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So must I bide here in Pentavalon with my duty." So saying, he lifted Winfrida to Sir Jocelyn's ready clasp and thereafter spake with head downbent: "An thou chance to see her within Mortain, I pray you say that the blind doth see at last and is gone to his duty, that, peradventure, he may be, some day, more worthy her great love.
"O Jocelyn!" cried Winfrida breathlessly, "O dear my lord surely never man loved like thee! Lord Beltane, forgive for this noble knight's sake forgive the sinful Winfrida!" "Forgive?" said Beltane, hoarsely, "forgive? nay, rather would I humbly thank thee on my knees, for thou hast given back the noblest part of me. She that was lost is found again, the dead doth live.
Thus, in a while, as Winfrida the Fair paced slowly along upon her ambling palfrey, her blue eyes a-dream, she was suddenly aware of a rustling near by and, glancing swiftly up, beheld the Duchess Helen standing before her, tall and proud, her black brows wrinkled faintly, her eyes stern and challenging. "Lady dear my lady!" stammered Winfrida "is it thou indeed "
The woes of Pentavalon call to me with a thousand tongues: I must away pray God I have not tarried too long!" "But art yet weak of thy wound, Beltane. I pray thee tarry a little longer. Ah, my lord, let not two lives go empty because of the arts of a false friend, for well do I know that Winfrida, seeing me coming to thee in the garden, kissed thee of set purpose, that, beholding, I might grieve."
"O, my hair, my lord? 'twas gold, 'tis black and shall be gold again, but I am that same Winfrida." "But but I have seen Winfrida betimes in Mortain ere now." "Nay, then, didst but look at her, my lord, for thine eyes saw only the noble Helen's beauty.
Then did Winfrida shrink within herself, and crouched yet further from Sir Jocelyn as though his eyes had hurt her. "Lord," she whispered, "I was jealous! Duke Ivo wooed me long ere he loved the Duchess Helen, so was I jealous. Yet was I proud also, for I would suffer not his love until he had made me wife.
"Lady," quoth he, "mine eyes be old, and yet methinks I should know yon horseman that rideth unhelmed so close beside the lady Winfrida that breadth of shoulder! that length of limb! Lady, how think ye?" "'Tis Duke Ivo!" she whispered. "Aye," nodded Godric, "armed, see you, yet with but two esquires " "And with Winfrida!" said the Duchess, frowning. "Can it indeed be as I have thought, betimes?
"My lady Winfrida, I pray you go before, we will speak of this anon. Come, Godric!" she called. Then the lady Winfrida, her beauteous head a-droop, rode on before, sighing deep and oft yet nothing speaking, with the Duchess proud and stern beside her while Beltane and Godric followed after. And so it was they came to the Manor of Blaen.
"O!" cried Winfrida shrinking, "surely 'tis the horse that bore Sir Gilles of Brandonmere in the lists at Barham Broom " "So now, my lady Winfrida, shall it bear thee and thy love to Mortain and happiness O loved Mortain! So mount, Jocelyn, mount! Haste to thy happiness, man, and in thy joy, forget not Pentavalon, for her need is great. And thou hast goodly men-at-arms! How think ye, messire?"
And when the Duchess was gone, Beltane sat and stared upon the fire and felt himself vaguely troubled, yet even so, as he watched the leaping flame, his head nodded and he slept, yet sleeping, dreamed he heard the Duchess calling him, and opening his eyes, found the fair Winfrida beside him: "My lord Beltane," said she softly, "thy Duchess biddeth thee wait her in the chapel follow me, messire!"
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