shall have to go back and take it up again."

Ralph thought that he excused himself with more words than were needed;
but he took little heed of it, but nodded to him friendly, and went
out of the house afoot, but left his weapons and armour behind him
by the rede of Roger.



CHAPTER 13

The Streets of the Burg of the Four Friths


He went about the streets and found them all much like to the one which
they had entered by the north gate; he saw no poor or wretched houses,
and none very big as of great lords; they were well and stoutly builded,
but as aforesaid not much adorned either with carven work or painting:
there were folk enough in the streets, and now Ralph, as was like
to be, looked specially at the women, and thought many of them
little better-favoured than the men, being both dark and low;
neither were they gaily clad, though their raiment, like the houses,
was stout and well wrought. But here and there he came on a woman
taller and whiter than the others, as though she were of another blood;
all such of these as he saw were clad otherwise than the darker women:
their heads uncoifed, uncovered save for some garland or silken band:
their gowns yellow like wheat-straw, but gaily embroidered;
sleeveless withal and short, scarce reaching to the ancles, and whiles
so thin that they were rather clad with the embroidery than the cloth;
shoes they had not, but sandals bound on their naked feet with white thongs,