"
Therewith he took a long pull at the tankard by his side,
and went on:
"Higham is beyond all that, and out into the fertile plain;
and a little river hight Coldlake windeth about the meadows there;
and it is a fair land; though look you the wool of the downs
is good, good, good! I have foison of this year's fleeces with me.
Ye shall raise none such in Upmeads."
Ralph sat silent a little, as if pondering, and then he started up and said:
"Good master Clement, we have eaten thy meat and thank thee for that and
other matters. Wilt thou now be kinder, and bid thy boy bring round Falcon
our horse; for we have far to go, and must begone straight-away."
"Yea, lord," said Clement, "even so will I do." And he muttered
under his breath; "Thou talkest big, my lad, with thy 'we'; but thou
art pressed lest Nicholas be here presently to fetch thee back;
and to say sooth I would his hand were on thy shoulder even now."
Then he spake aloud again, and said:
"I must now begone to my lads, and I will send one round with thy
war-horse. But take my rede, my lord, and become the man of the Abbot
of St. Mary's of Higham, and all will be well."
Therewith he edged himself out of the chamber, and the dame fell to making
a mighty clatter with the vessel and trenchers and cups on the board,
while Ralph walked up and down the chamber his war-gear jingling upon him.
Presently the dame left her table-clatter and came up to Ralph and looked
kindly into his face and said: "Gossip, hast thou perchance any money?"
He flushed up red, and then his face fell; yet he spake gaily:
"Yea, gossip, I have both white and red: there are three golden
crowns in my pouch, and a little flock of silver pennies:
forsooth I say not as many as would reach from here to Upmeads,
if they were laid one after the other.
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