got off his horse to pick it up, and when he had laid hand on it found it to be a hands-breadth of fine green cloth embroidered with flowers.  He held it in his hand a while wondering where he could have seen such like stuff before, that it should smite a pang into his heart, and suddenly called to mind the little hall at Bourton Abbas with the oaken benches and the rush-strewn floor, and this same flower-broidered green cloth dancing about the naked feet of a fair damsel, as she moved nimbly hither and thither dighting him his bever.  But his thought stayed not there, but carried him into the days when he was abiding in desire of the love that he won at last, and lost so speedily.  But as he stood pondering he heard Clement shouting to him from the garth-gate of that house.  So he leapt on his horse and rode up the slope into the garth and lighted down by Clement; who fell to chiding him for tarrying, and said:  “There is peril in loitering outside this garth alone; for those Sons of the Rope often lurk hard by for what they may easily pick up, and they be brisk and nimble lads.”  “What ailed thee?” said Ralph.  “I stayed to look at a flower which called Upmeads to my mind.”

“Yea lad, yea,” quoth Clement, “and art thou so soft as that?  But come thou into the House; it is as I deemed it might be; besides the House-warden and his wife there is no soul therein.  Thou shalt yet look on Mick Hangman’s sons, as thou desirest.”

So they went into the House, and men had all that they might need.  The warden was an old hoar man, and his wife well-stricken in years; and after supper was talk of this and that, and it fell much, as was like to be, on those strong-thieves, and Clement asked the warden what he had seen of them of late.

The old carle answered:  “Nay, master Clement, much according to wont:  a few beeves driven into our garth; a pack or two brought into the hall; and whiles one or two of them come in hither with empty hands for a sleep and a bellyful; and again a captive led in on the road to the market.  Forsooth it is now a good few days ago three of them brought in a woman as goodly as mine eyes have ever seen; and she sat on the bench yonder, and seemed to heed little that she was a captive and had shackles on her feet after the custom of these men, though indeed her hands were unbound, so that she might eat her meat; and the carle thief told 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.”