But Blaise brought them to the upper chamber, and showed them the goodly beds with their cloths, and hangings, and all was as fair as might be. Then Blaise bade bring wine and made them drink; and he gave Ralph a purse of gold, and an anlace very fair of fashion, and brought him to the door thereafter; and Ralph cast his arms about him, and kissed him and strained him to his breast. But Blaise was somewhat moved thereat, and said to him: “Why lad, thou art sorry to depart from me for a little while, and what would it be, were it for long? But ever wert thou a kind and tenderhearted youngling, and we twain are alone in an alien land. Forsooth, I wot that thou hast, as it were, embraced the Upmeads kindred, father, mother and all; and good is that! So now God and the Saints keep thee, and bear in mind the hosting of the good town, and the raising of the banner, that shall be no great while. Fare thee well, lad!”
So they parted, and Ralph went back to the hostel, and gathered his stuff together, and laid it on a sumpter horse, and armed him, and so went into Petergate to join himself to that company. There he found the chapmen, five of them in all, and their lads, and a score of men-at-arms, with whom was Clement, not clad like a merchant, but weaponed, and bearing a coat of proof and a bright sallet on his head.
They greeted each the other, and Ralph said: “Yea, master Clement, and be we riding to battle?” “Maybe,” quoth Clement; “the way is long, and our goods worth the lifting, and there are some rough places that we must needs pass through. But if ye like not the journey, abide here in this town the onset of Walter the Black.”
Therewith he laughed, and Ralph understanding the jape, laughed also; and said: “Well, master Clement, but tell me who be these that we shall meet.” “Yea, and I will tell thee the whole tale of them,” said Clement, “but abide till we are without the gates; I am a busy man e’en now, for all is ready for the road, save what I must do. So now bid thy Upmeads squire farewell, and then to horse with thee!”
So Ralph cast his arms about Richard, and kissed him and said: “This is also a farewell to the House where I was born and bred.” And as he spake the thought of the House and the garden, and the pleasant fields of Upmeads came into his heart so bittersweet, that it mingled with his sorrow, and well-nigh made him weep. But as for Richard he forebore words, for he was sad at heart for the sundering.
Then he gat to horse, and the whole company of them bestirred them, and they rode out a-gates. And master Clement it was that ordered them, riding up and down along the array.
But Ralph fell to speech with the chapmen and men-at-arms; and both of these were very courteous with him; for they rejoiced in his company, and especially the chapmen, who were somewhat timorous of the perils of the road.
XIX
Master Clement Tells Ralph Concerning the Lands Whereunto They Were Riding
When they were gotten a mile or two from Whitwall, and all was going smoothly, Clement came up to Ralph and rode at his left hand, and fell to speech with him, and said: “Now, lord, will I tell thee more concerning our journey, and the folk that we are like to meet upon the road. And of the perils, whatso they may be, I told thee not before, because I knew thee desirous of seeking adventures east-away, and knew that my tales would not hinder thee.”
“Yea,” said Ralph, “and had not this goodly fellowship been, I had gone alone, or with any carle that I could have lightly hired.”
Clement laughed and said: “Fair sir, thou wouldst have failed of hiring any one man to go with thee eastward a many miles. For with less than a score of men well-armed the danger of death or captivity is over great, if ye ride the mountain ways unto Cheaping Knowe. Yea, and even if a poor man who hath nothing, wend that way alone, he may well fall among thieves, and be stolen himself body and bones, for lack of anything better to steal.”
Hereat Ralph felt his heart rise, when he thought of battle and strife, and he made his horse to spring somewhat, and then he said: “It liketh me well, dear friend, that I ride not with thee for naught, but that I may earn my daily bread like another.”
“Yea,” said Clement, looking on him kindly, “I deem of all thy brethren thou hast the biggest share of the blood of Red Robert, who first won Upmeads. And now thou shalt know that this good town of Whitwall that lieth behind us is the last of the lands we shall come to wherein folk can any courtesy, or are ruled by the customs of the manor, or by due lawful Earls and Kings, or the laws of the Lineage or the Port, or have any Guilds for their guiding, and helping. And though these folks whereunto we shall come, are, some of them, Christian men by name, and have amongst them priests and religious; yet are they wild men of manners, and many heathen customs abide amongst them; as swearing on the altars of devils, and eating horseflesh at the High-tides, and
