The baron at the same time offered one to Sir Ralph,
with the look of a man in whom habitual hospitality and courtesy
were struggling with the ebullitions of natural anger.
They pledged each other in silence, and the baron, having completed
a copious draught, continued working his lips and his throat,
as if trying to swallow his wrath as he had done his wine.
Sir Ralph, not knowing well what to make of these ambiguous signs,
looked for instructions to the friar, who by significant
looks and gestures seemed to advise him to follow his example
and partake of the good cheer before him, without speaking
till the baron should be more intelligible in his demeanour.
The knight and the friar, accordingly, proceeded to refect
themselves after their ride; the baron looking first at the one
and then at the other, scrutinising alternately the serious looks
of the knight and the merry face of the friar, till at length,
having calmed himself sufficiently to speak, he said,
"Courteous knight and ghostly father, I presume you have some
other business with me than to eat my beef and drink my canary;
and if so, I patiently await your leisure to enter on the topic."
"Lord Fitzwater," said Sir Ralph, "in obedience to my royal master,
King Henry, I have been the unwilling instrument of frustrating
the intended nuptials of your fair daughter; yet will you, I trust,
owe me no displeasure for my agency herein, seeing that the noble
maiden might otherwise by this time have been the bride of an outlaw.
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