They rode in silence a good way, and it was some three hours afternoon, and the day as fair and bright as might be. Christopher held hispeace for sweet shame that he was alone with a most fair maid, and she hisown, and without defence against him. But she amidst of her silenceturned, now red, and now somewhat pale, and now and again she lookedsomewhat askance on him, and he deemed her looks were no kinder thanthey should be.
At last she spake, yet not looking on him, and said: "So, Forester,now is done what I must needs do: thy life is saved, and I am quit ofGreenharbour, and its prison, and its torments: whither away then?"
Quoth he, all dismayed, for her voice was the voice of anger: "I wotnot whither, save to the house thou hast blessed already with thy dearbody."
At that word she turned quite pale, and trembled, and spake not for awhile, and smote her horse and hastened on the way, and he after her; butwhen he was come up with her again, then she said, still not looking athim: "A house of woodmen and wolf-heads. Is that a meet dwelling-place for me? Didst thou hear men at Greenharbour say that I am aQueen?"
"Hear them I did," quoth he; "but meseemeth nought like a Queen hadthey done with thee."
She said: "And dost thou mock me with that? thou?" And she burstout weeping. He answered not, for sore grief smote him, rememberingher hand in his but a little while ago. And again she hurried on, and hefollowed her.
When he came up with her she said: "And thou, didst thou woo meas a Queen?"
would I not: great joy was that to me."
Then said she: "Thou sayest sooth, thou hast not wooed me, but"Lady," he said, "I wooed thee not at all; I was given to thee, would I, taken me." She laughed therewith, as one in bitterness. But presently sheturned to him, and he wondered, for in her face was longing and kindnessnought like to her words. But he durst not speak to her lest he shouldanger her, and she turned her face from him again: and she said: "Wertthou given to me? meseems I was given to thee, would I, would I not; theQueen to the Churl, the Wood-man, the Wolf-head." And again she rodeon, and he followed, sick at heart and wondering sorely.
When they were riding together again, they spake not to each other,though she stole glances at him to see how he fared; but he rode on withknit brows and a stern countenance. So in a while she began to speak tohim again, but as if there were nought but courtesy between them, andneither love nor hatred. She fell to asking him of woodland matters,concerning bird and beast and things creeping; and at first he would scarceanswer her at all, and then were his answers short; but at last, despite of all,he began to forget both grief and anger, so much the sweetness of herspeech wound about his heart; and, withal, she fell to asking him of hisfellows and their life in the woods, and of Jack of the Tofts and the like;and now he answered her questions fully, and whiles she laughed at hiswords, and he laughed also; and all pleasure had there been of thisconverse, if he had not beheld her from time to time and longed for thefairness of her body, and feared her wrath at his longing.