The Well at the World's End: A Tale

  CHAPTER 19

  Ralph Sees Hampton and the Scaur

  When it was morning Ralph arose and went into the hall of the hostelry,and even as he entered it the outside door opened, and in came Roger,and Richard with him (for he had been astir very early) and Roger, whowas armed from head to foot and wore a coat of the Dry Tree, cried out:"Now, Lord, thou wert best do on thy war-gear, for thou shalt presentlybe captain of an host." "Yea, Roger," quoth Ralph, "and hast thou donewell?" "Well enough," said Richard; "thine host shall not be a greatone, but no man in it will be a blencher, for they be all champions ofthe Dry Tree."

  "Yea," quoth Roger, "so it was that Stephen a-Hurst brought me to acompany of my old fellows, and we went all of us together to theCaptain of the Burg (e'en he of the Dry Tree, who in these latest daysis made captain of all), and did him to wit that thou hadst a need; andwhereas he, as all of us, had heard of the strokes that thou struckestin the wood that day when thy happiness first began, (woe worth thewhile!) he stickled not to give some of us leave to look on thehand-play with thee. But soft, my Lord! abound not in thanks as yet,till I tell thee. The said Captain hath gotten somewhat of the mind ofa chapman by dwelling in a town, 'tis like (the saints forgive me forsaying so!) and would strike a bargain with thee." "Yea," said Ralph,smiling, "I partly guess what like the bargain is; but say thou."

  Said Roger: "I like not his bargain, not for thy sake but mine own;this it is, that we shall ride, all of us who are to be of thyfellowship, to the Castle of the Scaur to-day, and there thy Lady shallsit in the throne whereas in past days our Lady and Queen was wont tosit; and that thou shalt swear upon her head, that whensoever hebiddeth thee come to the help of the Burg of the Four Friths and thetribes of the Wheat-wearers, thou shalt come in arms by the straightestroad with such fellowship as thou mayst gather; and if thou wilt so do,we of the Dry Tree who go with thee on this journey are thine to saveor to spend by flood or field, or castle wall, amidst the edges and theshafts and the fire-flaught. What sayest thou--thou who art lucky, andhast of late become wise? And I will tell thee, that though I hope itnot, yet I would thou shouldst naysay it; for it will be hard for me tosee another woman sitting in our Lady's seat: yea, to see her sittingthere, who hath stolen her luck."

  Said Ralph: "Now this proffer of the Captain's I call friendly andknightly, and I will gladly swear as he will; all the more as withoutany oath I should never fail him whensoever he may send for me. As forthee, Roger, ride with us if thou wilt, and thou shalt be welcome bothin the company, and at the High House of Upmeads whenso we come there."

  Then was Roger silent, but nowise abashed; and as they spoke they heardthe tramp of horses and the clash of weapons, and they saw through theopen door three men-at-arms riding up to the house; so Ralph went outto welcome them; they were armed full well in bright armour, and theircoats were of the Dry Tree, and were tall men and warrior-like. Theyhailed Ralph as captain, and he gave them the sele of the day and badecome in and drink a cup; so did they, but they were scarce off theirhorses ere there came another three, and then six together, and so oneafter other till the hall of the Flower de Luce was full of the gleamof steel and clash of armour, and the lads held their horses withoutand were merry with the sight of the stalwart men-at-arms. Now comethUrsula down from her chamber clad in her bravery; and when they saw herthey set up a shout for joy of her, so that the rafters rang again; butshe laughed for pleasure of them, and poured them out the wine, tillthey were merrier with the sight of her than with the good liquor.

  Now Roger comes to Ralph and tells him that he deems his host hath cometo the last man. Then Ralph armed him, and those two maidens broughthim his horse, and they mount all of them and draw up in the Square;and Roger and Stephen a-Hurst array them, for they were chosen of themas leaders along with Ralph, and Richard, whom they all knew, at leastby hearsay. Then Roger drew from his pouch a parchment, and read theroll of names, and there was no man lacking, and they were threescoresave five, besides Roger and the way-farers, and never was a band oflike number seen better; and Richard said softly unto Ralph: "If wehad a few more of these, I should care little what foemen we shouldmeet in Upmeads: soothly, my lord, they had as well have ridden intored Hell as into our green fields." "Fear not, Richard," said Ralph,"we shall have enough."

