But, indeed, there was no time left to us, before there came bounding
up, three great boar-hounds, that had been loosed to her whistle; and
she had some ado to keep the brutes off me; and I then to beat them off
the men upon the earth, lest they maul them as they lay. And directly,
there was a noise of men shouting, and the light of lanthorns in the
night, and the footmen of the house to come running with lanthorns and
cudgels; and knew not whether to deal with me, or not, in the first
moment, even as the dogs; but when they saw the men upon the ground, and
learned my name and saw me proper, they kept well their distance and had
no lack of respect; but, indeed, my sweet cousin to have the most of
any; only that she showed no intent to keep distance of me; but to have
a new and deeper feeling of kinship than she at first had shown.
And the men-servants asked what should be done with the foot-pads;
seeing that they were now recovering. But, indeed, I left the matter,
along with some silver, to the servants; and very sound justice they
dealt out to the men; for I heard their cries a good while after we had
gone away. Now, when we were come up to the Hall, my cousin must take me in to her
Guardian, Sir Alfred Jarles, an old man and venerable that I knew a
little in passing and because our estates abounded. And she praised me
to my face, yet quaintly-wise; and the old man, her Guardian thanked me
most honourably and with a nice courtesy; so that I was a welcome
house-friend from that time onward.
And I stayed all that evening, and dined, and afterward went out again
into the home-grounds with the Lady Mirdath; and she more friendly to me
than ever any woman had been; and seemed to me as that she had known me
always. And, truly, I had the same feeling in my heart towards her; for
it was, somehow, as though we knew each the way and turn of the other,
and had a constant delight to find this thing and that thing to be in
common; but no surprise; save that so pleasant a truth had so natural a
discovery. And one thing there was that I perceived held the Lady Mirdath all that
dear fore-night; and this was, indeed, the way that I had my pleasure so
easy with the three foot-pads. And she asked me plainly whether I was
not truly very strong; and when I laughed with young and natural pride,
she caught my arm suddenly to discover for herself how strong I might
be.