"It is our troth," he said.
It was hard to let him go, for she also knew the peril, as the Queen
knew it.
"I shall pray for you," she said, clinging to him. "God is good--you
may come back to me."
They sat a long time together, saying nothing. When it was time for him
to lead his men out, as he judged by the sun, he kissed her, lifting
her up to him.
"Good-by," he said.
"Not yet!" she pleaded, between his kisses. "Oh, Gilbert, not so very
soon!"
But she knew that he must go, and he set her gently upon her feet, for
it was the last moment. When he was gone, she sat down upon the stone,
and the Norman woman came and put one arm round her, holding her, for
she seemed fainting. Still her eyes followed him as he strode along the
river, till he reached the turning. There he stopped and looked back,
and kissed the ring she had given him, and waved his hand to her; and
she pressed both her hands to her lips and threw them out to him, as if
she would have thrown him her heart and her soul with it.
When he was gone, the sky turned black before her eyes and time stood
still, and she knew what death meant. But she did not faint, and she
had no tears. Only, when she went back after some time, she walked
unsteadily and her woman helped her.
So Gilbert rode out to seek the way, taking well-mounted messengers
with him as before, and on the first day of the New Year the whole army
began the march again, crossing the river the first time at a ford. The
Queen would perforce be in the van, with her ladies, so that the speed
of their riding became the speed of the whole army, whereby the whole
host was kept together.
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