degradation.

To escape from the sight almost consoled him when, in the pause
after the first courses had been run, Tibble told him and Burgess to
return, and send Headley and another workman with a fresh bundle of
lances for the afternoon's tilting. Stephen further hoped to find
his brother at the Dragon court, as it was one of those holidays
that set every one free, and separation began to make the brothers
value their meetings.

But Ambrose was not at the Dragon court, and when Stephen went in
quest of him to the Temple, Perronel had not seen him since the
early morning, but she said he seemed so much bitten with the little
old man's scholarship that she had small doubt that he would be
found poring over a book in Warwick Inner Yard.

Thither therefore did Stephen repair. The place was nearly
deserted, for the inhabitants were mostly either artisans or that
far too numerous race who lived on the doles of convents, on the
alms of churchgoers, and the largesses scattered among the people on
public occasions, and these were for the most part pursuing their
vocation both of gazing and looking out for gain among the
spectators outside the lists. The door that Stephen had been shown
as that of Ambrose's master was, however, partly open, and close
beside it sat in the sun a figure that amazed him. On a small mat
or rug, with a black and yellow handkerchief over her head, and
little scarlet legs crossed under a blue dress, all lighted up by
the gay May sun, there slept the little dark, glowing maiden, with
her head best as it leant against the wall, her rosy lips half open,
her long black plaits on her shoulders.