The Well at the World's End: A Tale

  CHAPTER 27

  Ralph Holds Converse With Katherine His Gossip

  Ralph went straight from St. Austin's to Clement's house, and foundmuch people about the door thereof, what of the townsmen, what of themen of his own host. He passed through these, and found Clement in hischamber, and with him a half score of such company as was without, andamongst them Roger and the Sage; but Stephen and Richard both wereamongst their men doing what was needful. All men arose when Ralphentered; but he looked around, and could see nought of his gossipamongst them. Then he sat down by Clement and asked if he had anyfresh tidings; and Clement did him to wit that there had come in acarle from out of Upmeads, who had told them by sure tokens that thefoe were come into the Upmeads-land at noon that day, and between thenand sunset had skirmished with Nicholas and them that were holding theHigh House, but had gotten nought thereby. This man, said Clement,being both bold and of good sleight had mingled with the foe; and hadheard the talk of them, and he said that they had no inkling of theShepherds or the Dry Tree coming against them; but they looked to haveaid from their own folk from the lands of Higham; wherefore they made amock of the defence of the Upmeads' men; and said that since, when theywere all joined together in Upmeads, they might enter where they wouldwithout the loss of a half-score men, therefore they would risk noughtnow; nor would they burn either the High House or the other steadings,since, said they, they were minded to keep them sound and whole fortheir own.

  These tidings seemed good to Ralph; so he took a cup of wine andpledged the company, and said: "My masters, such of you as list tosleep long to-night had best be abed presently, for I warn you that thetrumpets will blow for departure before the sun riseth to-morrow; andhe that faileth to see to-morrow's battle will be sorry for his lackall his life long."

  When he had thus spoken they all cried hail to him, and anon arose andwent their ways. Then Ralph bade Clement come with him that he mightvisit the quarters of his men-at-arms, and see that all the leadersknew of the muster, and of the order of departing on the morrow; andClement arose and went with him.

  As they were on the way Ralph asked Clement what ailed his gossipKatherine that she had not come to meet him already; and Clementlaughed and said: "Nought, nought; she is somewhat shamefaced to meetthee first amongst a many folk, and she not able belike to refrain herkisses and caresses to thee. Fear not, she is in her bower-aloft, andwe shall find her there when we come back from our errand; fear not!she will not sleep till she hath had her arms about thee." "Good isthat," said Ralph; "I had looked to see her ere now; but when we meetapart from folk, something we shall be able to say to each other, whichbelike neither she nor I had liked to leave unsaid till we meet again."

  So came they to the chief quarters of the fighting men, and Ralph hadall the leaders called to him, and he spake to them of how they shoulddo on the morrow, both footmen and horsemen, whatwise they should standtogether, and how they should fall on; and he told them all as clearlyas if he were already in the field with the foe before him; so thatthey wondered at him, so young in years, being so old in the wisdom ofwar. Withal they saw of him that he had no doubt but that they shouldcome to their above on the morrow; and all men, not only of the triedmen-at-arms of the Dry Tree, but they of the Shepherds also, even thoseof them who had never stricken a stroke in anger, were of high heartand feared not what should befall.

  So when all this business was over, they turned about and came theirways home to Clement's house again.

  They saw lights in the chamber or ever they entered, and when they cameto the door, lo! there within was Katherine walking up and down thefloor as if she knew not how to contain herself. She turned and sawRalph at the door, and she cried aloud and ran towards him with armsoutspread. But when she drew nigh to him and beheld him closely, shewithheld her, and falling down on her knees before him took his handand fell to kissing it and weeping and crying out, "O my lord, my lord,thou art come again to us!" But Ralph stooped down to her, and liftedher up, and embraced her and kissed her on the cheeks and the mouth,and led her to the settle and sat down beside her and put his arm abouther; and Clement looked on smiling, and sat him down over against them.

  Then spake Katherine: "O my lord! how great and masterful hast thougrown; never did I hope to see thee come back so mighty a man." Andagain she wept for joy; but Ralph kissed her again, and she said,laughing through her tears: "Master Clement, this lord and warriorhath brought back with him something that I have not seen; and belikehe hath had one fair woman in his arms, or more it may be, since I sawhim last. For though he but kisses me as his gossip and foster-mother,yet are his kisses closer and kinder than they were aforetime."

  Said Clement: "Sooth is the Sage's guess; yet verily, fair sir, I havetold her somewhat of thy journeys, so far as I knew of them."

  Said Katherine: "Dear lord and gossip, wilt thou not tell me morethereof now?"

  "What!" said Ralph; "shall I not sleep to-night?"

  "Dear gossip," she said, "thou art over-mighty to need sleep. And ah!I had forgotten in the joy of our meeting that to-morrow thou goest tobattle; and how if thou come not again?"

  "Fear nought," said Ralph; "art thou not somewhat foreseeing? Dostthou not know that to-morrow or the day after I shall come back unhurtand victorious; and then shall both thou and Clement come to Upmeadsand abide there as long as ye will; and then shall I tell thee a manytales of my wanderings; and Ursula my beloved, she also shall tellthee."

  Katherine reddened somewhat, but she said: "Would I might kiss herfeet, dear lord. But now, I pray thee, tell me somewhat, now at once."

  "So shall it be," said Ralph, "since thou wilt have it, dear gossip;but when I have done I shall ask thee to tell me somewhat, whereof hathlong been wonder in my mind; and meseemeth that by the time we are bothdone with tales, I shall needs be putting on my helm again.--Nay, againI tell thee it is but a show of battle that I go to!"

  So then he went and sat by Clement's side, and began and told over asshortly as might be the tidings of his journeys. And oft she wept forpity thereat.

  But when he was done and he had sat beholding her, and saw how goodly awoman she was, and how straight and well knit of body, he said:"Gossip, I wonder now, if thou also hast drunk of the Well; for thouart too fair and goodly to be of the age that we call thee. How isthis! Also tell me how thou camest by this pair of beads that seem tohave led me to the Well at the World's End? For as I said e'en now, Ihave long marvelled how thou hadst them and where."

  "Fair sir," said Clement, "as for her drinking of the Well at theWorld's End, it is not so; but this is a good woman, and a valiant, andof great wisdom; and such women wear well, even as a well-wrought pieceof armour that hath borne many strokes of the craftsman's hand, andhath in it some deal of his very mind and the wisdom of him. But nowlet her tell thee her tale (which forsooth I know not), for night isgrowing old."