lord, if thou
wilt be kind and take me; for meseemeth I also have a word to say to
thy father, and the mother that bore thee."

"And thou, Hugh," said Ralph, "what sayest thou?" "Why, brother," said
Hugh, "I think my blessing will abide the morrow's morn, for I have
nought so fair and dear to show our father and mother as thou hast.
Also to-morrow thou wilt have more to do; since thou art a captain, and
I but a single varlet." And he smiled a little sourly on Ralph; who
heeded it little, but took Ursula's hand and went his way with her.

It was but a few minutes for them to come to the House of the Canons,
which was well walled toward the fields at the west of the town, so
that it was its chief defence of that side. It was a fair house with a
church but just finished, and Ralph could see down the street its new
white pinnacles and the cross on its eastern gable rising over the
ridge of the dortoir. They came to the gate, and round about it were
standing men-at-arms not a few, who seemed doughty enough at first
sight; but when Ralph looked on them he knew some of them, that they
were old men, and somewhat past warlike deeds, for in sooth they were
carles of Upmeads. Him they knew not, for he had somewhat cast down
the visor of his helm; but they looked eagerly on the fair lady and the
goodly knight.

So Ralph spake to the porter and bade him show him where was King Peter
of Upmeads and his Lady wife; and the porter made him obeisance and
told him that they were in the church, wherein was service toward; and
bade him enter. So they went in and entered the church, and it was
somewhat dim, because the sun was set, and there were many pictures,
and knots of flowers in the glass of the windows.

So they went halfway down the nave, and stood together there; and the
whole church was full of the music that the minstrels were making in
the rood-loft, and most heavenly sweet it was; and as Ralph stood there
his heart heaved with hope and love and the sweetness of his youth; and
he looked at Ursula, and she hung her head, and he saw that her
shoulders were shaken with sobs; but he knew that it was with her as
with him, so he spake no word to her.

Now when his eyes cleared and he was used to the twilight of the
church, he looked toward the choir, and saw near to the Jesus altar a
man and a woman standing together even as they were standing, and they
were somewhat stricken in years. So presently he knew that this would