I saw by the moving of her lips that she fashioned the words "My God!"
but still she spoke not. And the child began to whimper and clutch at
her kirtle, for she had loosened her hold of him, and he feared falling
off of the big dog. So she put one arm about him to hold him, but her
eyes were yet upon his lordship.
Then he came and lifted her hand to his breast, and it lay upon his
dark-green doublet, as a white flower-leaf doth upon grass, and he saith
to her, "Sweetheart, dost thou not know me?"
All at once, for what, God only knoweth, she fell a-weeping, and he had
her in his arms. And being some two years a mother, my care was all for
the poor little rogue on the deer-hound; 'twas as much as I could do to
hold back from running and snatching him in my arms to soothe his
terror.
Howbeit, ere that I could commit this madness, the frighted babe set up
such a howl as only a man-child can utter, and my lady turned to him in
great haste, and my lord also did set about comforting him. Then they
walked slowly on, and my lord held the little lad on one side, and my
lady coaxed him o' th' other. Ever and anon my lord would look from the
babe to my lady, and then from my lady to the babe. And a smile just
lifted the corners o' his mouth, as sometimes a wind will just stir the
leaves ere shaking them as with jollity. I followed cautiously at some
distance, and by-and-by his lordship said, "How was it that thou didst
not know me, coz? Faith thou art shot up like a lily i' th' sun, but
lilies are aye lilies, and leaving thee a lily, I find thee a lily
still, though blooming on a taller stem."
And she answered him: "Yea, cousin, and oaks are aye oaks, though first
they be saplings, then trees. And in truth I knew thee by thy voice ere
I looked at thee; but 'twas all so sudden, that i' faith I was
frightened at thee."