But Sir Guisebert swore on his salvation that there was no guiletherein, and they were undone save Goldilind came unto them. Thenspake Christopher: "Sir Knight, I am willing to pleasure my Lady, who,as I can see, longeth to behold her own land and people; and also by thyvoice and thy face I deem that thou art not lying unto me, and that no harmwill befall the Lady; yet will I ask thee right out what thou and thy lordwould think thereof if she come into Meadham accompanied; to wit, if Irode with her, and had five hundreds of good riders at my back, would yehave guesting for so many and such stark lads?"
The Knight took up the word eagerly, and said: "Wilt thou but come,dearlord, and bring a thousand or more, then the surer and the safer itwould be for us."
Said the King, smiling: "Well, it shall be thought on; and meantimebe thou merry with us; for indeed I deem of thee, that but for thy helping my life had been cast away that morning in Littledale."
So they made much of the Meadham man for three days, and thereafterthey rode into Meadham and to Meadhamstead, Christopher, and Jack ofthe Tofts, and Goldilind, in all honour and triumph, they and sevenhundreds of spears, and never were lords received with such joy andkindness as were they, but it were on the day when Christopher and hisentered Oakenham.
The Earl Geoffrey was not amongst them that met them; but whenasthey sat at the banquet in the hall, and Goldilind was in the high-seat,gloriously clad and with the kingly crown on her head, there came a tallman up to the dais, grey-headed and keen-eyed, and he was unarmed,without so much as a sword by his side, and clad in simple black; and heknelt before Goldilind, and laid his head on her lap, and spake: "Ladyand Queen, here is my head to do with as thou wilt; for I have been thydastard, and I crave thy pardon, if so it may be, for I am Geoffrey."
She looked kindly on him, and raised him up; and then she turned tothe chief of the serving-men, and said: "Fetch me a sword with its sheathand its girdle, and see that it be a good blade, and all well-adorned, bothsword and sheath and girdle." Even so it was done; and when she hadthe sword, she bade Sir Geoffrey kneel again before her, and she girt himwith the said sword and spake: "Sir Geoffrey, all the wrong which thoudidest to me, I forgive it thee and forget it; but wherein thou hast donewell, I will remember it, for thou hast given me a mighty King to be myman; nay, the mightiest and the loveliest on earth; wherefore I bless thee,and will make thee my Earl to rule all Meadham under me, if so be thefolk gainsay it not. Wherefore now let these folk fetch thee seemlygarments and array thee, and then come sit amongst us, and eat and drinkon this high day; for a happy day it is when once again I sit in my father'shouse, and see the faces of my folk that loveth me."
She spake loud and clear, so that most folk in the hall heard her; andthey rejoiced at her words, for Sir Geoffrey was no ill ruler, but wise andof great understanding, keen of wit and deft of word, and a mighty warriorwithal; only they might not away with it that their Lady and Queen hadbecome as alien to them. So when they heard her speak her will, they shouted for joy of the peace and goodwill that was to be.