But at last he heard the tinkle of a little bell coming towards him: so he stood still and got the hilt of his sword ready to his hand; and the tinkle drew nearer, and he heard withal the trample of some riding-beast; so he went toward the sound, and presently in a clearer place of the wood came upon a man of religion, a clerk, riding on a hackney, to whose neck hung a horse-bell: the priest had saddle bags beside him and carried in his right hand a book in a bag.

When he met Ralph he blessed him, and Ralph gave him the sele of the day, and asked him whither he would.
Said the Priest: "I am for the Little Plain and the Land of Abundance; whence art thou, my son, and whither wilt thou ?" "From that very land I come," said Ralph, "and as to whither, I seek adventures; but unless I see more than I have this forenoon, or thou canst tell me of them, back will I whence I came: yet to say sooth, I shall not be sorry for a fellow to help me back, for these woodland ways are some-what blind." Said the Priest: "I will bear thee company with a good will; and I know the road right well; for I am the Vicar appointed by the fathers of the Thorn to serve the church of the Little Plain, and the chapel of St.Anthony yonder in the wood, and to-day I go to the church of the good folk there." So Ralph turned, and went along with him, walking by his bridle-rein.
And as they went the priest said to him: "Art thou one of my lady's lords ?" Ralph reddened as he sighed, and said: "I am no captain of hers." Then smiled the priest and said: "Then will I not ask thee of thine errand; for belike thou wouldest not tell me thereof." Ralph said nought, but waxed shamefaced as he deemed that the priest eyed him curiously.

At last he said: "I will ask thee a question in turn, father." "Yea," said the priest.

Said Ralph: "This lady of the land, the Lady of Abundance, is she a very woman ?" "Holy Saints!" quoth the priest, blessing himself, "what meanest thou ?" Said Ralph: "I mean, is she of those who outwardly have a woman's semblance, but within are of the race of the ancient devils, the gods of the Gentiles ?" Then the priest crossed himself again, and spake as solemnly as a judge on the bench: "Son, I pray that if thou art not in thy right mind, thou will come thereinto anon.

Know this, that whatever else she may be, she is a right holy woman.