Moreover, at the feast to-night thou shalt see
thy friend Otter, and he and I betwixt us shall tell thee how I
came to Utterbol, and of the change of days, and how it betid.
For he is now my right-hand man, as he was of the dead man.
Forsooth, after the slaying I would have had him take the lordship
of Utterbol, but he would not, so I must take it perforce or be slain,
and let a new master reign there little better than the old.
Well then, how sayest thou? Or wilt thou run from me without
leave-taking, as thou didst ere-while at Goldburg?"
Ralph laughed at his word, and said that he would not be so
churlish this time, but would take his bidding with a good heart;
and thereafter they fell to talking of many things.
But Ralph took note of Bull, that now his hair and beard
were trim and his raiment goodly, for all his rough speech
and his laughter and heart-whole gibes and mocking, his aspect
and bearing was noble and knightly.
CHAPTER 4
A Feast in the Red Pavilion
So in a while they went with him to the Tower, and there was
woman's raiment of the best gotten for Ursula, and afterwards at
nightfall they went to the feast in the Red Pavillion of Utterbol,
which awhile ago the now-slain Lord of Utterbol had let make;
and it was exceeding rich with broidery of pearl and gems:
since forsooth gems and fair women were what the late lord
had lusted for the most, and have them he would at the price
of howsoever many tears and groans.
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