of whom they looked to have many matters for their use and pleasure.

So now that they felt themselves safe, they stayed them, and sat
down by a fair little stream, and ate their dinner of such meat
and drink as they had; and Ralph departed his share with his thrall,
and the man was hungry and ate well; so that Clement said mockingly:
"Thou feedest thy thrall over well, lord, even for a king's son:
is it so that thou art minded to fatten him and eat him?"
Then some of the others took up the jest, and bade the carle refrain him
of the meat, so that he might not fatten, and might live the longer.
He hearkened to them, and knit his brows and looked fiercely from
one to the other. But Ralph laughed aloud, and shook his finger
at him and refrained him, and his wrath ran off him and he laughed,
and shoved the victual into him doughtily, and sighed for pleasure
when he had made an end and drunk a draught of wine.



CHAPTER 22

Ralph Talks With Bull Shockhead


When they rode on again, Ralph rode beside Bull,
who was merry and blithe now he was full of meat and drink;
and he spake anon: "So thou art a king's son, master?
I deemed from the first that thou wert of lineage.
For as for these churls of chapmen, and the sworders whom
they wage, they know not the name of their mother's mother,
nor have heard one word of the beginner of their kindred;