Involuntarily
his first thought was, "It would look like a spark of fire in the dusk of her
hair." When he realized what he had said, he planted the great fore-foot of
his horse squarely on the innocent thing and crushed it back into the earth;
but it had done its work, for after that he knew that neither the promise of
the springtime nor the fullness of the harvest would bring him any pleasure,
since his eyes must see them alone.
"The next time they sing the 'Romance of King Offa,' before me, I will not
hold back my sympathy," he scorned himself, "for at last I understand how it
is possible for an elf to lure a man's reason off its seat and leave him a
dreaming dolt."
Like a new lease of life it came to him when the last of the April days
brought the long-delayed summons to the King. The old cniht, who considered
that a command to military service could be justified only by imminent
national destruction, was deeply incensed when he learned that the call was to
no more than an officership in the new body of Royal Guards, but the young
lord checked him with even a touch of impatience.
"What a throng of many words, my friend Morcard, have you spoken! Did you
learn naught from the palisade that gave way because churls paid me their
service when and how they would?" he demanded. "Now let me inform you that I
have got that lesson by heart, and hereafter no king shall have that trouble
about me.
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