"Magtelt," answered he, "is a fair maid, and carries her crown
straight."
"Ah," exclaimed the lady Gonde, "I am growing anxious; where is
she then?"
And she went off to search the castle thoroughly.
But coming back she said to Sir Roel: "She is nowhere in the house;
she has defied our orders and gone to Halewyn."
"Wife," said Roel, "that cannot be. Children, in this country, were
always obedient to their parents."
"Toon," said she, "where is she? Toon, do you not know?"
"The Miserable," he answered, "fears the beautiful maid; whom God
leads he leads well."
"Roel," cried out the lady Gonde, "he knows where our Magtelt has
gone!"
"Son, answer," said Sir Roel.
The Silent answered:
"The sword of the crusade fell from the wall at the maid's feet. Whom
God guides succeeds in everything."
"Toon," cried the lady Gonde, "where is Magtelt?"
"The virgin," he said, "rides without fear, she goes faster than the
armed man: whom God leads he leads well."
The lady Gonde groaned:
"Ah," she said, "our Magtelt will be killed, even now she is stiff
frozen, sweet Jesus! The sword of the crusade is of no avail against
Siewert Halewyn."
The Silent answered:
"He glories in his strength, thinking himself invincible, but when
the beast goes with assurance the hunter follows more easily."
"Wicked son, how couldst thou think to send the little bird to the
hawk, the virgin to the enemy of virgins?"
The Silent answered:
"She will come whither none looks to see her: whom God leads he
leads well."
"Sir," said the lady Gonde to Roel, "you hear what he says; she has
gone to Halewyn, and 'tis this wicked son that gave her leave."
Sir Roel going to Toon:
"Son," said he, "we had here but one joy, that was our Magtelt. Thou
hast abused thy privilege in giving her leave to go thither. If she
comes not back to us by nightfall I will curse thee and banish thee
from my house. May God hear me, and take from thee, in this world
bread and salt, and in the other thy portion in Paradise."
"God," said the Silent, "will guide the sword. Whosoever has done
wrong, on him let fall the punishment."
Gonde began crying out, weeping and making dole. Roel bade her be
silent, and sent a goodly troop of men-at-arms in the direction she
had taken.
But they came back without having seen anything of Magtelt, for
they had not dared to go into the territory of Halewyn by reason of
the spell.