one. Shall I not stride over, and come to thee, that we may sit
down together side by side on the green grass?"

"Nay," she said, "not yet; tarry a while till I have told thee of
matters. I must now tell thee of my thoughts in order."

Her colour went and came now, and she plaited the folds of her gown
with restless fingers. At last she said: "Now the first thing is
this; that though thou hast seen me first only within this hour,
thou hast set thine heart upon me to have me for thy speech-friend
and thy darling. And if this be not so, then is all my speech, yea
and all my hope, come to an end at once."

"O yea!" said Walter, "even so it is: but how thou hast found this
out I wot not; since now for the first time I say it, that thou art
indeed my love, and my dear and my darling."

"Hush," she said, "hush! lest the wood have ears, and thy speech is
loud: abide, and I shall tell thee how I know it. Whether this thy
love shall outlast the first time that thou holdest my body in thine
arms, I wot not, nor dost thou. But sore is my hope that it may be
so; for I also, though it be but scarce an hour since I set eyes on
thee, have cast mine eyes on thee to have thee for my love and my
darling, and my speech-friend. And this is how I wot that thou
lovest me, my friend. Now is all this dear and joyful, and
overflows my heart with sweetness. But now must I tell thee of the
fear and the evil which lieth behind it."

Then Walter stretched out his hands to her, and cried out: "Yea,
yea! But whatever evil entangle us, now we both know these two