than thine; I mean the peril of death. But lo, thou, this iron on
my foot is token that I am a thrall, and thou knowest in what wise
thralls must pay for transgressions. Furthermore, of what I am, and
how I came hither, time would fail me to tell; but somewhile, maybe,
I shall tell thee. I serve an evil mistress, of whom I may say that
scarce I wot if she be a woman or not; but by some creatures is she
accounted for a god, and as a god is heried; and surely never god
was crueller nor colder than she. Me she hateth sorely; yet if she
hated me little or nought, small were the gain to me if it were her
pleasure to deal hardly by me. But as things now are, and are like
to be, it would not be for her pleasure, but for her pain and loss,
to make an end of me, therefore, as I said e'en now, my mere life is
not in peril with her; unless, perchance, some sudden passion get
the better of her, and she slay me, and repent of it thereafter.
For so it is, that if it be the least evil of her conditions that
she is wanton, at least wanton she is to the letter. Many a time
hath she cast the net for the catching of some goodly young man; and
her latest prey (save it be thou) is the young man whom I named,
when first I saw thee, by the name of the King's Son. He is with us
yet, and I fear him; for of late hath he wearied of her, though it
is but plain truth to say of her, that she is the wonder of all
Beauties of the World. He hath wearied of her, I say, and hath cast
his eyes upon me, and if I were heedless, he would betray me to the
uttermost of the wrath of my mistress. For needs must I say of him,
though he be a goodly man, and now fallen into thralldom, that he
hath no bowels of compassion; but is a dastard, who for an hour's
pleasure would undo me, and thereafter would stand by smiling and
taking my mistress's pardon with good cheer, while for me would be
no pardon. Seest thou, therefore, how it is with me between these
two cruel fools? And moreover there are others of whom I will not