Now it could not be but that Elliot and I must meet, when her father was
in town about his affairs, or busy in the painting-room, and much work he
had then on his hands. But Elliot was right coy, hiding herself from me,
who watched warily, till one day, when my master was abroad, I had the
fortune to find her alone in the chamber, putting spring flowers in a
very fair vessel of glass. I made no more ado, but coming in stealthily,
I caught her boldly about the body, saying--

"Yield you, rescue or no rescue, and strive not against me, lest you slay
a wounded man-at-arms."

For very fear, as I believe, lest she might stir my wound again, she was
still as a bird that lies in your hands when once you have caught it. And
all that passes of kiss and kind word between happy lovers passed between
us, till I prayed of her grace, that I might tell her father how things
stood, for well I had seen by his words and deeds that he cherished me as
a son. So she granted this, and we fell to devising as to what was to be
in days to come. Lackland was I, and penniless, save for my pay, if I
got it; but we looked to the common fortune of young men-at-arms, namely,
spoil of war and the ransom of prisoners of England or Burgundy. For I
had set up my resolve either to die gloriously, or to win great wealth
and honour, which, to a young man and a lover, seem things easily come
by. Nor could my master look for a great fortune in marriage, seeing
that, despite his gentle birth, he lived but as a burgess, and by the
work of his hands.

As we thus devised, she told me how matters now were in the country, of
which, indeed, I still knew but little, for, to a man sick and nigh upon
death, nothing imports greatly that betides beyond the walls of his
chamber. What I heard was this: namely, that, about Orleans, the English