said: "Fear nothing, lord; there is no foeman in Higham: come now,
lest thou be belated of the show."

So he led Ralph forth, and into the square, where there was a space
appointed for the brethren and their guests to see the plays; and the
square was now so full of folk that it seemed like as if that there
were no one man in the streets which were erewhile so thronged.

There were rows of men-at-arms in bright armour also to keep the folk
in their places, like as hurdles pen the sheep up; howbeit they were
nowise rough with folk, but humble and courteous. Many and many were
the torches and cressets burning steadily in the calm air, so that, as
aforesaid, night was turned into day. But on the scaffold aforesaid
were standing bright and gay figures, whose names or what they were
Ralph had no time to ask.

Now the bells began to clash from the great tower of the minster, and
in a little while they had clashed themselves into order and rang clear
and tuneably for a space; and while they were ringing, lo! those
gay-clad people departed from the scaffold, and a canvas painted like a
mountain-side, rocky and with caves therein, was drawn up at the back
of it. Then came thereon one clad like a king holding a fair maiden by
the hand, and with him was a dame richly clad and with a crown on her
head. So these two kissed the maiden, and lamented over her, and went
their ways, and the maiden left alone sat down upon a rock and covered
up her face and wept; and while Ralph wondered what this might mean, or
what grieved the maiden, there came creeping, as it were from out of a
cranny of the rocks, a worm huge-headed and covered over with scales
that glittered in the torch-light. Then Ralph sprang up in his place,
for he feared for the maiden that the worm would devour her: but the
monk who sat by him pulled him down by the skirt, and laughed and said:
"Sit still, lord! for the champion also has been provided."

Then Ralph sat down again somewhat abashed and looked on; yet was his
heart in his mouth the while. And so while the maiden stood as one
astonied before the worm, who gaped upon her with wide open mouth,
there came forth from a cleft in the rocks a goodly knight who bore
silver, a red cross; and he had his sword in his hand, and he fell upon
the worm to smite him; and the worm ramped up against him, and there
was battle betwixt them, while the maiden knelt anigh with her hands
clasped together.

Then Ralph knew tha