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THE JOUSTING PLACE. 173
been desired to take charge of her, but who was too
busy chatting with the gay young squire beside her to
pay much attention to her young companion, while the
Lady Isolde never looked toward her.
Rhoda, thus left to herself, glanced curiously about
her, examining everything and wondering at everything.
Beaching the top of a little hill just outside the town,
she saw in the wide meadow at its foot a space of ground
closed in at the ends by stout and high barriers, and at
the sides by galleries with benches beneath, for the use
of the spectators fortunate enough to find room upon
them.
In the centre of each of these rows of galleries
was one higher and more ornamented than the rest.
Over that at the right hand was a golden crown, and
above it floated the dragon banner, marking
it for
the royal seat.
Over the
other
was also suspended
a crown,
but this was only of tinsel and flowers, and a banner
representing Cupid surrounded by roses : this
gallery was intended for the Queen of Love and
Beauty, to be chosen by the knigut most successful
in the first melee, as the general combat was
called in distinction to those single combats where only
two knights contended. Outside the barriers at the
enus of the lists were pitched several pavilions and tent-