  So then they rode out of the Square and through the streets to theNorth Gate, and much folk was abroad to look on them, and they blessedthem as they went, both carles and queans; for the rumour was towardthat there was riding a good and dear Lord and a Friend of the Well toget his own again from out of the hands of the aliens.

  Herewith they ride a little trot through the Freedom of the Burg, andwhen they were clear of it they turned aside from the woodland highwaywhereon Ralph had erst ridden with Roger and followed the rides a goodway till it was past noon, when they came into a very close thicketwhere there was but a narrow and winding way whereon two men might notride abreast, and Roger said: "Now, if we were the old Burgers, and theDry Tree still holding the Scaur, we should presently know whatsteel-point dinner meaneth; if the dead could rise out of their gravesto greet their foemen, we should anon be a merry company here. But atlast they learned the trick, and were wont to fetch a compass roundabout Grey Goose Thicket as it hight amongst us."

  "Well," said Ralph, "but how if there by any waylaying us; the Burgersmay be wiser still than thou deemest, and ye may have learned them morethan thou art minded to think."

  "Nay," said Roger, "I bade a half score turn aside by the thicket pathon our left hands; that shall make all sure; but indeed I look for nolurkers as yet. In a month's time that may betide, but not yet; notyet. But tell me, fair Sir, have ye any deeming of where thou maystget thee more folk who be not afraid of the hard hand-play? For Richardhath been telling me that there be tidings in the air."

  Said Ralph: "If hope play me not false, I look to gather some stoutcarles of the Shepherd Country." "Yea," said Roger, "but I shall tellthee that they have been at whiles unfriends of the Dry Tree." SaidRalph: "I think they will be friends unto me." "Then it shall dowell," said Roger, "for they be good in a fray."

  So talked they as they rode, but ever Roger would give no heed toUrsula. but made as if he wotted not that she was there, though everand anon Ralph would be turning back to speak to her and help herthrough the passes.

  At last the thicket began to dwindle, and presently riding out of alittle valley or long trench on to a ridge nearly bare of trees, theysaw below them a fair green plain, and in the midst of it a great heapof grey rocks rising out of it like a reef out of the sea, and on thesaid reef, and climbing up as it were to the topmost of it, the whitewalls of a great castle, the crown whereof was a huge round tower. Atthe foot of the ridge was a thorp of white houses thatched with strawscattered over a good piece of the plain. The company drew rein on theridge-top, and the Champions raised a great shout at the sight of theirold strong-place; and Roger turned to Ralph and said: "Fair Sir, howdeemest thou of the Castle of the Scaur?" but Richard broke in: "For mypart, friend Roger, I deem that ye do like to people unlearned in warto leave the stronghold ungarnished of men. This is a fool's deed.""Nay, nay," said Roger, "we need not be over-hasty, while it is ourchief business to order the mingled folk of the Wheat-wearers andothers who dwell in the Burg as now."

  Then spake Ralph: "Yet how wilt thou say but that the foemen whom wego to meet in Upmeads may be some of those very Burgers: hast thouheard whether they have found a new dwelling among some unhappy folk,or be still roving: maybe they shall deem Upmeads fair."

  Spake Michael a-Hurst: "By thy leave, fair Sir, we have had a word ofthose riders and strong-thieves that they have fetched a far compass,and got them armour, and be come into the woodland north of the WoodDebateable. For like all strong-thieves, they love the wood."

  Roger laughed: "Yea, as we did, friend Michael, when we were thieves;whereas now we be lords and gentlemen. But as to thy tidings, I setnot much by them; for of the same message was this word that th
ey hadalready fallen on Higham by the Way; and we know that this cannot betrue; since though forsooth the Abbot has had unpeace on his hands, weknow where his foemen came from, the West to wit, and the BandedBarons."

  "Yea, yea," quoth the Sage, "but may not the Burgers have taken servicewith them?" "Yea, forsooth," quoth Roger, "but I deem not, or we hadbeen surer thereof."

  Thus they spake, and they lighted down all of them to breathe theirhorses, and Ursula spake with Ralph as they walked the greenswardtogether a little apart, and said: "Sweetheart, I am afraid of to-day."

  "Yea, dear," said he, "and wherefore?" She said: "It will be hard forme to enter that grim house yonder, and sit in the seat whence I waserewhile threatened by the evil hag with hair like a grey she-bear."

