He looked intently on
them both: their position towards the fire favoured the scrutiny;
and the hawk's eye of love very speedily discovered that the
latter was the fair Matilda. The forester he did not know:
but he had sufficient tact to discern that his success would be very much
facilitated by separating her from this companion, above all others.
He therefore formed a party of men into a wedge, only taking especial
care not to be the point of it himself, and drove it between them
with so much precision, that they were in a moment far asunder.
"Lady Matilda," said John, "yield yourself my prisoner."
"If you would wear me, prince," said Matilda, "you must win me:"
and without giving him time to deliberate on the courtesy of fighting
with the lady of his love, she raised her sword in the air, and lowered
it on his head with an impetus that would have gone nigh to fathom
even that extraordinary depth of brain which always by divine grace
furnishes the interior of a head-royal, if he had not very dexterously
parried the blow. Prince John wished to disarm and take captive,
not in any way to wound or injure, least of all to kill, his fair opponent.
Matilda was only intent to get rid of her antagonist at any rate:
the edge of her weapon painted his complexion with streaks of very
unloverlike crimson, and she would probably have marred John's hand
for ever signing Magna Charta, but that he was backed by the advantage
of numbers, and that her sword broke short on the boss of his buckler.
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