God, and I live, I will hunt in that wood, and I will carry the head of
the great beast to my brother the Lorrainer."

Then Beatrice, forcing back her tears, spoke:

"Sir," said she, "what is it thou sayest? The wood of Puelle is in the
march of Fromont the chief, and he owes thee a great grudge. He would
be too glad to do thee harm. I pray thee do not undertake this hunt.
My heart tells me,--I will not hide the truth from thee,--my heart
tells me, that if thou goest thither thou shalt never come back alive."

But the duke laughed at her fears; and the more she tried to dissuade
him, the more he set his mind on seeing his brother the Lorrainer, and
on carrying to him the head of the great wild boar of Puelle. Neither
prayers nor tears could turn him from his purpose. All the gold in the
world, he said, would not tempt him to give up the adventure.

So on the morrow morning, before the sun had fairly risen, Bego made
ready to go. As this was no warlike enterprise, he dressed himself in
the richest garb of knightly hero,--with mantle of ermine, and spurs of
gold. With him he took three dozen huntsmen, all skilled in the lore
of the woods, and ten packs of hunting hounds. He had, also, ten
horses loaded with gold and silver and costly presents, and more than a
score of squires and serving-men. Tenderly he bade fair Beatrice and
his two young sons good-by. Ah, what grief! Never was he to see them
more.

Going by way of Orleans, Bego stopped a day with his sister, the lovely
Helois. Three days he tarried at Paris, the honored guest of the king
and queen. Then pushing on to Valenciennes, which was on the borders