" "Even so," quoth Ralph.
"Nay, if thou doubtest it," said Richard, "let us go
to the door and try if they have turned the key and shot
the bolt on us." Ralph smiled faintly and stood up, and said:
"I will go with thee if thou willest it, but sooth to say I
shall be but a dull fellow of thine to-day." Said Richard:
"Wouldst thou have been better yesterday, lord, or the day before?"
"Nay," said Ralph. "Wilt thou be better to-morrow?" said Richard.
Ralph shook his head. Said Richard: "Yea, but thou wilt be,
or thou mayst call me a fool else." "Thou art kind, Richard,"
said Ralph; "and I will come with thee, and do what thou
biddest me; but I must needs tell thee that my heart is sick."
"Yea," quoth Richard, "and thou needest not tell me so much,
dear youngling; he who runs might read that in thee.
But come forth."
So into the street they went, and Richard brought Ralph into
the market-place, and showed him where was Blaise's booth
(for he was thriving greatly) but Ralph would not go anigh it
lest his brother should entangle him in talk; and they went
into the Guildhall which was both great and fair, and the smell
of the new-shaven oak (for the roof was not yet painted) brought back
to Ralph's mind the days of his childhood when he was hanging
about the building of the water-reeve's new house at Upmeads.
Then they went into the Great Church and heard a Mass at the altar
of St. Nicholas, Ralph's very friend; and the said church was
great to the letter, and very goodly, and somewhat new also,
since the blossom-tide of Whitwall was not many years old:
and the altars of its chapels were beyond any thing for fairness
that Ralph had seen save at Higham on the Way.
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