  He made much of her and said: "Yet belike a Friend of the Well mayovercome this also; and withal the hall shall be far other to-day whenit was."

  She looked about on the warriors as they lay on the grass or loiteredby their horses; then she smiled, and her face lightened, and shereddened and cast down her eyes and said: "Yea, that is sooth; that daythere were few men in the hall, and they old and evil of semblance. Itwas a band of women who took me in the thorp and brought me up into theCastle, and mishandled me there, and cast me into prison there; whereasthese be good fellows, and frank and free of aspect. But O, my heart,look thou how fearful the piled-up rocks rise from the plain and thewalls wind up amongst them; and that huge tower, the crown of all!Surely there is none more fearful in the world."

  He kissed her and laughed merrily, and said: "Yea, sweetheart, andthere will be another change in the folk of the hall when we come therethis time, to wit, that thou shouldst not be alone therein, even wereall these champions, and Richard and the Sage away from thee. Wiltthou tell me how that shall be?"

  She turned to him and kissed him and caressed him, and then they turnedback again toward their fellows, for by now they had walked together agood way along the ridge.

  So then they gat to horse again and rode into the thorp, where men andwomen stood about to behold them, and made them humble reverence asthey passed by. So rode they to the bailly of the Castle; and if thatstronghold looked terrible from the ridge above, tenfold more terribleof aspect it was when the upper parts were hidden by the grey rocks,and they so huge and beetling, and though the sun was bright aboutthem, and they in the midst of their friends, yet even Ralph feltsomewhat of dread creep over him: yet he smiled cheerfully as Ursulaturned an anxious face on him. They alighted from their horses in thebailly, for over steep for horse-hoofs was the walled way upward; andas they began to mount, even the merry Champions hushed their holidayclamour for awe of the huge stronghold, and Ralph took Ursula by thehand, and she sidled up to him, and said softly: "Yea, it was herethey drave me up, those women, thrusting and smiting me; and some wouldhave stripped off my raiment, but one who seemed the wisest, said,'Nay, leave her till she come before the ancient Lady, for her gear maybe a token of whence she is, and whither, if she be come as a spy.' SoI escaped them for that moment. And now I wonder what we shall find inthe hall when we come in thither. It is somewhat like to me, as whenone gets up from bed in the dead night, when all is quiet and the moonis shining, and goes out of the chamber into the hall, and coming back,almost dreads to see some horror lying in one's place amid the familiarbedclothes."

  And she grew paler as she spake. Then Ralph comforted her and trimmedhis countenance to a look of mirth, but inwardly he was ill at ease.

  So up they went and up, till they came to a level place whereon wasbuilt the chief hall and its chambers: there they stood awhile tobreathe them before the door, which was rather low than great; andUrsula clung to Ralph and trembled, but Ralph spake in her ear: "Takeheart, my sweet, or these men, and Roger in especial, will think theworse of thee; and thou a Friend of the Well. What! here is naught tohurt thee! this is naught beside the perils of the desert, and theslaves and the evil lord of Utterbol." "Yea," she said, "but meseemethI loved thee not so sore as now I do. O friend, I am become a weakwoman and unvaliant, and there is naught in me but love of thee, andlove of life because of thee; nor dost thou know altogether what befellme in that hall."

  But Ralph turned about and cried out in a loud, cheerful voice: "Let usenter, friends! and lo you, I will show the Champions of the Dry Treethe way into their own hall and high place." Therewith he thrust thedoor open, for it was not locked, and strode into the hall, stillleading Ursula by the hand, and all the company followed him, the clashof their armour resounding through the huge building. Though it waslong, it was not so much that it was long as that it was broad, andexceeding high, so that in the dusk of it the great vault of the roofwas dim and misty. There was no man therein, no halling on its walls,no benches nor boards, naught but the great standing table of stone onthe dais, and the stone high-seat amidst of it: and the place didverily seem like the house and hall of a people that had died out inone hour because of their evil deeds.

  They stood still a moment when they were all fairly within doors, andRoger thrust up to Ralph and said, but softly: "The woman isblenching, and all for naught; were it not for the oath, we had besthave left her in the thorp: I fear me she will bring evil days on ourold home with her shivering fear. How far otherwise came our Lady inhither when first she came amongst us, when the Duke of us found her inthe wood after she had been thrust out from Sunway by the Baron whomthou slewest afterward. Our Duke brought her in hither wrapped up inhis knight's scarlet cloak, and went up with her on to the dais; butwhen she came thither, she turned about and let her cloak fall toearth, and stood there barefoot in her smock, as she had been cast outinto the wildwood, and she spread abroad her hands, and cried out in aloud voice as sweet as the May blackbird, 'May God bless this House andthe abode of the valiant, and the shelter of the hapless.'"

