standing in his stirrups and shading

his eyes, "it is old hob davidson, t