But a little while had she sat there, before footsteps a many came tothe door, which was thrown open, and straight it was as if the sun hadshone on a flower-bed, for there was come Earl Geoffrey and his lords allarrayed most gloriously. Then came the Earl up the chamber to Goldilind,and bent the knee before her, and said: "Lady and Queen, is it thypleasure that thy servant should kiss thine hand?"
She made him little cheer, but reached out to him her lily hand in itsgold sleeve, and said: "Thou must do thy will."
So he kissed the hand reverently, and said: "And these my lords, maythey enter and do obeisance and kiss hands, my Lady?"
Said Goldilind: "I will not strive to gainsay their will, or thine, myLord."
So they entered and knelt before her, and kissed her hand; and, to saysooth, most of them had been fain to kiss both hands of her, yea, and hercheeks and her lips; though but little cheer she made them, but lookedsternly on them.
Then the Earl spake to her, and told her of her realm, and how folkthrived, and of the deep peace that was upon the land, and of the merrydays of Meadham, and the praise of the people. And she answered himnothing, but as he spake her bosom began to heave, and the tears cameinto her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Then man looked on man, andthe Earl said: "My masters, I deem that my Lady hath will to speak tome privily, as to one who is her chiefest friend and well-willer. Is it so,my Lady?"
She might not speak for the tears that welled out from her heart; butshe bowed her head and strove to smile on him.
But the Earl waved his hand, and those lords, and the women also,voided the chamber, and left those two alone, the Earl standing before her.But ere he could speak, she arose from her throne and fell on her kneesbefore him, and joined hands palm to palm, and cried in a broken voice:"Mercy! Mercy! Have pity on my young life, great Lord!"
But he lifted her up, and set her on her throne again, and said: "Nay,my Lady, this is unmeet; but if thou wouldst talk and tell with me I amready to hearken."
She strove with her passion a while, and then she said: "Great Lord, Ipray thee to hearken, and to have patience with a woman's weak heart.Prithee, sit down here beside me.
"It were unfitting," he said; "I shall take a lowlier seat." Then he drewa stool to him, and sat down before her, and said: "What aileth thee?What wouldest thou?"
Then she said: "Lord Earl, I am in prison; I would be free."
Quoth he: "Yea, and is this a prison, then?"
"Yea," she said, "since I may not so much as go out from it and comeback again unthreatened; yet have I been, and that unseldom, in a worserprison than this: do thou go look on the Least Guard-chamber, and see ifit be a meet dwelling for thy master's daughter."
He spake nought awhile; then he said: "And, yet if it grieveth thee, itmarreth thee nought; for when I look on thee mine eyes behold the beautyof the world, and the body wherein is no lack."
She reddened and said: "If it be so, it is God's work, and I praise himtherefor. But how long will it last? For grief slayeth beauty."
He looked on her long, and said: "To thy friends I betook thee, and Ilooked that they should cherish thee; where then is the wrong that I havedone thee?"