Collected Works of William Morris Author:William Morris Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: she turned her back into the chamber and laid her head on BOOK I the table and wept. Then came in the goodman quietly and Chap. 3 stood by her and she heeded him... more » not. He stood grinning curiously on her awhile, and then laid his hand on her shoulder, and said as she raised her face to him: "Sweetheart, it availeth nought; when thou wert young and exceeding fair, he was but a little babe, and thou wert looking in those days to have babes of thine own; and then it was too soon: and now that he is such a beauteous young man, and a king's son withal, and thou art wedded to a careful carle of no weak heart, and thou thyself art more than two-score years old, it is too late. Yet thou didst well to give our lord the money. Lo! here is wherewithal to fill up the lack in thy chest; and here is a toy for thee in place of thepair of beads thou gavest him; and I bid thee look on it as if I had given him my share of the money and the beads." She turned to Clement, and took the bag of money, and the chaplet which he held out to her, and she said: "God wot thou art no ill man, my husband, but would God I had a son like to him!" She still wept somewhat; but the chapman said: "Let it rest there, sweetheart! let it rest there! It may be a year or twain before thou seest him again: and then belike he shall be come back with some woman whom he loves better than any other; and who knows but in a way he may deem himself our son. Meanwhile thou hast done well, sweetheart, so be glad." Therewith he kissed her and went his ways to his merchandise, and she to the ordering of her house, grieved but not unhappy. CHAPTER IV. RALPH RIDETH THE DOWNS. A for Ralph, he rode on with a merry heart, and presently came to an end of the plain-country, and the great downs rose up before him with a white...« less