aintly and stood up, and said: "I will go with thee if
thou willest it, but sooth to say I shall be but a dull fellow of thine
to-day." Said Richard: "Wouldst thou have been better yesterday, lord,
or the day before?" "Nay," said Ralph. "Wilt thou be better
to-morrow?" said Richard. Ralph shook his head. Said Richard: "Yea,
but thou wilt be, or thou mayst call me a fool else." "Thou art kind,
Richard," said Ralph; "and I will come with thee, and do what thou
biddest me; but I must needs tell thee that my heart is sick." "Yea,"
quoth Richard, "and thou needest not tell me so much, dear youngling;
he who runs might read that in thee. But come forth."

So into the street they went, and Richard brought Ralph into the
market-place, and showed him where was Blaise's booth (for he was
thriving greatly) but Ralph would not go anigh it lest his brother
should entangle him in talk; and they went into the Guildhall which was
both great and fair, and the smell of the new-shaven oak (for the roof
was not yet painted) brought back to Ralph's mind the days of his
childhood when he was hanging about the building of the water-reeve's
new house at Upmeads. Then they went into the Great Church and heard a
Mass at the altar of St. Nicholas, Ralph's very friend; and the said
church was great to the letter, and very goodly, and somewhat new also,
since the blossom-tide of Whitwall was not many years old: and the
altars of its chapels were beyond any thing for fairness that Ralph had
seen save at Higham on the Way.

But when they came forth from the church, Ralph looked on Richard with
a face that was both blank and weary, as who should say: "What is to
do now?" And forsooth so woe-begone he looked, that Richard, despite
his sorrow and trouble for him, could scarce withhold his laughter.
But he said: "Well, foster son (for thou art pretty much that to me),
since the good town pleasureth thee little, go we further afield."

So he led him out of the market-place, and brought him to the east gate
of the town which hight Petergate Bar, and forth they went and out into
the meadows under the walls, and stayed him at a little bridge over one
of the streams, for it was a land of many waters; there they sat down
in a nook, and spake Richard to Ralph, saying:

"Lord Ralph, ill it were if the Upmeads kindred came to naught, or even
to little. Now as for my own master Blaise, he hath, so please you,
the makings of a noble chapman, but not of