They came into the great square, and there they saw that the masons
and builders had begun on the master church to make it fairer
and bigger; the people were sporting there as in the streets,
and amongst them were some weaponed men, but the most part
of these bore the token of the Dry Tree.
So they entered the Flower de Luce, and had good welcome there, as if they
were come home to their own house; for when its people saw such a goodly
old man in the Sage, and so stout and trim a knight as was Richard,
and above all when they beheld the loveliness of Ralph and Ursula,
they praised them open-mouthed, and could scarce make enough of them.
And when they had had their meat and were rested came two of
the maids there and asked them if it were lawful to talk with them;
and Ralph laughed and bade them sit by them, and eat a dainty morsel;
and they took that blushing, for they were fair and young, and Ralph's
face and the merry words of his mouth stirred the hearts within them:
and forsooth it was not so much they that spake as Ursula and the Sage;
for Ralph was somewhat few spoken, whereas he pondered concerning
the coming days, and what he half deemed that he saw a-doing at Upmeads.
But at last they found their tongues, and said how that already
rumour was abroad that they were in the Burg who had drunk
of the Water of the Well at the World's End; and said one:
"It is indeed a fair sight to see you folk coming back in triumph;
and so methinks will many deem if ye abide with us over to-morrow,
and yet, Lady, for a while we are well-nigh as joyous as ye
can be, whereas we have but newly come into new life also:
some of us from very thralldom of the most grievous, and I am of those;
and some of us in daily peril of it, like to my sister here.
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