Will I follow thee, love, till earth waneth away.


The monk hearkened to him with knitted brow, and as one that liketh
not the speech of his fellow, though it be not wise to question it:
then he went out of the chamber, but left the pair of beads lying in
the window. But Ralph clad himself in haste, and when he was fully clad,
went up to the window and took the beads in his hand, and looked
into them curiously and turned them over, but left them lying there.
Then he went forth also, and came into the forecourt of the house,
and found there a squire of the men-at-arms with his weapons and horse,
who helped him to do on his war-gear.

So then, just as he was setting his foot in the stirrup, came the
Brother again, with his face once more grown smiling and happy;
and in his left hand he held the chaplet, but did not offer it
to Ralph again, but nodded his head to him kindly, and said:
"Now, lord, I can see by thy face that thou art set on beholding
the fashion of this world, and most like it will give thee the rue."

Then came a word into Ralph's mouth, and he said:
"Wilt thou tell me, father, whose work was the world's fashion?"

The monk reddened, but answered nought, and Ralph spake again:

"Forsooth, did the craftsman of it fumble over his work?"

Then the monk scowled, but presently he enforced himself to speak blithely,
and said: "Such matters are over high for my speech or thine, lord; but I
tell thee, who knoweth, that there are men in this House who have tried