But in a little while he came back to his seat and sat him down,
and fell to talk with the women, and asked them of the town
and the building therein, and the markets, whether they throve;
and they and two or three of the townsmen or merchants
answered all, and told him how fair their estate was,
and how thriving was the lot of one and all with them.
Therewith was Ralph well pleased, and they sat talking
there in good fellowship till the night was somewhat worn,
and all men fared to bed.
CHAPTER 19
Ralph Sees Hampton and the Scaur
When it was morning Ralph arose and went into the hall of the hostelry,
and even as he entered it the outside door opened, and in came Roger,
and Richard with him (for he had been astir very early) and Roger,
who was armed from head to foot and wore a coat of the Dry Tree, cried out:
"Now, Lord, thou wert best do on thy war-gear, for thou shalt presently be
captain of an host." "Yea, Roger," quoth Ralph, "and hast thou done well?"
"Well enough," said Richard; "thine host shall not be a great one, but no
man in it will be a blencher, for they be all champions of the Dry Tree."
"Yea," quoth Roger, "so it was that Stephen a-Hurst brought
me to a company of my old fellows, and we went all of us
together to the Captain of the Burg (e'en he of the Dry Tree,
who in these latest days is made captain of all), and did him
to wit that thou hadst a need; and whereas he, as all of us,
had heard of the strokes that thou struckest in the wood that day
when thy happiness first began, (woe worth the while!) he stickled
not to give some of us leave to look on the hand-play with thee.
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