Now the Black Knight drew rein and said: Shall we rest, lady, and
eat? And thereafter, if thou wilt, I shall tell thee my tale. Or
rather, if thou wilt suffer me, I shall speak first and eat
afterwards, or else the morsel might stick in my throat. Knight,
said Birdalone, smiling, I hope thou hast no lie to swallow down
before the meat. Nay, lady, said he; no lie that is of moment at
least.
So they lighted down, and Birdalone sat on the wayside under a birch-
bush that came thrusting out from the rock, and the knight stood
before her, hanging his head, as though he were one accused who would
plead his cause; and he began:
Lady, I must tell thee first of all, that to-day I have done as an
unfaithful servant and a traitor to my lord. Said Birdalone simply:
Shall I tell thee the truth, and say that from the first I seemed to
see in thee that thou wert scarce trusty? He said: Well, that mind
I saw in thee, and it went to my heart that thou shouldest think it,
and that it should be no less than true. But now I must tell thee,
that it is for thy sake that I have been untrusty to my lord.
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