Page:The Sundering Flood - Morris - 1898.djvu/370

 seeing our church, which is of itself worth a long journey to behold.

So they went, well pleased, and when they were in the church they found that he had said nought but the sooth: so many pillars there were reaching up and toward the sky, so nobly wide it was, and as long as it should be. And there were many altars therein, all as well furnished as might be done; and long had it taken any lettered man to have told up the number of histories on the walls and in the windows, wherein they were all as if done with gem-stones; and everywhere the fair stories told as if they were verily alive, and as if they who did them had seen them going on in the earth and in the heavens. So the two waited there ravished while the Steward went to fetch the Sub-prior, and brought him presently, a kind and holy man, and humble of demeanour. He spake to them and said: My daughters, it is told me that ye need somewhat of our house in all honesty and holiness; now when ye have laid your gift on the altar, if ye will come with me and our Steward here to the parlour, I will hearken to all ye have to say, and if the thing ye need of us can be done, done it shall be. They thanked him humbly, and went and made their oblation, and prayed, and the Sub-prior blessed them, and brought them out of the church into the parlour, and there they sat down together.

Then the Carline opened her budget, and told how they two had suffered from war and rapine,