the manner of the torment of melicent was this: a little before dawn she was conducted by ahasuerus and orestes to the outermost turrets of nacumera, which were now beginning to take form and colour. very suddenly a flash of light had flooded the valley, the big crimson sun was instantaneously apparent as though he had leaped over the bleeding night-mists. darkness and all night's adherents were annihilated. pelicans and geese and curlews were in uproar, as at a concerted signal. a buzzard yelped thrice like a dog, and rose in a long spiral from the cliff to melicent's right hand. he hung motionless, a speck in the clear zenith, uncannily anticipative. warmth flooded the valley.

now melicent could see the long and narrow plain beneath her. it was overgrown with a tall coarse grass which, rippling in the dawn-wind, resembled moving waters from this distance, save where clumps of palm trees showed like islands. farther off, the tents of the free companions were as the white, sharp teeth of a lion. also she could see—and did not recognise—the helmet-covered head of perion catch and reflect the sunrays dazzlingly, where he knelt in the shimmering grass just out of bowshot.

now perion could see a woman standing, in the new-born sunlight, under many gaily coloured banners. the maiden was attired in a robe of white silk, and about her wrists were heavy bands of silver. her hair blazed in the light, bright as the sunflower glows; her skin was whiter than milk; the down of a fledgling bird was not more grateful to the touch than were her hands. there was never anywhere a person more delightful to gaze upon, and whosoever beheld her forthwith desired to render love and service to dame melicent. this much could perion know, whose fond eyes did not really see the woman upon the battlements but, instead, young melicent as young perion had first beheld her walking by the sea at bellegarde.

thus perion, who knelt in adoration of that listless girl, all white and silver, and gold, too, where her blown hair showed like a halo. desirable and lovelier than words may express seemed melicent to perion as she stood thus in lonely exaltation, and behind her, glorious banners fluttered, and the blue sky took on a deeper colour. what perion saw was like a church window when the sun shines through it. ahasuerus perfectly understood the baiting of a trap.

perion came into the open plain before the castle and called on her dear name three times. then perion, naked to his enemies, and at the disposal of the first pagan archer that chose to shoot him down, sang cheerily the waking-song which melicent had heard a mimic amphitryon make in dame alcmena's honour, very long ago, when people laughed and melicent was young and ignorant of misery.

sang perion, "rei glorios, verais lums e clardatz—" or, in other wording:

"thou king of glory, veritable light, all-powerful deity! be pleased to succour faithfully my fair, sweet friend. the night that severed us has been long and bitter, the darkness has been shaken by bleak winds, but now the dawn is near at hand.

"my fair sweet friend, be of good heart! we have been tormented long enough by evil dreams. be of good heart, for the dawn is approaching! the east is astir. i have seen the orient star which heralds day. i discern it clearly, for now the dawn is near at hand."

the song was no great matter; but the splendid futility of its performance amid such touch-and-go surroundings melicent considered to be august. and consciousness of his words' poverty, as perion thus lightly played with death in order to accord due honour to the lady he served, was to dame melicent in her high martyrdom as is the twist of a dagger in an already fatal wound; and made her love augment.

sang perion:

"my fair sweet friend, it is i, your servitor, who cry to you, be of good heart! regard the sky and the stars now growing dim, and you will see that i have been an untiring sentinel. it will presently fare the worse for those who do not recognise that the dawn is near at hand.

"my fair sweet friend, since you were taken from me i have not ever been of a divided mind. i have kept faith, i have not failed you. hourly i have entreated god and the son of mary to have compassion upon our evil dreams. and now the dawn is near at hand."

"my poor, bruised, puzzled boy," thought melicent, as she had done so long ago, "how came you to be blundering about this miry world of ours? and how may i be worthy?"

orestes spoke. his voice disturbed the woman's rapture thinly, like the speech of a ghost, and she remembered now that a bustling world was her antagonist.

"assuredly," orestes said, "this man is insane. i will forthwith command my archers to despatch him in the middle of his caterwauling. for at this distance they cannot miss him."

but ahasuerus said:

"no, seignior, not by my advice. if you slay this perion of the forest, his retainers will speedily abandon a desperate siege and retreat to the coast. but they will never retreat so long as the man lives and sways them, and we hold melicent, for, as you plainly see, this abominable reprobate is quite besotted with love of her. his death would win you praise; but the destruction of his armament will purchase you your province. now in two days at most our troops will come, and then we will slay all the free companions."

"that is true," said orestes, "and it is remarkable how you think of these things so quickly."

so orestes was ruled by ahasuerus, and perion, through no merit of his own, departed unharmed.

then melicent was conducted to her own apartments; and eunuchs guarded her, while the battle was, and men she had not ever seen died by the score because her beauty was so great.