d me that he took her but a little way from the garth, and that she
made a stout defence with a sword before they might take her, but being
taken, she made but little of it."

"Would he do her any hurt?" said Ralph. "Nay, surely," said the carle;
"doth a man make a hole in a piece of cloth which he is taking to
market? Nay, he was courteous to her after his fashion, and bade us
give her the best of all we had."

"What like was she?" said Ralph. Said the carle: "She was somewhat
tall, if I am to note such matters, grey-eyed and brown haired, and
great abundance of it. Her lips very red; her cheeks tanned with the
sun, but in such wise that her own white and red shone through the
sun's painting, so that her face was as sweet as the best wheat-ear in
a ten-acre field when the season hath been good. Her hands were not
like those of a demoiselle who sitteth in a chamber to be looked at,
but brown as of one who hath borne the sickle in the sun. But when she
stretched out her hand so that the wrist of her came forth from her
sleeve it was as white as milk."

"Well, my man," said the carline, "thou hast a good memory for an old
and outworn carle. Why dost thou not tell the young knight what she
was clad withal; since save for their raiment all women of an age are
much alike?"

"Nay, do thou do it," said the carle; "she was even as fair as I have
said; so that there be few like her."

Said the dame: "Well, there is naught so much to be said for her
raiment: her gown was green, of fine cloth enough; but not very new:
welts of needle-work it had on it, and a wreath of needle-work flowers
round the hem of the skirt; but a cantle was torn off from it; in the
scuffle when she was taken, I suppose, so that it was somewhat ragged
in one place. Furthermore--"

She had been looking at Ralph as she spoke, and now she broke off
suddenly, and said, still looking at him hard; "Well, it is strange!"
"What is strange?" said Clement. "O naught, naught," said the dame,
"save that folk should make so much to do about this matter, when there
are so many coming and going about the Midhouse of the Mountains."

But Ralph noted that she was still staring at him even after she had
let the talk drop.

Waned the even, and folk began to go bedward, so that the hall grew
thin of guests. Then came up the carline to Ralph and took him aside
into a nook, and said to him: "Young knight, now will I tell thee what
seemed to me strange e'en