"Lady," he stammered, "I—I fear—I can ride—no farther!"
And now, as one a-dream, he beheld her start and look at him with eyes wide and darkly blue—within whose depths was that which stirred within him a memory of other days—in so much he would have spoken, yet found the words unready and hard to come by.
"Lady,—thine eyes, methinks—are not—nun's eyes!"
But now behold of a sudden she cried out, soft and pitiful, for blood was upon him, upon his brow, upon his golden hair. And still as one a-dream he felt her slip from his failing clasp, felt her arms close about him, aiding him to earth.
"Thou'rt hurt!" she cried. "O, thou'rt wounded! And I never guessed!"
"'Tis but my arm—in sooth—and—"
But she hushed him with soft mother-cries and tender-spoke commands, and aiding him to the brook, laid him thereby to lave his hurt within the cool, sweet water; and, waking with the smart, Beltane sighed and turned to look up at her. Now did she, meeting his eyes, put up one white hand, setting back sombre hood and snowy wimple, and stooping tenderly above him, behold, in that moment down came the shining glory of her lustrous hair to fall about the glowing beauty of her face, touching his brow like a caress.
Then, at last, memory awoke within him, and lifting himself upon a feeble elbow, he stared upon her glowing loveliness with wide, glad eyes.
"Helen!" he sighed, "O—Helen!" And, so sighing, fell back, and lay there pale and wan within the dawn, but with a smile upon his pallid lips.