High up on the down-side amidst of the sheep,
And there in the hollow wherefrom the wind turneth,
Thou lay'st in my lap while I sung thee to sleep.

O friend of the earth, O come nigher and nigher,
Thou art sweet with the sun's kiss as meads of the May,
O'er the rocks of the waste, o'er the water and fire,
Will I follow thee, love, till earth waneth away.

The monk hearkened to him with knitted brow, and as one that liketh not
the speech of his fellow, though it be not wise to question it: then he
went out of the chamber, but left the pair of beads lying in the
window. But Ralph clad himself in haste, and when he was fully clad,
went up to the window and took the beads in his hand, and looked into
them curiously and turned them over, but left them lying there. Then
he went forth also, and came into the forecourt of the house, and found
there a squire of the men-at-arms with his weapons and horse, who
helped him to do on his war-gear.

So then, just as he was setting his foot in the stirrup, came the
Brother again, with his face once more grown smiling and happy; and in
his left hand he held the chaplet, but did not offer it to Ralph again,
but nodded his head to him kindly, and said: "Now, lord, I can see by
thy face that thou art set on beholding the fashion of this world, and
most like it will give thee the rue."

Then came a word into Ralph's mouth, and he said: "Wilt thou tell me,
father, whose work was the world's fashion?"

The monk reddened, but answered nought, and Ralph spake again:

"Forsooth, did the craftsman of it fumble over his work?"

Then the monk scowled, but presently he enforced himself to speak
blithely, and said: "Such matters are over high for my speech or
thine, lord; but I tell thee, who knoweth, that there are men in this
House who have tried the world and found it wanting."

Ralph smiled, and said stammering:

"Father, did the world try them, and find them wanting perchance?"

Then he reddened, and said: "Are ye verily all such as this in this
House? Who then is it who hath made so fair a lordship, and so goodly
a governance for so many people? Know ye not at all of the world's
ways!"

"Fair sir," said the monk sternly, "they that work for us work for the
Lord and all his servants."

"Yea," said Ralph, "so it is; and will the Lord be content with the
service of him whom the devil hath cast out because he hath found him a
dastard?"

The monk frowned,