There was in this place only Caradawc (the former shepherd), his wife Alundyne, and their sole daughter Branwen.

Each day at noon Branwen would bring his dinner, and she would sometimes chat with him while he ate.

This Branwen was a fair wench, slender and hardy.

Happily, though, had she been named for that unhappy lady of old, the wife of King Matholwch, for this Branwen, too, had a white, thin, wistful face, like that of an empress on a silver coin which is a little worn.

" "Content!" cried Gwyllem; "but only if you yield me Branwen.

Tongue loosened by the claret, Gwyllem raved aloud of Branwen, like a babbling faun, while to each rapture Richard affably assented.

Sang Gwyllem: "Love me or love me not, it is enough That I have loved you, seeing my whole life is Uplifted and made glad by the glory of Love, My life that was a scroll bescrawled and blurred With tavern-catches, which that pity of his Erased, and wrote instead one lonely word, O Branwen!

"Of this I know not surely, who am sure That I shall always love you while I live, And that, when I am dead, with naught to give Of song or service, Love will yet endure, And yet retain his last prerogative, When I lie still, and sleep out centuries, With dreams of you and the exceeding love I bore you, and am glad dreaming thereof, And give God thanks for all, and so find peace, O Branwen!"

Life is a flimsy vapor which passes and is not any more: presently Branwen will be married to this Gwyllem and will be grown fat and old, and I shall be remarried to little Dame Isabel, and shall be King of England: and a trifle later all four of us shall be dead.

Alundyne sprang for him, and with clenched fist Gwyllem struck her twice full in the face, and laughing, rode away with Branwen.

Against the farther wall stood lithe Branwen fighting silently: her breasts and shoulders were naked, where Gwyllem had torn away her garments.

For many minutes Branwen stood with averted face, shuddering.

Tall Richard came to her, his face all blood, and lifted her in his arms lest Branwen's skirt be soiled by the demolished thing which sprawled across their path.

It was a full three minutes before he had got the better of his bewilderment and laughed, very softly, lest he disturb this Branwen, who was so near his heart....

Branwen answered, "I too shall be sorry, lord, when the masquerade is ended."

" "Three sounds are rarely heard," said Branwen; "and these are the song of the birds of Rhiannon, an invitation to feast with a miser, and a speech of wisdom from the mouth of a Saxon.

" Richard had resolved that Branwen should believe him.

He was superb, and she believed him now; there was no questioning the fact, he saw it plainly, and with exultant cruelty; then curt as lightning came the knowledge that what Branwen believed was the truth.

Branwen stayed motionless, her lips a little parted.

But I do not knowI only know that you are very beautiful, Branwen," he said, and in the name he found a new and piercing loveliness.

It is very well that Branwen does not love me.

It befell just two days later, about noon, that while Richard idly talked with Branwen a party of soldiers, some fifteen in number, rode down the river's bank from the ford above.

" Then Branwen gave one sharp, brief cry, and Richard forgot all things saving this girl, and strode to her.

Branwen, help me to be more than King of England!" Low and very low he spoke, and long and very long he gazed at her, and neither seemed to breathe.

Now he and Branwen were alone and a little troubled, since each was afraid of that oncoming moment when their eyes must meet.