The Forest Lovers

"Ah! How do you know that, Vincent?"

"She talked very often to herself when we were in the forest. We have

been to many places--Wanmeeting, Waisford. There is no doubt at all.

`Kill the buck and you have the doe': she said it over and over again.

We have seen the sick man. He is quite well now, and very strong. She

is to kill your lord and take you alive. She seems to hate him. I

can't tell you why. Which is your lord of all those on the dais?"

"Hush. There he sits on the right hand of the Countess. He is talking

to her now. Look, she is laughing."

"Oh, he is tall. He looks light and fierce, like a leopard. How high

he carries his head! As if we were of another world."

"So we are," said Isoult.

Vincent sighed and went on with his story. "I have run away from

Maulfry. She left me to wait for her at the end of the avenue, with

three horses, just as I was at Gracedieu--do you remember? But I could

never do that again. Now I must hide somewhere."

"Come with me. I will hide you."

She took him to the buttery and gave him over to the cook-maids. She

told Melot that this was a fellow of hers who must be tended at all

costs. Melot made haste to obey, sighing like a gale of wind. Isoult

had rather asked any other, but time pressed. She hurried back to the

hall to take her proper place at table, and going thither, made sure

that her dagger slid easily in and out. She was highly excited, but

not with fear--elated rather.

Supper passed safely over. The Countess withdrew to the gallery, and

Prosper followed her as his duty bound him. He was still thoughtful

and subdued, but with a passing flash now and again of his old

authority, which served to make a blacker sky for the love-sick lady.

The sounds of music came gratefully to Isoult; for once she was glad

to be rid of him. She sped back to Vincent, enormously relieved that

the field of battle was to be narrowed. Maulfry would have been

awkward in the open; she knew she could hold her in the passages.

There were two things to be prevented, observe. The knife must not

discover Prosper, nor Maulfry Isoult. The latter was almost as

important on Prosper's account as the former. Isoult knew that. She

knew also that it must be risked of the two; but in the passages she

could deal with it.

Vincent was sitting by the fire between Melot and Jocosa, another of

the maids. Melot bit her lip, and edged away from him as Isoult came

in.

"Girls," said the redoubtable Roy, with scant ceremony, "I have to

speak to my mate."