must now begone to my lads, and I will send one round with thy
war-horse. But take my rede, my lord, and become the man of the Abbot
of St. Mary's of Higham, and all will be well."

Therewith he edged himself out of the chamber, and the dame fell to
making a mighty clatter with the vessel and trenchers and cups on the
board, while Ralph walked up and down the chamber his war-gear jingling
upon him. Presently the dame left her table-clatter and came up to
Ralph and looked kindly into his face and said: "Gossip, hast thou
perchance any money?"

He flushed up red, and then his face fell; yet he spake gaily: "Yea,
gossip, I have both white and red: there are three golden crowns in my
pouch, and a little flock of silver pennies: forsooth I say not as many
as would reach from here to Upmeads, if they were laid one after the
other."

She smiled and patted his cheek, and said:

"Thou art no very prudent child, king's son. But it comes into my mind
that my master did not mean thee to go away empty-handed; else had he
not departed and left us twain together."

Therewith she went to the credence that stood in a corner, and opened a
drawer therein and took out a little bag, and gave it into Ralph's
hand, and said: "This is the gift of the gossip; and thou mayst take
it without shame; all the more because if thy father had been a worser
man, and a harder lord he would have had more to give thee. But now
thou hast as much or more as any one of thy brethren."

He took the bag smiling and shame-faced, but she looked on him fondly
and said:

"Now I know not whether I shall lay old Nicholas on thine heels when he
cometh after thee, as come he will full surely; or whether I shall
suffer the old sleuth-hound nose out thy slot of himself, as full
surely he will set on to it."

"Thou mightest tell him," said Ralph, "that I am gone to take service
with the Abbot of St. Mary's of Higham: hah?"

She laughed and said: "Wilt thou do so, lord, and follow the rede of
that goodman of mine, who thinketh himself as wise as Solomon?"

Ralph smiled and answered her nothing.

"Well," she said, "I shall say what likes me when the hour is at hand.
Lo, here! thine horse. Abide yet a moment of time, and then go whither
thou needs must, like the wind of the summer day."

Therewith she went out of the chamber and came back again with a scrip
which she gave to Ralph and said: "Herein is a flask of drink for the
waterless country, and a