Now he laughed somewhat uneasily at her words, and so went forth from the castle again, and made straight for the hay-making folk on the other side of the water; for all this side was being fed by beasts and sheep; but at the point where he crossed, the winding of the stream brought it near to the castle gate.  So he came up with the country folk and greeted them, and they did as much by him in courteous words:  they were goodly and well-shapen, both men and women, gay and joyous of demeanour and well clad as for folk who work afield.  So Ralph went from one to another and gave them a word or two, and was well pleased to watch them at their work awhile; but yet he would fain speak somewhat more with one or other of them.  At last under the shade of a tall elm-tree he saw an old man sitting heeding the outer raiment of the haymakers and their victual and bottles of drink; and he came up to him and gave him the sele of the day; and the old man blessed him and said:  “Art thou dwelling in my lady’s castle, fair lord?” “A while at least,” said Ralph.  Said the old man:  “We thank thee for coming to see us; and meseemeth from the look of thee thou art worthy to dwell in my Lady’s House.”

“What sayest thou?” said Ralph.  “Is she a good lady and a gracious?” “O yea, yea,” said the carle.  Said Ralph:  “Thou meanest, I suppose, that she is fair to look on, and soft-spoken when she is pleased?”

“I mean far more than that,” said the carle; “surely is she most heavenly fair, and her voice is like the music of heaven:  but withal her deeds, and the kindness of her to us poor men and husbandmen, are no worse than should flow forth from that loveliness.”

“Will you be her servants?” said Ralph, “or what are ye?” Said the carle:  “We be yeomen and her vavassors; there is no thralldom in our land.”  “Do ye live in good peace for the more part?” said Ralph.  Said the carle:  “Time has been when cruel battles were fought in these wood-lawns, and many poor people were destroyed therein:  but that was before the coming of the Lady of Abundance.”

“And when was that?” said Ralph.  “I wot not,” said the old carle; “I was born in peace and suckled in peace; and in peace I fell to the loving of maidens, and I wedded in peace, and begat children in peace, and in peace they dwell about me, and in peace shall I depart.”

“What then,” said Ralph (and a grievous fear was born in his heart), “is not the Lady of Abundance young?” Said the carle:  “I have seen her when I was young and also since I have been old, and ever was she fair and lovely, and slender handed, as straight as a spear, and as sweet as white clover, and gentle-voiced and kind, and dear to our souls.”

“Yea,” said Ralph, “and she doth not dwell in this castle always; where else then doth she dwell?” “I wot not,” said the carle, “but it should be in heaven:  for when she cometh to us all our joys increase in us by the half.”