so that there be few like her."

Said the dame: "Well, there is naught so much to be said for her raiment:
her gown was green, of fine cloth enough; but not very new:
welts of needle-work it had on it, and a wreath of needle-work flowers
round the hem of the skirt; but a cantle was torn off from it;
in the scuffle when she was taken, I suppose, so that it was somewhat
ragged in one place. Furthermore--"

She had been looking at Ralph as she spoke, and now she
broke off suddenly, and said, still looking at him hard;
"Well, it is strange!" "What is strange?" said Clement.
"O naught, naught," said the dame, "save that folk should make
so much to do about this matter, when there are so many coming
and going about the Midhouse of the Mountains."

But Ralph noted that she was still staring at him even after she
had let the talk drop.

Waned the even, and folk began to go bedward, so that the hall
grew thin of guests. Then came up the carline to Ralph and
took him aside into a nook, and said to him: "Young knight,
now will I tell thee what seemed to me strange e'en now;
to wit, that the captive damsel should be bearing a necklace
about her neck as like to thine as one lamb is to another:
but I thought thou mightest be liever that I spake it not openly
before all the other folk. So I held my peace."

"Dame," said he, "I thank thee: forsooth I fear sorely that this
damsel is my sister; for ever we have worn the samelike pair of beads.