and it came from my father's
grandsire: and my father bade me look on it as the dearest of
possessions; but I heeded it naught till my youth had waned, and my
manhood was full of weariness and grief. Then I turned to it, and read
in it, and became wise, and the folk sought to me, and afterwards that
befell which was foredoomed. Now herein amongst other matters is
written of that which ye desire to know, and I will read the same to
you and expound it. Yet were it not well to read in this book under a
roof, nay, though it be as humble and innocent as this. Moreover, it
is not meet that ye should hearken to this wisdom of old times clad as
ye are; thou, knight, in the raiment of the manslayer, with the rod of
wrath hanging at thy side; and thou, maiden, attired in the garments of
the tyrant, which were won of him by lying and guile."

Then he went to another ark, and took from it two bundles, which he
gave, the one to Ralph, the other to Ursula, and said: "Thou, maiden,
go thou into the inner chamber here and doff thy worldly raiment, and
don that which thou wilt find wrapped in this cloth; and thou, knight,
take this other and get thee into the thicket which is behind the
house, and there do the like, and abide there till we come to thee."

So Ralph took the bundle, and came out into the thicket and unarmed
him, and did on the raiment which he found in the cloth, which was but
a long gown of white linen, much like to an alb, broidered about the
wrists and the hems and collar with apparels of gold and silk, girt
with a red silk girdle. There he abode a little, wondering at all
these things and all that had befallen him since he had left Upmeads.

Anon the two others came to him, and Ursula was clad in the same-like
raiment and the elder had the book in his hand. He smiled on Ralph and
nodded friendly to him. As to Ursula, she flushed as red as a rose
when she set eyes on him, for she said to herself that he was as one of
the angels which she had seen painted in the choir of St. Mary's at
Higham.

CHAPTER 6

Those Two Are Learned Lore by the Sage of Swevenham

Now the Sage led them through the wood till they came to a grassy lawn
amidst of which was a table of stone, which it seemed to Ralph must be
like to that whereon the witch-wife had offered up the goat to her
devils as the Lady of Abundance had told him; and he changed
countenance as the thought came into his mind. But the Sage looked on
him and