"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 that only Imay make her joyous. And now one word: thou that criest out For theTofts in battle art not altogether unfriended, meseemeth."
Christopher looked up proudly and fiercely: he said: "Forsooth, Lord,my friends are good, though thou callest them wolf-heads and gallows-meat."
"Champion," said the Earl, laughing, "that may well be sooth; andthere are a many ups and downs in the world. Bethink thee that the timemay come when thou and thy friends may wend to my help, and may winthe names of knight and baron and earl: such hap hath been aforetime.And now 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 wilt gabaway 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 the best ofthem; and show them, if thou wilt, some such feats in peace as yesterdaythou showedst them in battle. And to-morrow there will be new tidings."And therewith he departed.
No worse than his word he was, and anon came the smith and thesquire; and he was brought to a chamber, and raiment of fine linen and silkand embroidery was brought to him: and when he was new clad helooked like a king's son, whereas aforetime he looked like a God of theGentiles of old. All men praised his beauty and his courtesy, and afterdinner was, and they had rested, they bade him play with them and showthem his prowess, and he was nought loth thereto, and did what he mightin running and leaping, and casting of the bar, and shooting in the bow.And in all these things he was so far before everyone, that they marvelledat him, and said it was well indeed that he had not been slain yesterday.As to wrestling, therein he might do but little; for all forbore him after thefirst man had stood before him, a squire, well learned in war, and long andtough, and deemed a very stark man; him Christopher threw over hisshoulder as though he had been a child of twelve years. So wore the dayat Greenharbour in merrier wise for all good folk than for many a day hadbeen the wont there.