There were ladies of Eleanor's troop also, riding for pleasure, in rich
gowns and flowing mantles, and knights with them, all unarmed save for
a sword or dagger; and there were many dark-eyed Greeks, too, both men
and women, who had come out from Ephesus in holiday clothes to see the
great camp. It was all calm, and bright, and good to see, but out of
harmony with Gilbert's gloomy thoughts. At the bend of the stream the
ground rose a little, somewhat away from the bank, and the rocks stuck
up rough and jagged out of the green grass, a sort of little wilderness
in the midst of the fertile plain. Almost instinctively, Gilbert turned
aside and climbed in and out among the stones until he reached the
highest ledge, on which he seated himself in profound satisfaction at
having got away from his fellow-creatures. The place where he had
perched was about sixty feet above the river-bank, and though he could
not distinctly hear the conversation of the passing groups he could see
the expression of every face clearly, and he found himself wondering
how often the look of each matched the words and the unspoken thoughts.
The sun sank lower, and he had no idea how long he had sat still, when
he became conscious that he was intently watching a party of riders who
were coming toward him. They were still half a mile away, but he saw a
white horse in the front rank, and even at that distance something in
the easy pace of the creature made him feel sure that it was the
Queen's Arab mare.
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