Sir Ralph's squire, meanwhile, was glad of the excuse of
attending his master's wound to absent himself from the battle;
and put the poor knight to a great deal of unnecessary pain
by making as long a business as possible of extracting the arrow,
which he had not accomplished when Matilda, approaching, extracted it
with great facility, and bound up the wound with her scarf,
saying, "I reclaim my arrow, sir knight, which struck where I
aimed it, to admonish you to desist from your enterprise.
I could as easily have lodged it in your heart."
"It did not need," said the knight, with rueful gallantry;
"you have lodged one there already."
"If you mean to say that you love me," said Matilda, "it is more than I
ever shall you: but if you will show your love by no further interfering
with mine, you will at least merit my gratitude."
The knight made a wry face under the double pain of heart and body caused
at the same moment by the material or martial, and the metaphorical
or erotic arrow, of which the latter was thus barbed by a declaration
more candid than flattering; but he did not choose to put in any such
claim to the lady's gratitude as would bar all hopes of her love:
he therefore remained silent; and the lady and her escort, leaving him
and the sheriff to the care of the squire, rode on till they came
in sight of Arlingford Castle, when they parted in several directions.
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