who clomb into his saddle; and the brother hospitalier brought
him his wallet with good meat and drink therein for the way.
Then Ralph shook his rein, and rode out of the abbey-gate, smiling
at the lay-brethren and the men-at-arms who hung about there.

But he sighed for pleasure when he found himself in the street again,
and looked on the shops of the chapmen and the booths of the petty craftsmen,
as shoe-smiths and glovers, and tinsmiths and coppersmiths, and horners
and the like; and the folk that he met as he rode toward the southern
gate seemed to him merry and in good case, and goodly to look on.
And he thought it pleasant to gaze on the damsels in the street, who were
fair and well clad: and there were a many of them about his way now,
especially as he drew nigh the gate before the streets branched off:
for folk were coming in from the countryside with victual and other wares
for the town and the Abbey; and surely as he looked on some of the maidens
he deemed that Hall-song of Upmeads a good one.



CHAPTER 7

The Maiden of Bourton Abbas


So went he through the gate, and many, both of men and maids gazed at him,
for he was fair to look on, but none meddled with him.

There was a goodly fauburg outside the gate, and therein were fair houses,
not a few, with gardens and orchards about them; and when these were
past he rode through very excellent meadows lying along the water,