her sweet shoe doth kiss the earth
so sweet and light poor earth must needs love and languish as doth poor
Giles! Her shoe--"

"Is it aught like to this, Giles?" and forthwith Beltane took out the
little shoe.

"Aye, 'tis her very own, master!" groaned Giles. "Ah, woe is me, for if
she hath given to thee rose and therewith her pretty shoe--thou hast,
belike, her heart also, and with her heart--"

"Nay, take it, Giles,--take it!" quoth Beltane, sighing. "I did but
find it in my going, and this rose--I found also, but this will I keep.
Methinks thy love is what thy heart telleth thee--a maid very gentle
and sweet--so God prosper thy wooing, Giles!"

So saying, Beltane thrust the shoe upon bewildered Giles and, turning
swiftly about, hasted away. But even then, while the archer yet stared
after him, Beltane turned and came striding back.

"Giles," quoth he, "how tall is the Reeve's daughter?"

"Lord, she is better than tall--"

"Ha--is she short of stature, good Giles?"

"Messire, God hath shaped her lovely body no higher and no lower than
my heart. Small is she and slender, yet in her sweet and slender
shapeliness is all the beauty of all the women that all men have ever
loved--"

"Small, say you, Giles--small? Then give me back yon lovely thing!"

Saying the which, Beltane caught the shoe from Giles's hold and strode
away blithe and debonair, leaving the garrulous archer dumb for once
and beyond all words amazed.

Now as Beltane went very deep in thought there met him Friar Martin,
who bore upon his arm a great basket full of green vegetables and
sweet herbs. Quoth Beltane:

"Good friar, what do ye abroad so early?"

"Sweet son, I praise the good God for His mercies and pant by reason of
this my weighty basket."

"Indeed 'tis a something well-laden basket," said Beltane, relieving
the friar of his burden with gentle force.

"Why, verily, my children are hungry children and clamour to be filled.
And see you, my son, I have a secret of a certain broth whereof these
lentils and these sweet herbs do so tickle their palates that to
satisfy them is a hard matter--more especially Orson and Jenkyn--who
being nigh cured of their hurts do eat like four men and vaunt my
cooking full-mouthed, insomuch that I must needs grow heedful of vain
pride."

"Fain would I see these children of thine an I may, good friar, so will
I bear thy burden for thee."

"Verily they shall rejoice to see thee," quoth the friar, "bu