and as he gazed upon the red and gold billows of forest that
melted away against the distant sky he felt a new and glorious
fire throbbing in his veins. From the forests their eyes turned--
and met. He held out his hand. And slowly her own hand fluttered
at her breast, and was given to him.

"I am quite sure that I understand you now," he said, and his
voice was the low, steady, fighting voice of the man new-born. "I
will be your knight, as you have read of the knights of old. I
will urge no reward that is not freely given. Now--will you let me
help you?"

For a moment she allowed him to hold her hand. Then she gently
withdrew it and stepped back from him.

"You must first understand before you offer yourself," she said.
"I cannot tell you what my trouble is. You will never know. And
when it is over, when you have helped me across the abyss, then
will come the greatest trial of all for you. I believe--when I
tell you that last thing which you must do--that you will regard
me as a monster, and draw back. But it is necessary. If you fight
for me, it must be in the dark. You will not know why you are
doing the things I ask you to do. You may guess, but you would not
guess the truth if you lived a thousand years. Your one reward
will be the knowledge that you have fought for a woman, and that
you have saved her. Now, do you still want to help me?'

"I can't understand," he gasped. "But--yes--I would still accept
the inevitable. I have promised you that I will do as you have
dreamed that knights of old have done. To leave you now would be"