" And he smiled a little sourly on Ralph;
who heeded it little, but took Ursula's hand and went his way with her.
It was but a few minutes for them to come to the House of
the Canons, which was well walled toward the fields at the west
of the town, so that it was its chief defence of that side.
It was a fair house with a church but just finished, and Ralph
could see down the street its new white pinnacles and the cross
on its eastern gable rising over the ridge of the dortoir.
They came to the gate, and round about it were standing
men-at-arms not a few, who seemed doughty enough at first sight;
but when Ralph looked on them he knew some of them,
that they were old men, and somewhat past warlike deeds,
for in sooth they were carles of Upmeads. Him they knew not,
for he had somewhat cast down the visor of his helm; but they
looked eagerly on the fair lady and the goodly knight.
So Ralph spake to the porter and bade him show him where was King
Peter of Upmeads and his Lady wife; and the porter made him obeisance
and told him that they were in the church, wherein was service toward;
and bade him enter. So they went in and entered the church, and it
was somewhat dim, because the sun was set, and there were many pictures,
and knots of flowers in the glass of the windows.
So they went halfway down the nave, and stood together there;
and the whole church was full of the music that the minstrels
were making in the rood-loft, and most heavenly sweet it was;
and as Ralph stood there his heart heaved with hope and love
and the sweetness of his youth; and he looked at Ursula,
and she hung her head, and he saw that her shoulders were shaken
with sobs; but he knew that it was with her as with him,
so he spake no word to her.
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