east away, and then shalt thou come to Hampton under Scaur,
where the folk are peaceable and friendly."

He looked at her hard as she spake, and noted that she spake but slowly,
and turned red and white and red again as she looked at him.
But whatever she did, and in spite of her poor attire, he deemed he had
never seen woman so fair. Her hair was dark red, but her eyes grey,
and light at whiles and yet at whiles deep; her lips betwixt thin
and full, but yet when she spoke or smiled clad with all enticements;
her chin round and so wrought as none was ever better wrought;
her body strong and well-knit; tall she was, with fair and large arms,
and limbs most goodly of fashion, of which but little was hidden,
since her coat was but thin and scanty. But whatever may be said
of her, no man would have deemed her aught save most lovely.
Now her face grew calm and stately again as it was at the first,
and she laid a hand on Ralph's shoulder, and smiled in his face and said:

"Surely thou art fair, though thy strokes be not light."
Then she took his hand and caressed it, and said again:
"Dost thou deem that thou hast done great things,
fair child? Maybe. Yet some will say that thou hast but slain
two butchers: and if thou wilt say that thou hast delivered me;
yet it may be that I should have delivered myself ere long.
Nevertheless hold up thine heart, for I think that greater
things await thee."

Then she turned about, and saw the dead man, how his
feet yet hung in the stirrups as his fellow's had done,
save that the horse of this one stood nigh still, only reaching
his head down to crop a mouthful of grass; so she said: