The Well at the World's End: A Tale

  CHAPTER 10

  A Meeting and a Parting in the Wood Perilous

  When the first glimmer of dawn was in the sky he awoke in the freshmorning, and sat up and hearkened, for even as he woke he had heardsomething, since wariness had made him wakeful. Now he hears the soundof horse-hoofs on the hard road, and riseth to his feet and goeth tothe very edge of the copse; looking thence he saw a rider who was justcome to the very crossing of the roads. The new comer was much muffledin a wide cloak, but he seemed to be a man low of stature. He peeredall round about him as if to see if the way were clear, and thenalighted down from horseback and let the hood fall off his head, andseemed pondering which way were the best to take. By this time it wasgrown somewhat lighter and Ralph, looking hard, deemed that the riderwas a woman; so he stepped forward lightly, and as he came on to theopen sward about the way, the new comer saw him and put a foot into thestirrup to mount, but yet looked at him over the shoulder, and thenpresently left the saddle and came forward a few steps as if to meetRalph, having cast the cloak to the ground.

  Then Ralph saw that it was none other than the damsel of the hostelryof Bourton Abbas, and he came up to her and reached out his hand toher, and she took it in both hers and held it and said, smiling: "It isnought save mountains that shall never meet. Here have I followed onthy footsteps; yet knew I not where thou wouldst be in the forest. Andnow I am glad to have fallen in with thee; for I am going a long way."

  Ralph looked on her and himseemed some pain or shame touched his heart,and he said: "I am a knight adventurous; I have nought to do save toseek adventures. Why should I not go with thee?"

  She looked at him earnestly awhile and said: "Nay, it may not be; thouart a lord's son, and I a yeoman's daughter." She stopped, and he saidnothing in answer.

  "Furthermore," said she, "it is a long way, and I know not how long."Again he made no answer, and she said: "I am going to seek the WELL ATTHE WORLD'S END, and to find it and live, or to find it not, and die."

  He spake after a while: "Why should I not come with thee?"

  It was growing light now, and he could see that she reddened and thenturned pale and set her lips close.

  Then she said: "Because thou willest it not: because thou hadstliefer make that journey with some one else."

  He reddened in his turn, and said: "I know of no one else who shall gowith me."

  "Well," she said, "it is all one, I will not have thee go with me.""Yea, and why not?" said he. She said: "Wilt thou swear to me thatnought hath happed to thee to change thee betwixt this and Bourton? Ifthou wilt, then come with me; if thou wilt not, then refrain thee. Andthis I say because I see and feel that there is some change in theesince yesterday, so that thou wouldst scarce be dealing truly in beingmy fellow in this quest: for they that take it up must besingle-hearted, and think of nought save the quest and the fellow thatis with them."

  She looked on him sadly, and his many thoughts tongue-tied him a while;but at last he said: "Must thou verily go on this quest?" "Ah," shesaid, "now since I have seen thee and spoken with thee again, all needthere is that I should follow it at once."

  Then they both kept silence, and when she spoke again her voice was asif she were gay against her will. She said: "Here am I come to thesewant-ways, and there are three roads besides the one I came by, and Iwot that this that goeth south will bring me to the Burg of the FourFriths; and so much I know of the folk of the said Burg that they wouldmock at me if I asked them of the way to the Well at the World's End.And as for the western way I deem that that will lead me back again tothe peopled parts whereof I know; therefore I am minded to take theeastern way. What sayest thou, fair lord?"

  Said Ralph: "I have heard of late that it leadeth presently to Hamptonunder the Scaur, where dwelleth a people of goodwill."

  "Who told thee this tale?" said she. Ralph answered, reddening again,"I was told by one who seemed to know both of that folk, and of theBurg of the Four Friths, and she said that the folk of Hampton were agood folk, and that they of the Burg were evil."

  The damsel smiled sadly when she heard him say 'She,' and when he haddone she said: "And I have heard, and not from yesterday, that atHampton dwelleth the Fellowship of the Dry Tree, and that those of thefellowship are robbers and reivers. Nevertheless they will perchancebe little worse than the others; and the tale tells that the way to theWell at the World's End is by the Dry Tree; so thither will I at alladventure. And now will I say farewell to thee, for it is most likethat I shall not see thee again."

  "O, maiden!" said Ralph, "why wilt thou not go back to Bourton Abbas?There I might soon meet thee again, and yet, indeed, I also am like togo to Hampton. Shall I not see thee there?"

  She shook her head and said: "Nay, since I must go so far, I shall nottarry; and, sooth to say, if I saw thee coming in at one gate I shouldgo out by the other, for why should I dally with a grief that may notbe amended. For indeed I wot that thou shalt soon forget to wish tosee me, either at Bourton Abbas or elsewhere; so I will say no morethan once again farewell."

  Then she came close to him and put her hands on his shoulders andkissed his mouth; and then she turned away swiftly, caught up hercloak, and gat lightly into the saddle, and so shook her reins and rodeaway east toward Hampton, and left Ralph standing there downcast andpondering many things. It was still so early in the summer morning,and he knew so little what to do, that presently he turned and walkedback to his lair amongst the hazels, and there he lay down, and histhoughts by then were all gone back again to the lovely lady whom hehad delivered, and he wondered if he should ever see her again, and,sooth to say, he sorely desired to see her. Amidst such thoughts hefell asleep again, for the night yet owed him something of rest, soyoung as he was and so hard as he had toiled, both body and mind,during the past day.