"Yea, lord," said Clement, "even so will I do." And he muttered
under his breath; "Thou talkest big, my lad, with thy 'we'; but thou
art pressed lest Nicholas be here presently to fetch thee back;
and to say sooth I would his hand were on thy shoulder even now."

Then he spake aloud again, and said:

"I must now begone to my lads, and I will send one round with thy
war-horse. But take my rede, my lord, and become the man of the Abbot
of St. Mary's of Higham, and all will be well."

Therewith he edged himself out of the chamber, and the dame fell to making
a mighty clatter with the vessel and trenchers and cups on the board,
while Ralph walked up and down the chamber his war-gear jingling upon him.
Presently the dame left her table-clatter and came up to Ralph and looked
kindly into his face and said: "Gossip, hast thou perchance any money?"

He flushed up red, and then his face fell; yet he spake gaily:
"Yea, gossip, I have both white and red: there are three golden
crowns in my pouch, and a little flock of silver pennies:
forsooth I say not as many as would reach from here to Upmeads,
if they were laid one after the other."

She smiled and patted his cheek, and said:

"Thou art no very prudent child, king's son. But it comes into
my mind that my master did not mean thee to go away empty-handed;
else had he not departed and left us twain together."

Therewith she went to the credence that stood in a corner,