" Then his voice softened, and he said:
"Dear lord, we should be right fain of thee here, but since thou
must needs go, go with my blessing, and double blessing shalt thou
have when thou comest back to us." Then Ralph remembered his promise
to the shepherds and took a gold crown from his pouch, and said:
"Father, I pray thee say a mass for the shepherd downsmen;
and this is for the offering."
The monk praised the gift and the bidding, and kissed Ralph,
who clomb into his saddle; and the brother hospitalier brought
him his wallet with good meat and drink therein for the way.
Then Ralph shook his rein, and rode out of the abbey-gate, smiling
at the lay-brethren and the men-at-arms who hung about there.
But he sighed for pleasure when he found himself in the street again,
and looked on the shops of the chapmen and the booths of the petty craftsmen,
as shoe-smiths and glovers, and tinsmiths and coppersmiths, and horners
and the like; and the folk that he met as he rode toward the southern
gate seemed to him merry and in good case, and goodly to look on.
And he thought it pleasant to gaze on the damsels in the street, who were
fair and well clad: and there were a many of them about his way now,
especially as he drew nigh the gate before the streets branched off:
for folk were coming in from the countryside with victual and other wares
for the town and the Abbey; and surely as he looked on some of the maidens
he deemed that Hall-song of Upmeads a good one.
Pages:
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63