upon his breast, fights not for the hand of the beautiful
Hildegardis, but only for the joy of battle and for knightly
fame." Then he took out of his stables a beautiful Danish
steed, embarked it carefully on board a vessel, and sailed
prosperously to the opposite shore.




CHAPTER II.



In one of those fair beech-woods which abound in the fertile
land of Germany he fell in with a young and courteous knight
of delicate form, who asked the noble northman to share the
meal which he had invitingly spread out upon the greensward,
under the shade of the pleasantest boughs. Whilst the two
knights sat peacefully together at their repast they felt
drawn towards each other and rejoiced when on rising from it,
they observed that they were about to follow the same road.
They had not come to this good understanding by means of many
words; for the young knight Edwald was of a silent nature, and
would sit for hours with a quiet smile upon his lips without
opening them to speak. But even in that quiet smile there lay
a gentle, winning grace; and when from time to time a few
simple words of deep meaning sprang to his lips they seemed
like a gift deserving of thanks. It was the same with the
little songs which he sang ever and anon: they were ended
almost as soon as begun; but in each short couplet there dwelt