  Said Ursula (and her voice was firm and the colour come back to hercheeks now, while Ralph stood agaze and wondering): "Roger, thou lovestme little, meseemeth, though if I did less than I do, I should doagainst the will of thy Lady that was Queen in this hall. But tell me,Roger, where is gone that other one, the fearful she-bear of this crag,who sat in yonder stone high-seat, and roared at me and mocked me, andgave me over into the hands of her tormentors, who haled me away to theprison wherefrom thy very Lady delivered me?"

  "Lady," said Roger, "the tale of her is short since the day thou sawesther herein. On the day when we first had the evil tidings of theslaying of my Lady we were sad at heart, and called to mind ancienttransgressions against us; therefore we fell on the she-bear, as thoucallest her, and her company of men and women, and some we slew andsome we thrust forth; but as to her, I slew her not three feet fromwhere thou standest now. A rumour there is that she walketh, and itmay be so; yet in the summer noon ye need not look to see her."

  Ralph said coldly: "Roger, let us be done with minstrels' tales; leadme to the place where the oath is to be sworn, for time presses."

  Scarce were the words out of his mouth ere Roger strode forward and gathim on to the dais and went hastily to the wall behind the high-seat,whence he took down a very great horn, and set it to his lips andwinded it loudly thrice, so that the great and high hall was full ofits echoes. Richard started thereat and half drew his sword; but theSage put his hand upon the hilts, and said: "It is naught, let theedges lie quiet." Ursula stared astonished, but now she quaked no more;Ralph changed not countenance a wit, and the champions of the Tree madeas if naught had been done that they looked not for. But thereaftercried Roger from the dais: "This is the token that the men of the DryTree are met for matters of import; thus is the Mote hallowed. Come uphither, ye aliens, and ye also of the fellowship, that the oath may besworn, and we may go our ways, even as the alien captain biddeth."

  Then Ralph took Ursula's hand again, and went up the hall calmly andproudly, and the champions followed with Richard and the Sage. Ralphand Ursula went up on to the dais, and he set down Ursula in the stonehigh-seat, and even in the halldusk a right f
air-coloured picture shelooked therein; for she was clad in a goodly green gown broidered withflowers, and a green cloak with gold orphreys over it; her hair wasspread abroad over her shoulders, and on her head was a garland ofroses which the women of the Flower de Luce had given her; so there shesat with her fair face, whence now all the wrinkles of trouble and fearwere smoothed out, looking like an image of the early summer-tideitself. And the champions looked on her and marvelled, and onewhispered to the other that it was their Lady of aforetime come backagain; only Roger, who had now gone back to the rest of the fellowship,cast his eyes upon the ground, and muttered.

  Now Ralph draws his sword, and lays it naked on the stone table, and hestood beside Ursula and said: "Champions of the Dry Tree, by the bladeof Upmeads which lieth here before me, and by the head which I lovebest in the world, and is best worthy of love" (and herewith he laidhis hand on Ursula's head), "I swear that whensoever the Captain of theDry Tree calleth on me, whether I be eating or drinking, abed orstanding on my feet, at peace or at war, glad or sorry, I shall do myutmost to come to his aid straightway with whatso force I may gather.Is this rightly sworn, Champions?"

  Said Stephen a-Hurst: "It is sworn well and knightly, and now comethour oath."

  "Nay," said Ralph, "I had no mind to drive a bargain with you; yourdeeds shall prove you; and I fear not for your doughtiness."

  Said Stephen: "Yea, Lord; but he bade us swear to thee. Reach me thysword, I pray thee."

  Then Ralph reached him his sword across the great stone table, andStephen took it, and kissed the blade and the hilts; and then lifted uphis voice and said: "By the hilts and the blade, by the point and theedge, we swear to follow the Lord Ralph of Upmeads for a year and aday, and to do his will in all wise. So help us God and Allhallows!"

  And therewith he gave the sword to the others, and each man of themkissed it as he had.

