MARIE DE FRANCE 



as she should name, Eliduc, having exchanged 

 rings with her, and she having named the day for 

 his return, departed. Having speedily reduced 

 the enemies of his liege-lord to submission, he 

 came once more to England, and immediately 

 sent to Guilliadun to apprise her of this, and to 

 beg her to be ready to start on the morrow. 

 Guilliadun secretly left the castle the next night 

 and joined her lover, and together they hurried to 

 Totnes, whence they at once set sail. But as 

 they were nearing land, a violent storm arose. 

 Finding that prayers were of no avail, one of 

 the company cried out, " We shall never make 

 the land, for you have a lawful wife, and you 

 are taking with you another woman, setting at 

 naught God, the law, and uprightness. Let us 

 cast her into the sea, and anon we shall get to 

 land." On hearing these words Guilliadun fell 

 as one dead, whereupon Eliduc in anger struck 

 the esquire on the head and hurled him into 

 the sea. When the ship was brought to port 

 Guilliadun showed no sign of life. So Eliduc, 

 believing her to be dead, lifted her in his arms, 

 carried her ashore, and, mounting his horse, 

 sadly bore her to a small chapel in a forest 

 adjoining his own lands. Here he laid her in 

 front of the altar, and covered her with his cloak, 

 and then returned to his home. Filled with sad- 

 ness, he arose early each morning and went to 

 the chapel to pray for her soul, marvelling 

 nevertheless to find that the face of his Love 

 suffered no change except to become a little 



49 E 



