dings with
no honour, and yet with no such shame as might have been, without blame
to us of those who knew the tale of thee and her; which, God-a-mercy,
will be pretty much the whole of the city."

"Nevertheless, the Reddings took it amiss, and would have a mote with us
Goldings to talk of booting. By ill-luck we yea-said that for the saving
of the city's peace. But what betid? We met in our Gild-hall, and there
befell the talk between us; and in that talk certain words could not be
hidden, though they were none too seemly nor too meek. And the said
words once spoken drew forth the whetted steel; and there then was the
hewing and thrusting! Two of ours were slain outright on the floor, and
four of theirs, and many were hurt on either side. Of these was thy
father, for as thou mayst well deem, he was nought backward in the fray;
but despite his hurts, two in the side and one on the arm, he went home
on his own feet, and we deemed that we had come to our above. But well-a-
way! it was an evil victory, whereas in ten days he died of his hurts.
God have his soul! But now, my master, thou mayst well wot that I am not
come to tell thee this only, but moreover to bear the word of the
kindred, to wit that thou come back with me straightway in the swift
cutter which hath borne me and the tidings; and thou mayst look to it,
that though she be swift and light, she is a keel full weatherly."

Then said Walter: "This is a bidding of war. Come back will I, and the
Reddings shall wot of my coming. Are ye all-boun?"

"Yea," said Arnold, "we may up anchor this very day, or to-morrow morn at
latest. But what aileth thee, master, that thou starest so wild over my
shoulder? I pray thee take it not so much to heart! Ever it is the wont
of fathers to depart this world before their sons."

But Walter's visage from wrathful red had become pale, and he pointed up
street, and cried out: "Look! dost thou see?"

"See what, master?" quoth Arnold: "what! here cometh an ape in gay
raiment; belike the beast of some jongleur. Nay, by God's wounds! 'tis a
man, though he be exceeding mis-shapen like a very devil. Yea and now
there cometh a pretty maid going as if she were of his meney; and lo!
here, a most goodly and noble lady! Yea, I see; and doubtless she owneth
both the two, and is of the greatest of the folk of this fair city; for
on the maiden's ankle I saw an iron ring, which betokeneth thralldom
amongst these aliens. But this