  But Ralph said: "Champions, for this oath I thank you all heartily.But it is not my meaning that I should hold you by me for a year,whereas I deem I shall do all that my kindred may need in three days'space from the first hour wherein we set foot in Upmeads."

  Stephen smiled friendly at him and nodded, and said: "That may wellbe; but now to make a good end of this mote I will tell thee a thing;to wit, that our Captain, yea, and all we, are minded to try thee bythis fray in Upmeads, now we know that thou hast become a Friend of theWell. And if thou turn out as we deem is likest, we will give theethis Castle of the Scaur, for thee and those that shall spring from thyloins; for we deem that some such man as thou will be the only one tohold it worthily, and in such wise as it may be a stronghold againsttyrants and for the helping of peaceable folk; since forsooth, we ofthe Dry Tree have heard somewhat of the Well at the World's End, andtrow in the might thereof."

  He made an end; and Ralph kept silence and pondered the matter. ButRoger lifted up his head and broke in, and said: "Yea, yea! that isit: we are all become men of peace, we riders of the Dry Tree!" And helaughed withal, but as one nowise best pleased.

  But as Ralph was gathering his words together, and Ursula was lookingup to him with trouble in her face again, came a man of the thorprushing into the hall, and cried out: "O, my lords! there are weaponedmen coming forth from the thicket. Save us, we pray you, for we areill-weaponed and men of peace."

  Roger laughed, and said: "Eh, good man! So ye want us back again?But my Lord Ralph, and thou Richard, and thou Stephen, come ye to theshot-window here, that giveth on to the forest. We are high up here,and we shall see all as clearly as in a good mirror. Hast thou shutthe gates, carle?" "Yea, Lord Roger," quoth he, "and there are somefifty of us together down in the base-court."

  Ralph and Richard and Stephen looked forth from the shot window, andsaw verily a band of men riding down the bent into the thorp, andRalph, who as aforesaid was far-sighted and clear-sighted, said: "Yea,it is strange: but without doubt these are riders of the Dry Tree; andthey seem to me to be some ten-score. Thou Stephen, thou Roger, what isto hand? Is your Captain wont to give a gift and take it back...andsomewhat more with it?" Stephen looked abashed at his word; and Rogerhung his head again.

  But therewith the Sage drew up to them and said: "Be not dismayed,Lord Ralph. What wert thou going to say to the Champions when thiscarle brake in?"

  "This," said Ralph, "that I thanked the Dry Tree heartily for its gift,but that meseemed it naught wise to leave this stronghold disgarnishedof men till I can come or send back from Upmeads."

  Stephen's face cleared at the word, and he said: "I bid thee believeit, lord, that there is no treason in our Captain's heart; and that ifthere were I would fight against him and his men on thy behalf." AndRoger, though in a somewhat surly voice, said the like.

  Ralph thought a little, and then he said: "It is well; go we down andout of gates to meet them, that we may the sooner get on our way toUpmeads." And without more words he went up to Ursula and took her handand went out of the hall, and down the rock-cut stair, and all theywith him. And when they came into the Base-court, Ralph spoke to thecarles of the thorp, who stood huddled together sore afeard, and said:"Throw open the gates. These riders who have so scared you are naughtelse than the Champions of the Dry Tree who are coming back to theirstronghold that they may keep you sure against wicked tyrants who wouldoppress you."

  The carles looked askance at one another, but straightway opened thegates, and Ralph and his company went forth, and abode the new-comerson a little green mound half a bowshot from the Castle. Ralph sat downon the grass and Ursula by him, and she said: "My heart tells me thatthese Champions are no traitors, however rough and fierce they havebeen, and still shall be if occasion serve. But O, sweetheart, howdear and sweet is this sunlit greensward after yonder grim hold.Surely, sweet, it shall never be our dwelling?"

  "I wot not, beloved," said he; "must we not go and dwell where deedsshall lead us? and the hand of Weird is mighty. But lo thou, here arethe newcomers to hand!"

  So it was as he said, and presently the whole band came before them,and they were all of the Dry Tree, stout men and well weaponed, andthey had ridden exceeding fast, so that their horses were somewhatspent. A tall man very gallantly armed, who rode at their head, leaptat once from his horse and came up to Ralph and hailed him, and Rogerand Stephen both made obeisance to him. Ralph, who had risen up,hailed him in his turn, and the tall man said: "I am the Captain ofthe Dry Tree for lack of a better; art thou Ralph of Upmeads, fairsir?" "Even so," said Ralph.

