“Lord earl,” said I, “you will make me vain.”

“Earl, forsooth!” he cried, “the clothes have made you mighty courtly all at once.  Godwine and Redwald are going back to Bosham, and the earl bides at Chichester Cross—­mind you that!”

And he swung himself on his horse laughing, and we rode away, while the people shouted, for they had gathered in twos and threes to look on him.

Now when we came back to the great house, there was Relf sitting on the bench where we had sat yesterday, and he looked as if he had had good news.

“Now, thane,” said Godwine, “here is a new messenger to your sorrowful damsel.”

Relf stared at me and laughed, and when I got off my horse Godwine would have us go at once.  So Relf took my arm and we went, while the young earl joked us till we were out of hearing.

“Now,” said the thane, “we will not spoil the earl’s jest, but must even let him think that all has been his doing thus.”

“Why, he will see us start for Penhurst, and if Uldra is not there—­”

“Aye, but she will be.  She is coming gladly,” Relf said.

“How is this?” I asked.

“Just that I have been to see the maiden while you were gone, and I spoke to her as to a daughter, and so she is coming.”

“You would not wait for me, then?” I said, being glad that he had managed without me, as things had turned out.

“Methought I could do better alone.  The girl would say more to me than if you were there, perhaps.  Moreover, I had a notion why she would not come, and I wanted to ask her if I was right.  And I was.”

“I thought of that,” said I; “she was in the same plight as myself until Godwine decked me out thus.  Women think more of their attire than we.”

The thane chuckled in his quiet way.

“Why, perhaps that had somewhat to do with it, but I did not ask her, I forgot.  But I did tell the old Lady Superior to do so, and gave her withal to care for the maiden.”

Then I said: 

“It is well that you persuaded her; maybe I should have been in the way.  I should have lost my tongue again, I think.”

“Well, yes,” said Relf, still laughing to himself, “it was you who were in the way; however, as you say, all is well, and she rides with us tomorrow.  We will go and find a mule or a good forest pony for her, and so tell Godwine that the clothes have done it.”

Now I never thought that there was anything more behind the thane’s words, for of all things that had made my soul weary in these last weeks the complaints of Emma the queen about her dress had been the worst.  So this seemed to me to be quite enough to explain Uldra’s first refusal, and though I believe that Relf had been on the point of telling me more, he forbore, and let this suffice.

Relf knew where to look for a beast, and we soon had a good bay pony, that was quiet enough and strong, sent to Godwine’s stables.  And then Relf told the earl what he had done.