howbeit they were nowise rough with folk, but humble and courteous.
Many and many were the torches and cressets burning steadily
in the calm air, so that, as aforesaid, night was turned into day.
But on the scaffold aforesaid were standing bright and gay figures,
whose names or what they were Ralph had no time to ask.

Now the bells began to clash from the great tower of the minster,
and in a little while they had clashed themselves into order and rang
clear and tuneably for a space; and while they were ringing, lo! those
gay-clad people departed from the scaffold, and a canvas painted like a
mountain-side, rocky and with caves therein, was drawn up at the back of it.
Then came thereon one clad like a king holding a fair maiden by the hand,
and with him was a dame richly clad and with a crown on her head.
So these two kissed the maiden, and lamented over her, and went
their ways, and the maiden left alone sat down upon a rock and covered
up her face and wept; and while Ralph wondered what this might mean,
or what grieved the maiden, there came creeping, as it were from out
of a cranny of the rocks, a worm huge-headed and covered over with scales
that glittered in the torch-light. Then Ralph sprang up in his place,
for he feared for the maiden that the worm would devour her: but the monk
who sat by him pulled him down by the skirt, and laughed and said:
"Sit still, lord! for the champion also has been provided."

Then Ralph sat down again somewhat abashed and looked on; yet was his heart
in his mouth the while. And so while the maiden stood as one astonied
before the worm, who gaped upon her with wide open mouth, there came forth
from a cleft in the rocks a goodly knight who bore silver, a red cross;
and he had his sword in his hand, and he fell upon the worm to smite him;
and the worm ramped up against him, and there was battle betwixt them,
while the maiden knelt anigh with her hands clasped together.