She said: "Sir, those friends to whom thou hast delivered me are myfoes, whether they were thy friends or not. Wilt thou compel me to tellthee all my shame? They have treated me as a thrall who had whiles toplay a queen's part in a show. To wit, thy chaplain whom thou hast givenme has looked on me with lustful eyes, and has bidden me buy of him easeand surcease of pain with my very body, and hath threatened me more evilelse, and kept his behest."
Then leapt up the Earl and cried out: "Hah! did he so? Then I tell theehis monk's hood shall not be stout enough to save his neck. Now, mychild, thou speakest; tell me more, since my hair is whitening."
She said: "The sleek, smooth-spoken woman to whom thou gavest me, didstthou bid her to torment me with stripes, and the dungeon, and the dark,and solitude, and hunger?"
"Nay, by Allhallows!" he said, "nor thought of it; trust me she shallpay therefor if so she hath done."
She said: "I crave no vengeance, but mercy I crave, and thou mayst giveit me."
Then were they both silent, till he said: "Now I, for my part, will praythee bear what thou must bear, which shall be nought save this, that thyqueenship lie quiet for a while; nought else of evil shall betide theehenceforth; but as much of pleasure and joy as may go with it. But tellme, there is a story of thy snatching a holiday these two days, and of ayoung man whom thou didst happen on. Tell me now, not as a maiden toher father or warder, but as a great lady might tell a great lord, whatbetid betwixt you two: for thou art not one on whom a young and doughtyman may look unmoved. By Allhallows! but thou art a firebrand, my Lady!"And he laughed therewith.
Goldilind flushed red exceeding; but she answered steadily: "Lord Earl,this is the very sooth, that I might not fail to see it, how he thoughtme worth looking on, but he treated me with all honour, as a brothermight a sister."
"Tell me," said the Earl, "what like was this man?"
Said she: "He was young, but strong beyond measure; and full doughty:true it is that I saw him with mine eyes take and heave up one of ourmen in his hands and cast him away as a man would a clod of earth."
The Earl knit his brow: "Yea," said he, "and that story I have heardfrom the men-at-arms also. But what was the man like of aspect?"
She reddened: "He was of a most goodly body," she said, "fair-eyed, andof a face well carven; his speech kind and gentle." And yet more shereddened.
Said the Earl: "Didst thou hear what he was, this man?"
She said: "I deem from his own words that he was but a simple forester."
"Yea," quoth the Earl, "a simple forester? Nay, but a woodman, anoutlaw, a waylayer; so say our men, that he fell on them with the cry:A-Tofts! A-Tofts! Hast thou never heard of Jack of the Tofts?"
"Nay, never," said she.
Said the Earl: "He is the king of these good fellows; and a periloushost they be. Now I fear me, if he be proven to be one of these, therewill be a gallows reared for him to-morrow, for as fair and as doughtyas he may be."
She turned all pale, and her lips quivered: then she rose up, and fellon her knees before the Earl, and cried out: "O sir, a grace, a grace, Ipray thee! Pardon this poor man who was so kind to me!"
The Earl raised her up and smiled, and said: "Nay, my Lady Queen,wouldst thou kneel to me? It is unmeet. And as for this woodman, it isfor thee to pardon him, and not for me; and since, by good luck, he isnot hanged yet, thy word hath saved his neck." She sat down in her chairagain, but still looked white and scared. But the Earl spake again, andkindly:
"Now to all these matters I shall give heed, my Lady; wherefore I willask leave of thee, and be gone; and to-morrow I will see thee again, andlay some rede before thee. Meantime, be of good cheer, for thou shalt bemade as much of as may be, and live in mickle joy if thou wilt. And ifany so much as give thee a hard word, it shall be the worse for them."
Therewith he arose, and made obeisance to her, and departed. And sheabode quiet, and looking straight before her, till the door shut, andthen she put her hands to her face and fell a-weeping, and scarce knewwhat ailed her betwixt hope, and rest of body, and love, though that shecalled not by its right name.
CHAPTER XIX. EARL GEOFFREY SPEAKETH WITH CHRISTOPHER.
Now it is to be said that the Earl had had much tidings told him ofChristopher, and had no intent to put him to death, but rather meant totake him into the company of his guard, to serve him in all honour;and that which he said as to hanging him was but to try Goldilind; buthaving heard and seen of her such as we have told, he now thought itgood to have a privy talk with this young man. So he bade a squire leadhim to where Christopher was held in ward, and went much pondering.
