THE minstrel gave a cordial parting shake of the hand to the
fellow-traveller whom he had advised to settle down, not noticing how
very cold had become the hand in his own genial grasp. Lightly he
passed over the wooden bridge, preceded by Max, and merrily, when he
had gained the other side of the bridge, came upon Kenelm's ear,
through the hush of the luminous night, the verse of the uncompleted
love-song,--
"Singing, singing,
Lustily singing,
Down the road, with his dogs before,
Came the Ritter of Nierestein."
Love-song, uncompleted; why uncompleted? It was not given to Kenelm
to divine the why. It was a love-song versifying one of the prettiest
fairy tales in the world, which was a great favourite with Lily, and
which Lion had promised Lily to versify, but only to complete it in
her presence and to her perfect satisfaction.