said Ralph, "and as to whither, I seek adventures; but unless I
see more than I have this forenoon, or thou canst tell me of them, back
will I whence I came: yet to say sooth, I shall not be sorry for a
fellow to help me back, for these woodland ways are some-what blind."

Said the Priest: "I will bear thee company with a good will; and I
know the road right well; for I am the Vicar appointed by the fathers
of the Thorn to serve the church of the Little Plain, and the chapel of
St. Anthony yonder in the wood, and to-day I go to the church of the
good folk there."

So Ralph turned, and went along with him, walking by his bridle-rein.
And as they went the priest said to him: "Art thou one of my lady's
lords?" Ralph reddened as he sighed, and said: "I am no captain of
hers." Then smiled the priest and said: "Then will I not ask thee of
thine errand; for belike thou wouldest not tell me thereof."

Ralph said nought, but waxed shamefaced as he deemed that the priest
eyed him curiously. At last he said: "I will ask thee a question in
turn, father." "Yea," said the priest. Said Ralph: "This lady of the
land, the Lady of Abundance, is she a very woman?" "Holy Saints!"
quoth the priest, blessing himself, "what meanest thou?" Said Ralph:
"I mean, is she of those who outwardly have a woman's semblance, but
within are of the race of the ancient devils, the gods of the Gentiles?"

Then the priest crossed himself again, and spake as solemnly as a judge
on the bench: "Son, I pray that if thou art not in thy right mind,
thou will come thereinto anon. Know this, that whatever else she may
be, she is a right holy woman. Or hast thou perchance heard any evil
tales concerning her?"

Now Ralph was confused at his word, and knew not what to say; for
though in his mind he had been piecing together all that he had heard
of the lady both for good and for evil, he had no clear tale to tell
even to himself: so he answered nothing.

But the priest went on: "Son, I shall tell thee that such tales I have
heard, but from whose mouth forsooth? I will tell thee; from a sort of
idle jades, young women who would be thought fairer than they be, who
are afraid of everything save a naked man, and who can lie easier than
they can say their paternoster: from such as these come the stories; or
from old crones who live in sour anger with themselves and all else,
because they have lived no goodly life in their youth, and have not
learned t