"Then of a surety thou hast never known what it is to love."
"By that token, never," he answered, smiling; "albeit it were possible that the test would not hold; and in any case it were not difficult, perchance, for thee to teach me."
The Countess Erna looked into his face all flushed and radiant, and there was that in her eyes which no man could see and fail to understand; and although the squire waiting hard by might not note that aught had been said or done out of the ordinary course, none the less had their hearts spoken each to each from that moment. Erna wheeled her horse, and began to move toward the entrance of the valley; and as Albrecht rode beside her, he suddenly leaned forward and caught her palfrey's rein, so that the beast was almost thrown upon his haunches with the abruptness of his arrest.
"Do not ride toward the upper ford," he said; "the nix is in an evil mood to-day, and mayhap might do thee a mischief in her spitefulness."
Erna looked at him with astonishment and alarm.
"And how knowest thou of the moods of the nix?" she demanded.
His eyes fell, and a flush stained his swarthy cheek. Then he seemed to recover his self-possession.
"It is a knowledge," he replied, "that is learned from the air and from the birds, but only by those who are in sympathy with the woodland creatures so that they may comprehend it."
Erna laughed merrily, and turned her palfrey toward the lower ford.
"In sober sooth, thou knowest no more of the nix than do I," she told him; "but I mind not if I please thy fancy."