sooth, my masters?" quoth he, turning
toward them of the town.

Said a burgher somewhat stricken in years, "Nought but sooth; peaceable
men like to me eschew such servants; all the more because of this, that
if one of these queens misbehave with the knife, or strayeth from her
master's bed, the laws of the Burg meddle not therein. For the wise
men say that such folk are no more within the law than kine be, and may
not for their deeds be brought before leet or assize any more than
kine. So that if the master punish her not for her misdoings,
unpunished she needs must go; yea even if her deed be mere murder."

"That is sooth," said a somewhat younger man; "yet whiles it fareth ill
with them at the hands of our women. To wit, my father's brother has
even now come from the war to find his thrall all spoilt by his wife:
and what remedy may he have against his wife? his money is gone, even
as if she had houghed his horse or his best cow."

"Yea," said a third, "we were better without such cattle. A thrust
with a sword and all the tale told, were the better way of dealing with
them."

Said another; "Yet are the queens good websters, and, lacking them,
figured cloth of silk would be far-fetched and dear-bought here."

A young man gaily clad, who had been eyeing the speakers disdainfully,
spake next and said: "Fair sirs, ye are speaking like hypocrites, and
as if your lawful wives were here to hearken to you; whereas ye know
well how goodly these thralls be, and that many of them can be kind
enough withal; and ye would think yourselves but ill bestead if ye
might not cheapen such jewels for your money. Which of you will go to
the Cross next Saturday and there buy him a fairer wife than he can wed
out of our lineages? and a wife withal of whose humours he need take no
more account of than the dullness of his hound or the skittish temper
of his mare, so long as the thong smarts, and the twigs sting."

One or two grinned as he spake, but some bent their brows at him, yet
scarce in earnest, and the talk thereover dropped, nor did Ralph ask
any more questions; for he was somewhat down-hearted, calling to mind
the frank and free maidens of Upmead, and their friendly words and
hearty kisses. And him seemed the world was worse than he had looked
to find it.

Howsoever, the oldest and soberest of the guests, seeing that he was a
stranger and of noble aspect, came unto him and sat by him, and fell to
telling him tales of th