And you know her face, belike, from my poor picture of my lady." Charlotte looked at me steadily, and flushed red; but even then, one who rode by among the men-at-arms noted me, and, waving his arm towards me, cried in a loud voice-- "Hail, fair son, soon will I be with thee!" and so, turning in his saddle to watch me, he laughed a loud laugh and rode onwards.

He was my master, and as my eyes followed him, Charlotte spoke.
"And who is that great Scot, with his Scots twang of the tongue, who called you 'son'?
By the Mass, she was your lady, and yonder wight is her father, of whom you have spoken to me more than once"; for, indeed, I had told her all the story of my loves.
Then I was confused, for I could no longer deny the truth, and not having one word to say, I sighed from my heart.
"O faint-spirited man-at-arms!" cried Charlotte, blushing, and laughing as if some exquisite jest were abroad.

"Do you so terribly dread your mistress's anger?
Nay, be of good cheer! Me she will never forgive while the world stands; for have I not been your nurse, and won you back to life and to her service?
And has she not seen us twain together in one place, and happy, because of the coming of the Maid?
She will pardon me never, because, also for my sake, she has been wroth with you, and shown you her wrath, and all without a cause.

Therefore she will be ashamed, and all the more cruel.

Nay, nor would I forgive her, in the same case, if it befell me, for we women are all alike, hearts of wolves when we love! Hast thou never marked a cat that had kittens, or a brachet that had whelps, how they will fly at man or horse that draws near their brood, even unwittingly.