might to say her nay.

But Goldilind took all with a high heart, and her courage
grew with her years, nor would she bow the head before any
grief, but took to her whatsoever solace might come to her;
as the pleasure of the sun and the wind, and the beholding
of the greenery of the wood, and the fowl and the beasts
playing, which oft she saw afar, and whiles anear, though
whiles, forsooth, she saw nought of it all, whereas she was
shut up betwixt four walls, and that not of her chamber, but
of some bare and foul prison of the Castle, which, with
other griefs, must she needs thole under the name and guise
of penance.

However, she waxed so exceeding fair and sweet and lovely,
that the loveliness of her pierced to the hearts of many of
her jailers, so that some of them, and specially of the
squires and men-at-arms, would do her some easement which
they might do unrebuked, or not sorely rebuked; as bringing
her flowers in the spring, or whiles a singing-bird or a
squirrel; and an old man there was of the men-at-arms, who
would ask leave, and get it at whiles, to come to her in her
chamber, or the garden? and tell her minstrel tales and the
like for her joyance. Sooth to say, even the pinched heart
of the old Burgreve was somewhat touched by her; and he
alone had any might to stand between her and Dame Elinor; so
that but for him it had gone much harder with her than it
did.

For the rest, none entered the Castle from the world