for he was wroth.

Ralph hearkened, and a kind of fear seemed griping his heart,
so he asked the franklin: "Tell me, sir, are ye two speaking
of a woman who is Queen of these strong-thieves?" "Yea," said he,
"or it might better be said that she is their goddess, their mawmet,
their devil, the very heart and soul of their wickedness.
But one day shall we have her body and soul, and then shall her
body have but an evil day of it till she dieth in this world."

"Yea, forsooth, if she can die at all," quoth Roger.

The franklin looked sourly on him and said: "Good man,
thou knowest much of her, meseemeth--Whence art thou?"
Said Roger speedily: "From Hampton under Scaur;
and her rebel I am, and her dastard, and her runaway.
Therefore I know her forsooth."

"Well," the Franklin said, "thou seemest a true man, and yet I would counsel
thee to put a rein on thy tongue when thou art minded to talk of the Devil
of the Dry Tree, or thou mayst come to harm in the Burg."

He walked away towards the gallows therewith; and Roger said, almost as
if he were talking to himself; "A heavy-footed fool goeth yonder;
but after this talk we were better hidden by the walls of the Flower-de-Luce."
So therewith they went on toward the hostel.

But the market place was wide, and they were yet some minutes getting to
the door, and ere they came there Ralph said, knitting his brows anxiously:
"Is this woman fair or foul to look on?" "That is nought so easy