How dare you talk of having made a failure of your life? Your life has
not yet begun. You have yet to make it, and to show yourself something
more than a boy." She paused, and then her manner changed, and she
came toward me, looking up at me with eyes that were moist and
softened with a sweet and troubled tenderness, and she took my hand
and held it close in both of hers.

I had never seen her look more beautiful than she did at that moment.
If it had been any other woman in the world but her, I would have
caught her in my arms and kissed her again and again, but because it
was she I could not touch her, but drew back and looked down into her
eyes with the sudden great feeling I had for her. And so we stood for
a moment, seeing each other as we had never seen each other before.
And then she caught her breath quickly and drew away. But she turned
her face toward me at once, and looked up at me steadily.

"I am so fond of you, Royal," she said, bravely, "you know, that--that
I cannot bear to think of you doing anything in this world that is not
fine and for the best. But if you will be a knight errant, and seek
out dangers and fight windmills, promise me to be a true knight and
that you will fight only when you must and only on the side that is
just, and then you will come back bringing your sheaves with you."

I did not dare to look at her, but I raised her hand and held the tips
of her fingers against my lips, and I promised, but I would have
promised anything at that moment.

"If I am to be a knight," I said, and my voice sounded very hoarse and
boyish, so that I hardly recognized it as my own, "you must give me
your colors to wear on my lance, and if any other knight thinks his