therewith, and showed a face which had once been full fair, but was
now grown bony and haggard, though she were scarce past five and
twenty years. She took the child and strained it to her bosom, and
kissed it, face and hands, and made it great cheer, but ever
woefully. The tall stranger stood looking down on her, and noted how
evilly she was clad, and how she seemed to have nought to do with
that throng of thriving cheapeners, and she smiled somewhat sourly.

At last she spake, and her voice was not so harsh as might have been
looked for from her face: Dame, she said, thou seemest to be less
busy than most folk here; might I crave of thee to tell an alien who
has but some hour to dwell in this good town where she may find her a
chamber wherein to rest and eat a morsel, and be untroubled of
ribalds and ill company? Said the poor-wife: Short shall be my
tale; I am over poor to know of hostelries and ale-houses that I may
tell thee aught thereof. Said the other: Maybe some neighbour of
thine would take me in for thy sake? Said the mother: What
neighbours have I since my man died; and I dying of hunger, and in
this town of thrift and abundance?

The leader of the ass was silent a while, then she said: Poor woman!
I begin to have pity on thee; and I tell thee that luck hath come to
thee to-day.

Now the poor-wife had stood up with the babe in her arms and was
turning to go her ways; but the alien put forth a hand to her, and
said: Stand a while and hearken good tidings. And she put her hand
to her girdle-pouch, and drew thereout a good golden piece, a noble,
and said: When I am sitting down in thine house thou wilt have
earned this, and when I take my soles out thereof there will be three