"
The Sage smiled somewhat, and the old man went on:
"But chiefly the blessing was to see her when she came to us:
for verily it seemed that where she set her feet the grass grew greener,
and that the flowers blossomed fairer where the shadow of her body fell."
And therewith the old man fell a-weeping again.
The Sage held his peace, and Ralph still kept silence; and now of these men
all the younger ones had their eyes upon Ursula.
After a while Ralph spake and said: "O elder, and ye folk of the People
of Abundance, true it is that your Lady who is dead loved me,
and it is through her that I am become a Friend of the Well.
Now meseemeth though ye have lost your Lady, whom ye so loved
and worshipped, God wot not without cause, yet I wot not why ye
now cry out for a master, since ye dwell here in peace and quiet
and all wealth, and the Fathers of the Thorn are here to do good
to you. Yet, if ye will it in sooth, I will be called your Lord,
in memory of your Lady whom ye shall not see again. And as time
wears I will come and look on you and hearken to your needs:
and if ye come to fear that any should fall upon you with the strong hand,
then send ye a message to me, Ralph of Upmeads, down by the water,
and I will come to you with such following as need be.
And as for service, this only I lay upon you, that ye look
to the Castle and keep it in good order, and ward it against
thieves and runagates, and give guesting therein to any wandering
knight or pilgrim, or honest goodman, who shall come to you.
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