They have outlawed him--my Summer!
An outlaw far away!
The birds may sing, the flowers may bloom,
O, give me back my May!"

As she came to the last line, her soft low voice seemed to awaken a
chorus of sprightly horns and trumpets, and certain other wind
instruments peculiar to the music of that day. The hillock bordered
the high road to London--which then wound through wastes of forest
land--and now emerging from the trees to the left appeared a goodly
company. First came two riders abreast, each holding a banner. On
the one was depicted the cross and five martlets, the device of
Edward, afterwards surnamed the Confessor: on the other, a plain broad
cross with a deep border round it, and the streamer shaped into sharp
points.

The first was familiar to Edith, who dropped her garland to gaze on
the approaching pageant; the last was strange to her. She had been
accustomed to see the banner of the great Earl Godwin by the side of
the Saxon king; and she said, almost indignantly,--

"Who dares, sweet grandam, to place banner or pennon where Earl
Godwin's ought to float?"

"Peace," said Hilda, "peace and look."

Immediately behind the standard-bearers came two figures--strangely
dissimilar indeed in mien, in years, in bearing: each bore on his left
wrist a hawk. The one was mounted on a milk-white palfrey, with