So the squire brought him to the self-same Littlest Guardroom (in sootha prison) where Goldilind had lain that other morn; and he gave thesquire leave, and entered and shut the door behind him, so that he andChristopher were alone together. The young man was lying on his backon the pallet, with his hands behind his head, and his knees drawn up,murmuring some fag-end of an old song; but when he heard the door shutto he sat up, and, turning to the new-comer, said: "Art thou tidings? Ifso, then tell me quickly which it is to be, the gallows or freedom?"
"Friend," said the Earl sternly, "dost thou know who I am?"
"Nay," said Christopher; "by thine attire thou shouldst be some greatman; but that is of little matter to me, since thou wilt neither bidslay me, or let me go, for a heedless word."
Quoth the Earl: "I am the master of the land of Meadham, so there isno need to tell thee that I have thy life or death in my hand. Now thouwilt not deny that thou art of the company of Jack o' the Tofts?"
"It is sooth," said Christopher.
"Well," said the Earl, "thou art bold then to have come hither, forthou sayest it that thou art a wolf's-head and forfeit of thy life. Now,again, thou didst take the Lady of Meadham home to thy house yesterday,and wert with her alone a great while. Now according to thy dealingswith her thou dost merit either the most evil of deaths, or else it maybe a reward: hah! what sayest thou?"
Christopher leapt up, and said in a loud voice: "Lord King, whatsoever Imay be, I am not each man's dastard; when I saw that pearl of all women,I loved her indeed, as who should not, but it was even as I had lovedthe Mother of God had she come down from the altar picture at the Churchof Middleham of the Wood. And whoso saith otherwise, I give him the lieback in his teeth, and will meet him face to face if I may; and then,meseems, it will go hard with him."
Spake the Earl, laughing: "I will be no champion against thee, for Ihold my skin and my bones of too much price thereto. And, moreover,though meseemeth the Blessed Virgin would have a hot lover in thee wereshe to come down to earth anigh thy dwelling, yet trow I thy tale, thatthou hast dealt with my Lady in honour. Therefore, lad, what sayestthou, wilt thou be a man of mine, and bear arms for me, and do my will?"
Spake Christopher: "Lord, this is better than hanging."
"Why, so it is, lad," said the Earl, laughing again, "and some wouldsay better by a good deal. But hearken! if thou take it, thou must abidehere in Greenharbour--a long while, maybe; yea, even so long as my Ladydwelleth here."
Christopher flushed and said: "Lord, thou art kind and gracious, and Iwill take thy bidding."
The Earl said: "Well, so it shall be then; and presently thou shalt goout of this guard-room a free man. But abide a while."
Therewith he drew a stool to him and sat down, and spake not for a longwhile; and Christopher abode his pleasure; at last spake the Earl: "Oneday, mayhappen, we may make a wedding for thee, and that no ill one."
Christopher laughed: "Lord," said he, "what lady will wed me, a no man'sson?"
Said the Earl: "Not if the Lord of Meadham be thy friend? Well then, howif the Lady and Queen of Meadham make thee the wedding?"
Said Christopher: "I were liefer to make mine own wedding, whenso Ineed a woman in my bed: I will compel no woman, nor ask others to compelher."
The Earl rose up, and fell to pacing the prison to and fro; and at lasthe stood over against Christopher, and said: "Hearken,
forester: I willforetell thy fortune; it is that thou shalt become great by wedding."
Christopher held his peace; and the Earl spake again: "Now is theshortest word best. We deem thee both goodly and doughty, and would wedthee to a great lady, even that one to whom thou hast shown kindness inthe wilderness."
Said Christopher: "It is the wont of great lords to mock poor folk,therefore I must not show anger against thee."
"I mock thee not," said the Earl; "I mean nought, but as my words say."
"Nay then," said Christopher, "thou biddest me an evil deed, great Lord.What I said was that I would compel no woman; and shall I compel her whois the wonder of the world and my very own Lady?"
"Hold thy peace, sir fool," said the Earl; "let me tell thee that sheis as like to compel thee as thou her. And as to her being thy Lady, sheshall be thy Lady and wife indeed; but not here, for above all thingswill she get her away from Greenharbour, and thou shalt be her champion,to lead her about the world like a knight errant."
