"But I was exhausted and desperate. I am
wounded, I have ridden hard, and I swam the river."
The latter piece of information was vastly unnecessary, seeing that
the water from my clothes was forming a pool about my feet. "I saw
you from below; mademoiselle, and surely, I thought, so sweet a lady
would have pity on an unfortunate." She observed that my eyes were
upon her, and in an act of instinctive maidenliness she bore her hand
to her throat to draw the draperies together and screen the beauties
of her neck from my unwarranted glance, as though her daily gown did
not reveal as much and more of them.
That act, however, served to arouse me to a sense of my position.
What did I there? It was a profanity - a defiling, I swore; from
which you'll see, that Bardelys was grown of a sudden very nice.
"Monsieur," she was saying, "you are exhausted."
"But that I rode hard," I laughed, "it is likely they had taken me
to Toulouse, were I might have lost my head before my friends could
have found and claimed me. I hope you'll see it is too comely a
head to be so lightly parted with."
"For that," said she, half seriously, half whimsically, "the ugliest
head would be too comely."
I laughed softly, amusedly; then of a sudden, without warning, a
faintness took me, and I was forced to brace myself against the
wall, breathing heavily the while. At that she gave a little cry
of alarm.
"Monsieur, I beseech you to be seated. I will summon my father,
and we will find a bed for you.
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