  Said the Captain: "Thou wilt marvel that I have ridden after thee onthe spur; so here is the tale shortly. Your backs were not turned onthe walls of the Burg an hour, ere three of my riders brought in to mea man who said, and gave me tokens of his word being true, that he hadfallen in with a company of the old Burgers in the Wood Debateable,which belike thou wottest of."

  "All we of Upmeads wot of it," said Ralph. "Well," said the Captain,"amongst these said Burgers, who were dwelling in the wildwood insummer content, the word went free that they would gather to them otherbands of strong-thieves who haunt that wood, and go with them uponUpmeads, and from Upmeads, when they were waxen strong, they would fallupon Higham by the Way, and thence with yet more strength on their olddwelling of the Burg. Now whereas I know that thou art of Upmeads, andalso what thou art, and what thou hast done, I have ridden after theeto tell thee what is toward. But if thou deemest I have brought theeall these riders it is not wholly so. For it was borne into my mindthat our old stronghold was left bare of men, and I knew not what mightbetide; and that the more, as more than one man has told us how thatanother band of the disinherited Burgers have fallen upon Higham or thelands thereof, and Higham is no great way hence; so that some fivescore of these riders are to hold our Castle of the Scaur, and the restare for thee to ride afield with. As for the others, thou hast beentold already that the Scaur, and Hampton therewith is a gift from us tothee; for henceforward we be the lords of the Burg of the Four Friths,and that is more than enough for us."

  Ralph
thanked the Captain for this, and did him to wit that he wouldtake the gift if he came back out the Upmeads fray alive: said he,"With thee and the Wheat-wearers in the Burg, and me in the Scaur, nostrong-thief shall dare lift up his hand in these parts."

  The Captain smiled, and Ralph went on: "And now I must needs ask theefor leave to depart; which is all the more needful, whereas thy menhave over-ridden their horses, and we must needs go a soft pace till wecome to Higham."

  "Yea, art thou for Higham, fair sir?" said the Captain. "That is well;for ye may get men therefrom, and at the least it is like that ye shallhear tidings: as to my men and their horses, this hath been looked to.For five hundred good men of the Wheat-wearers, men who have notlearned the feat of arms a-horseback, are coming through the woodshither to help ward thy castle, fair lord; they will be here in somethree hours' space and will bring horses for thy five score men,therefore do ye but ride softly to Higham and if these sergeants catchup with you it is well, but if not, abide them at Higham."

  "Thanks have thou for this once more," said Ralph; "and now I have nomore word than this for thee; that I will come to thee at thy leastword, and serve thee with all that I have, to my very life if need be.And yet I must say this, that I wot not why ye and these others arebecome to me, who am alien to you, as very brothers." Said theCaptain: "There is this to be said of it, as was aforesaid, that all wecount thy winning of the Well at the World's End as valiancy in thee,yea, and luck withal. But, moreover, she who was Our Lady would havehad thee for her friend had she lived, and how then could we be lessthan friends to thee? Depart in peace, my friend, and we look to seethee again in a little while."

  Therewith he kissed him, and bade farewell; and Ralph bade his band tohorse, and they were in the saddle in a twinkling, and rode away fromHampton at a soft pace.

  But as they went, Ralph turned to Ursula and said: "And now belikeshall we see Bourton Abbas once more, and the house where first I sawthee. And O how sweet thou wert! And I was so happy and so young."

  "Yea," she said, "and sorely I longed for thee, and now we have longbeen together, as it seemeth; and yet that long space shall be but alittle while of our lives. But, my friend, as to Bourton Abbas, Imisdoubt me of our seeing it; for there is a nigher road by the by-waysto Higham, which these men know, and doubtless that way we shall wend:and I am glad thereof; for I shall tell thee, that somewhat I fear thatthorp, lest it should lay hold of me, and wake me from a dream."

  "Yea," said Ralph, "but even then, belike thou shouldst find me besidethee; as if I had fallen asleep in the ale-house, and dreamed of theWell at the World's End, and then awoke and seen the dear barefootmaiden busying her about her house and its matters. That were naughtso ill."

  "Ah," she said, "look round on thy men, and think of the might of warthat is in them, and think of the deeds to come. But O how I wouldthat these next few days were worn away, and we yet alive for a longwhile."