At length, the sun that had been hidden shone out and with its coming my temper changed.  I remembered that I who might so easily have been dead, was sound, young, and healthy, that I had sword, bow, and armour of the best, also twenty or more of gold pieces, for I had not counted them, in the bag which my mother gave me with Wave-Flame.  Further, I hoped that my uncle would befriend me, and if he did not, there were plenty of captains engaged in the wars who might be glad of a squire, one who could shoot against any man and handle a sword as well as most.

So putting up a prayer to St. Hubert after my simple fashion, I pushed on blithely to the crest of a long rise and there came face to face with a gay company who, hawk on wrist and hound at heel, were, I guessed, on their way to hunt in the Pevensey marshes.  While they were still a little way off I knew these to be no other than Sir Robert Aleys, his daughter Blanche, and the King’s favourite, young Lord Deleroy, with their servants, and was minded to turn aside to avoid them.  Then I remembered that I had as much right to the King’s Highway as they, and my pride aiding me, determined to ride on taking no note of them, unless first they took note of me.  Also they knew me, for my ears being very sharp, I heard Sir Robert say in his big voice: 

“Here comes that young fisherman again.  Pass him in silence, Daughter”; heard, too, Lord Deleroy drawl it, “It seems that he has been gathering gear from the slain, and like a good chapman bears it away for secret sale.”

Only the lady Blanche answered neither the one nor the other, but rode forward with her eyes fixed before her, pretending to talk to the hawk upon her wrist, and now that she was rested and at ease, looking even more beautiful than she had done on the day of the burning.

So we met and passed, I glancing at them idly and guiding my horses to the side of the road.  When there were perhaps ten yards between us I heard Lady Blanche cry: 

“Oh, my hawk!” I looked round to see that the falcon on her wrist had in some way loosed itself, or been loosed, and being hooded, had fallen to the ground where one of the dogs was trying to catch and kill it.  Now there was great confusion, the eyes of all being fixed upon the hawk and the dog, in the midst of which the lady Blanche very quietly turned her head, and lifting her hand as though to see how the hawk had fallen from it, with a swift movement laid her fingers against her lips and threw a kiss to me.

As swiftly I bowed back and went on my way with a beating heart.  For a few moments I was filled with joy, since I could not mistake the meaning of this signalled kiss.  Then came sorrow like an April cloud, since my wound which was in the way of healing was all re-opened.  I had begun to forget the lady Blanche, or rather by an effort of the will, to thrust her from my thought, as my confessor had bidden me.  But now on the wings of that blown kiss thither she had flown back again, not to be frighted out for many a day.