Now was Christopher so troubled that he knew not what countenance tomake, and scarce might he get a word out of his mouth a long while. Atlast he said: "Lord, I see that I must needs do thy will if this be notrap which thou hast set for me. But overwonderful it is, that a greatlady should be wedded to a gangrel churl."
The Earl laughed: "Many a ferly fares to the fair-eyed," quoth he; "andalso I will tell thee in thine ear that this Lady may not be so great asher name is great. Did she praise her life-days to thee?"
"Nay," said Christopher; "I mind me well, she called herself the poorcaptive."
"She said but sooth," quoth the Earl; "and her going away fromGreenharbour is instead of her captivity; and I tell thee it is by thatonly I may make her joyous. And now one word: thou that criest out Forthe Tofts in battle art not altogether unfriended, meseemeth."
Christopher looked up proudly and fiercely: he said: "Forsooth, Lord, myfriends are good, though thou callest them wolf-heads and gallows-meat."
"Champion," said the Earl, laughing, "that may well be sooth; and thereare a many ups and downs in the world. Bethink thee that the time maycome when thou and thy friends may wend to my help, and may win thenames of knight and baron and earl: such hap hath been aforetime. Andnow I crave of thee, when thou comest back to the Tofts, to bid Jackfall upon other lands than Meadham when he rideth, because of the giftand wedding that I give thee now. So, lad, I deem that thou hast chosenthy part; but let not the tale thereof go out of thy mouth, or thou wiltgab away thy wedding. Lo, thou, I leave this door open behind me; andpresently shall the smith come here to do away thine irons; and I shallsend a squire to thee to lead thee to a fair chamber, and to bring theegoodly raiment, and do thou play amongst thy fellows as one of thebest of them; and show them, if thou wilt, some such feats in peace asyesterday thou showedst them in battle. And to-morrow there will be newtidings." And therewith he departed.
No worse than his word he was, and anon came the smith and the squire;and he was brought to a chamber, and raiment of fine linen and silk andembroidery was brought to him: and when he was new clad he looked likea king's son, whereas aforetime he looked like a God of the Gentiles ofold. All men praised his beauty and his courtesy, and after dinner was,and they had rested, they bade him play with them and show them hisprowess, and he was nought loth thereto, and did what he might inrunning and leaping, and casting of the bar, and shooting in thebow. And in all these things he was so far before everyone, that theymarvelled at him, and said it was well indeed that he had not been slainyesterday. As to wrestling, therein he might do but little; for allforbore him after the first man had stood before him, a squire, welllearned in war, and long and tough, and deemed a very stark man; himChristopher threw over his shoulder as though he had been a child oftwelve years. So wore the day at Greenharbour in merrier wise for allgood folk than for many a day had been the wont there.
CHAPTER XX. OF THE WEDDING OF CHRISTOPHER AND GOLDILIND.
Early on the morrow came the Earl unto Goldilind, and she received himgladly, as one who had fashioned life anew for her. And when he had satdown by her, he spake and said: "Lady, thou cravedst of me yesterday twothings; the first was freedom from the captivity of Greenharbour; andthe second, life and liberty for the varlet that cherished thee in thewild-wood the other day. Now thy first asking grieved me, for that thouhast been tyrannously done by; and thy second I wondered at; but sinceI have seen the young man, I wonder the less; for he is both so goodly,and so mighty of body, and of speech bold and free, yet gentle and ofall courtesy, that he is meet to be knight or earl, yea, or very king.Now, therefore, in both these matters I will well to do thy pleasure,and in one way it may be; and thou mayst then go forth from Greenharbouras free as a bird, and thy varlet's life may be given unto him, andmickle honour therewith. Art thou, then, willing to do after my rede andmy commandment, so that both these good things may betide thee?"
"Right willing am I," she said, "to be free and happy and to save thelife of a fair youth and kind."
"Then," said he, "there is one thing for thee to do: that this daythou wed this fair and kind youth, and let him lead thee forth fromGreenharbour; and, belike, he will bring thee to no ill stead; for hisfriends are mightier than mayhappen thou deemest."
