The Night Land | Page 2

of a gap that was her own especial
secret, as she confessed, when she took odd leave with her maid to some country frolic,
drest as village maids; but not to deceive many, as I dare believe.
And I came up through the gap in the hedge and stood beside her; and tall she had
seemed to me, when I looked up at her; and tall she was, in truth; but indeed I was a great
head taller. And she invited me then to walk with her to the house, that I meet her
Guardian and give word to my sorrow that I had so long neglected to make call upon
them; and truly her eyes to shine with mischief and delight, as she named me so for my
amissness.
But, indeed, she grew sober in a moment, and she set up her finger to me to hush, as that
she heard somewhat in the wood that lay all the way upon our right. And, indeed,
something I heard too; for there was surely a rustling of the leaves, and anon a dead twig
crackt with a sound clear and sharp in the stillness.
And immediately there came three men running out of the wood at me; and I called to
them sharply to keep off or beware of harm; and I put the maid to my back with my left
hand, and had my oak staff ready for my use.
But the three men gave out no word of reply; but ran in at me; and I saw somewhat of the
gleam of knives; and at that, I moved very glad and brisk to the attack; and behind me
there went shrill and sweet, the call of a silver whistle; for the Maid was whistling for her
dogs; and maybe the call was also a signal to the men-servants of her house.
Yet, truly, there was no use in help that was yet to come; for the need did be then and
instant; and I nowise loath to use my strength before my sweet cousin. And I stepped
forward, briskly, as I have told; and the end of my staff I drove into the body of the
left-ward man, so that he dropped like a dead man. And I hit very sharply at the head of
another, and surely crackt it for him; for he made instantly upon the earth; but the third
man I met with my fist, and neither had he any great need of a second blow; but went
instant to join his companions, and the fight thus to have ended before it was even proper
begun, and I laughing a little with a proper pride, to know the bewilderment that I
perceived in the way that the Lady Mirdath, my cousin, stood and regarded me through
the dusk of the hushed even.
But, indeed, there was no time left to us, before there came bounding up, three great
boar-hounds, that had been loosed to her whistle; and she had some ado to keep the
brutes off me; and I then to beat them off the men upon the earth, lest they maul them as
they lay. And directly, there was a noise of men shouting, and the light of lanthorns in the
night, and the footmen of the house to come running with lanthorns and cudgels; and
knew not whether to deal with me, or not, in the first moment, even as the dogs; but when
they saw the men upon the ground, and learned my name and saw me proper, they kept

well their distance and had no lack of respect; but, indeed, my sweet cousin to have the
most of any; only that she showed no intent to keep distance of me; but to have a new and
deeper feeling of kinship than she at first had shown.
And the men-servants asked what should be done with the foot-pads; seeing that they
were now recovering. But, indeed, I left the matter, along with some silver, to the
servants; and very sound justice they dealt out to the men; for I heard their cries a good
while after we had gone away.
Now, when we were come up to the Hall, my cousin must take me in to her Guardian, Sir
Alfred Jarles, an old man and venerable that I knew a little in passing and because our
estates abounded. And she praised me to my face, yet quaintly-wise; and the old man, her
Guardian thanked me most honourably and with a nice courtesy; so that I was a welcome
house-friend from that time onward.
And I stayed all that evening, and dined, and afterward went out again into the
home-grounds with the Lady Mirdath; and she more friendly to me than ever any woman