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So presently she was somewhat pacified, and reached me a hand from the back of her beast, on pretence of leaning over to avoid a swinging sign in one of the narrow streets near by the White Gate, where we were to meet the Lady Ysolinde. "And yet more, Little Playmate," said I, keeping her hand when I had it; "do not begin by distrusting the noble lady with whom we are to travel.
Our little Helene looked sufficiently pitiful and disturbed as these preparations were being made. But the Lady Ysolinde scarcely noticed them, taking apparently all the riot and delay as so much testimony to the important quality of such great ones of the earth as could afford to travel under the escort of two valiant men-at-arms.
Inquire carefully of your companions in the city of Thorn, and if any make pretension to acquaintance with the Lady Ysolinde of the White Gate strike him in the face and call him liar, for the sake of the favor I have shown you and the vision I saw concerning you in the crystal."
"After all," I said, piqued a little at her tone, as men are wont to be at that which they do not understand, "my Lady Ysolinde, wherefore should you not tell these things to the Prince, your husband, and not to me, that am neither your husband nor your lover?" "And if you had been both?" she interjected, a little breathlessly.
"Let men attend to themselves," cried Ysolinde; "that is ever my motto. They ought to be our servants, not we theirs." It was said smilingly, yet there was bitterness under the words as well. "But," said Helene, smiling back at her with a fresh directness all her own, "one of the men saved my life and brought me up as his own daughter, and the other is is Hugo, here."
"Pshaw! psutt!" said Ysolinde, making a little face, "be not so mock-modest. You do very well. But tell me if you have any sweetheart in the city to leave behind you." Now this bold question at once reddened my face and heightened my confusion. "Nay, lady," I stammered, conscious that I was blushing furiously, "I am over-young to have thought much of the things of love.
I have seen the parchment in these hands. But you shall never hear it, she never profit by it, and my vengeance shall be sweet so sweet!" And she laughed, with a strange crackling laugh that it was a pain to hear. "God forgive you, Lady Ysolinde," said I, "if this be so. For if there be a God, you must burn in Great Hell for this deed you are about to do.
Almost it was in my heart to declare that I loved the Lady Ysolinde, and to promise that I should do all she asked.
"Lady Ysolinde," said I, as they met with the mutually level eyeshot of women who measure one another, "this is Helene whom, for love and kindliness, we of the Wolfsberg call the 'Little Playmate." The daughter of Master Gerard impetuously threw back the gray monk's hood which shrouded the masses of her tawny hair.
Indeed, the Lady Ysolinde would have come out and watched with us, but I besought her to abide where she was. Presently, however, Helene put her head without, and seeing me stand by the door with my sword, she asked if I wanted anything. She appeared to have forgotten her unkind good-night, and I was not the man to remind her of it.
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