She turned as red as blood at his word; she knit her brows, and her eyesflashed as she answered: "Is it seemly for a King's daughter to wed anameless churl? And now I know thee, Lord Earl, what thou wouldst do;thou wouldst be King of Meadham and put thy master's daughter to theroad." And she was exceeding wroth.
But he said, smiling somewhat: "Was it then seemly for the King'sdaughter to kneel for this man's life, and go near to swooning for joywhen it was granted to her?"
"Yea," she said, "for I love him with all my body and soul; and Iwould have had him love me par amours, and then should I have been hismistress and he my servant; but now shall he be my master and I hisservant." And still was she very wroth.
Quoth the Earl: "As to the matter of my being King of Meadham, that willI be, whatever befall, or die in the place else. So if thou wilt not domy rede, then must the varlet whom thou lovest die, and at Greenharbourmust thou abide with Dame Elinor. There is no help for it."
She shrieked out at that word of his, and well nigh swooned, lying backin her chair: but presently fell a-weeping sorely. But the Earl said:"Hearken, my Lady, I am not without warrant to do this. Tell me, hastthou ever seen any fairer or doughtier than this youngling?"
"Never," said she.
"So say we all," he said. "Now I shall tell thee (and I can bringwitness to it) that in his last hour the King, thy father, when he gavethee into my keeping, spake also this: that I should wed thee to nonesave the fairest and doughtiest man that might be found: even so would Ido now. What then sayest thou?"
She answered not, but still wept somewhat; then said the Earl: "Lady,give me leave, and I shall send thy women to thee, and sit in the greathall for an hour, and if within that while thou send a woman of thineto say one word, Yes, unto me, then is all well. But if not, then do Idepart from Greenharbour straightway, and take the youngling with me tohang him up on the first tree. Be wise, I pray thee."
And therewith he went his ways. But Goldilind, being left alone alittle, rose up and paced the chamber to and fro, and her tears andsobbing ceased; and a great and strange joy grew up in her heart,mingled with the pain of longing, so that she might rest in nowise. Eventherewith the door opened, and her women entered, Aloyse first, and shecalled to her at once, and bade her to find Earl Geoffrey in the greathall, and say to him: Yes. So Aloyse went her ways, and Goldilind badeher other women to array her in the best and goodliest wise that theymight. And the day was yet somewhat young. Now it must be said of EarlGeoffrey that, in spite of his hard word, he had it not in his hearteither to slay Christopher or to leave Goldilind at Greenharbour to themercy of Dame Elinor.
CHAPTER XXI. OF THE WEDDING OF THOSE TWAIN.
Now were folk gathered in the hall, and the Earl Geoffrey was standingon t
he dais by the high-seat, and beside him a worthy clerk, the Abbotof Meadhamstead, a monk of St. Benedict, and next to him the Burgreveof Greenharbour, and then a score of knights all in brave raiment, andsquires withal, and sergeants; but down in the hall were the men-at-armsand serving-men, and a half hundred of folk of the countryside, queansas well as carles, who had been gathered for the show and bidden in. Noother women were there in the hall till Goldilind and her serving-womenentered. She went straight up the hall, and took her place in thehigh-seat; and for all that her eyes seemed steady, she had notedChristopher standing by the shot-window just below the dais.
Now when she was set down, and there was silence in the hall, EarlGeoffrey came forth and said: "Lords and knights, and ye good people,the Lady Goldilind, daughter of the Lord King Roland that last was, isnow of age to wed; and be it known unto you, that the King, her father,bade me, in the last words by him spoken, to wed her to none but theloveliest and strongest that might be, as witness I can bring hereto.Now such a man have I sought hereto in Meadhamstead and the much-peopledland of Meadham, and none have I come on, however worthy he were ofdeeds, or well-born of lineage, but that I doubted me if he were so fairor so doughty as might be found; but here in this half-desert corner ofthe land have I gotten a man than whom none is doughtier, as some of youhave found to your cost. And tell me all you, where have ye seen any asfair as this man?" And therewith he made a sign with his hand, andforth strode Christopher up on to the dais; and he was so clad, thathis kirtle was of white samite, girt with a girdle of goldsmith's work,whereby hung a good sword of like fashion, and over his shoulders wasa mantle of red cloth-of-gold, furred with ermine, and lined with greensendall; and on his golden curled locks sat a chaplet of pearls.