They followed the sweeping of her purple robe in silence through the low heavy-beamed passages:  they entered the little chapel, dimly lighted by the moon that night, as it shone through one of the three arrow-slits of windows at the east end.  There was little wealth of marble there, I trow; little time had those fighting men for stone-smoothing.  Albeit, one noted many semblances of flowers even in the dim half-light, and here and there the faces of BRAVE men, roughly cut enough, but grand, because the hand of the carver had followed his loving heart.  Neither was there gold wanting to the altar and its canopy; and above the low pillars of the nave hung banners, taken from the foe by the men of that house, gallant with gold and jewels.

She walked up to the altar and took the blessed book of the Gospels from the left side of it, then knelt in prayer for a moment or two, while the three men stood behind her reverently.  When she rose she made a sign to them, and from their scabbards gleamed three swords in the moonlight; then, while they held them aloft, and pointed toward the altar, she opened the book at the page whereon was painted Christ the Lord dying on the cross, pale against the gleaming gold:  she said, in a firm voice, ’Christ God, who diedst for all men, so help me, as I refuse not life, happiness, even honour, for this people whom I love.’

Then she kissed the face so pale against the gold, and knelt again.

But when she had risen, and before she could leave the space by the altar, Siur had stepped up to her, and seized her hurriedly, folding both his arms about her; she let herself be held there, her bosom against his; then he held her away from him a little space, holding her by the arms near the shoulder; then he took her hands and laid them across his shoulders, so that now she held him.

And they said nothing; what could they say?  Do you know any word for what they meant?

And the father and brother stood by, looking quite awe-struck, more so they seemed than by her solemn oath.  Till Siur, raising his head from where it lay, cried out aloud: 

‘May God forgive me as I am true to her! hear you, father and brother?’

Then said Cissela:  ‘May God help me in my need, as I am true to Siur.’

And the others went, and they two were left standing there alone, with no little awe over them, strange and shy as they had never yet been to each other.  Cissela shuddered, and said in a quick whisper:  ’Siur, on your knees! and pray that these oaths may never clash.’

‘Can they, Cissela?’ he said.

‘O love,’ she cried, ’you have loosed my hand; take it again, or I shall die, Siur!’

He took both her hands, he held them fast to his lips, to his forehead; he said:  ’No, God does not allow such things:  truth does not lie; you are truth; this need not be prayed for.’

She said:  ’Oh, forgive me! yet—­yet this old chapel is damp and cold even in the burning summer weather.  O knight Siur, something strikes through me; I pray you kneel and pray.’