"Kick me if you will!" I groaned. "Why should I kick you?" "Because I am a coward!" I mumbled, covering my bruised face. "I ran away--and left you--" "Still, I don't think I'll kick you," said she in a soft, grave voice, "because although you runs away like a coward, you comes back again. Though to be sure I didn't need you--" "But," said I, keeping my face hidden, "I heard you cry out--" "That was because I wished you to come back, though having my little _churi_, I didn't need you; I've managed worse than him before now! However, you did come back--which was more than I expected. But I'll never call you 'young man' any more because you ain't a real man, are you?" "God help me!" I groaned, for added to my shame the pain of my hurts was more than I could well bear, "O God help me!" And now indeed it seemed that in some measure He answered my prayer, for, as I strove to rise, the faintness seized me again and I sank to a blessed unconsciousness. CHAPTER XV PROVING THAT A GODDESS IS WHOLLY FEMININE I was lying beneath a tree, my head softly pillowed and wet with cool water that refreshed me wonderfully; thus I presently turned my head and glanced up into eyes that gazed down upon me, very beautiful eyes these seemed, being soft and tender and darkly grey. "Are ye better?" she questioned. Now at this I wondered, for the voice matched the eyes for gentleness. "Thank you, much better." "He hurt you more than I thought." "It was the blow on the head--slight concussion, I think." "And you stands up to him like--" "You mean I ran away like a coward." "He was twice as big as you--" "No matter! Cowardice is always despicable, more especially in defence of one of the weaker sex," said I dismally. "But you saves me, to be sure!" At this I strove to rise in sheer amazement and thus found my head pillowed in her lap. "How did I save you?" I demanded bitterly. "I that am a craven!" "By giving me the chance to reach my little _churi_. However, I was never once afraid of the beast." "I was!" I confessed miserably. "Afraid beyond words!" "But you comes running back, and very fierce too!" "I meant to kill him!" "Why trouble to kill him?" "I could not bear he should foul you in his brutal arms!" Here came her hand to touch my aching brow and I closed my eyes again. "Does your head ache very much?" she enquired. "A little!" I groaned. "Can ye walk?" she enquired. "'Tis goin' to storm and rain on us soon, I think--can ye walk a small ways?" For answer I got to my knees and, with her ready assistance, to my feet, but found myself very faint and sick and with my head throbbing as though it would burst. "Come!" said she, taking my hand in her warm, strong, clasp. "There's rain in this wind--come! I knows a fair, likely place--" "No, no!" cried I. "Please leave me, I shall be very well here--the rain will do me good, perhaps--besides, I have no money to pay for a night's lodging--" "But I have!"