“Those whom I have liberated.”
“Liberated! How?”
“I will tell you all in the Emperor’s presence. The sun is low already, and we have no time to spare.”
Miton and his thirty knights, and Mitaine with her strange followers, rode towards the camp. Charlemagne, surrounded by his peers, came out to meet them.
“By St. James! these people look as if they didn’t belong to this world. And if I am not stupidly mistaken, it is my godchild who commands them.”
Mitaine dismounted, and approached her royal godsire, who asked her, “Well, little one, what is this strange array? Do you know that I have a mind to punish you, and yet I haven’t the heart to scold you, I am so rejoiced to see you again, and so anxious to learn who these are that accompany you.”
“My prisoners, sire!” And the spectres lowered their lances to show their submission to her.
“But whence come they? Have you been to seek them in another world?”
“By my faith, sire, I could almost believe I passed last night there;” and she related her adventures briefly to Charlemagne in the presence of his peers and knights.
“Come, let me embrace you, my darling. So it appears I have promised you something. What is it?”