There was such chagrin in his voice that Igraine, remembering his many kindnesses, hung her head and felt unhappy. "Do not be angry," she said; "I do not wish you to speak of this more." "But, my dear child, the honour, the fame, the noise of it!" Igraine almost smiled at his palpable dismay, for she knew that her words must have flustered him not a little. Radamanth mopped his bald head, for the season was sultry. "I am astounded," he said. "Uncle!" "Let me reason with you." "Love is not reason." "No, niece, it is prejudice. Yet I assure you Gorlois is a most noble soul." "If he were a seraph, uncle, I could not love him." "You women are all fancy. Why, you have hardly seen the colour of him. Come, now!" "I do not need to see more of Gorlois." "Why, bless my soul, my wife never loved me till we had been married a month, and she had learnt my fibre." Igraine thought a moment. Then she asked Radamanth a question. "Do you love Lilith?" "Why, girl, what a question." "Would you marry her to a man she did not love or trust, simply because it brought gold?" Radamanth saw himself rounded in the argument like a rat in a corner. He sat stroking his beard, and striving to look pleased. "Think over it, my dear," he said presently. "There is no need." "Gorlois will woo you like a hero." "Let him. He will accomplish nothing." "It would be a grand match." Igraine jumped up, kissed him to show she bore no ill will, and ran away much troubled to find Lilith in the garden. She flung herself down beside the girl in the bower of laurels, and told her all that passed that morning in Radamanth's parlour. Lilith listened with her brown eyes deep with thought, and a quiet wonder. When Igraine had finished, Lilith took both her hands in hers, and, kneeling before her, looked up into her face. "What will you do, Igraine?" "Need you ask, dear?" "Forgive me." "Ah!" "You love Pelleas." Igraine put her arms round Lilith's neck, and kissed her. IV Radamanth's words to the girl proved very true before many days had gone; his prophetic belief in Gorlois's mood found abundant justification in the event. Gorlois had the warm imagination of his race, an imagination that found extravagance and rich taste ready ministers to work his purpose. Igraine, met by all manner of devices on all possible occasions, began to realise the cares of those whom a purblind world insists on smothering with limitless favours.