wine of the hill-side, in a little hall well arrayed as of its kind;
and he sat down and the damsel served him at table, but the lad,
who had gone to see to his horse, did not come back.

So when he had eaten and drunk, and the damsel was still there,
he looked on her and saw that she was sad and drooping of aspect;
and whereas she was a fair maiden, Ralph, now that he was full,
fell to pitying her, and asked her what was amiss. "For," said he,
"thou art fair and ailest nought; that is clear to see;
neither dwellest thou in penury, but by seeming hast enough and to spare.
Or art thou a servant in this house, and hath any one misused thee?"

She wept at his words, for indeed he spoke softly to her;
then she said: "Young lord, thou art kind, and it is thy
kindness that draweth the tears from me; else it were not well
to weep before a young man: therefore I pray thee pardon me.
As for me, I am no servant, nor has any one misused me:
the folk round about are good and neighbourly; and this house
and the croft, and a vineyard hard by, all that is mine own
and my brother's; that is the lad who hath gone to tend
thine horse. Yea, and we live in peace here for the most part;
for this thorp, which is called Bourton Abbas, is a land
of the Abbey of Higham; though it be the outermost of its lands
and the Abbot is a good lord and a defence against tyrants.
All is well with me if one thing were not."

"What is thy need then?" said Ralph, "if perchance I might amend it."
And as he looked on her he deemed her yet fairer than he had done at first.
But she stayed her weeping and sobbing and said: "Sir, I fear me that I
have lost a dear friend." "How then," said he, "why fearest thou,