CHAPTER 20
They Come to the Mid-Mountain Guest-House
On that night they slept in their tents which they had pitched on thefield of a little thorp beside a water; and there they had meat anddrink and all things as they needed them. And in likewise it befellthem the next day; but the third evening they set up their tents on alittle hillside by a road which led into a deep pass, even the entry ofthe mountains, a road which went betwixt exceeding high walls of rock.For the mountain sides went up steep from the plain. There they keptgood watch and ward, and naught befell them to tell of.
The next morning they entered the pass, and rode through it up to theheaths, and rode all day by wild and stony ways and came at even to agrassy valley watered by a little stream, where they guested, watchingtheir camp well; and again none meddled with them.
As they were departing the next morn Ralph asked of Clement if he yetlooked for onset from the waylayers. Said Clement: "It is most like,lord; for we be a rich prey, and it is but seldom that such a companyrideth this road. And albeit that the wild men know not to a day whenwe shall pass through their country, yet they know the time within afour and twenty hours or so. For we may not hide our journey from allmen's hearing; and when the ear heareth, the tongue waggeth. But artthou yet anxious concerning this matter, son?" "Yea," said Ralph, "forI would fain look on these miscreants."
"It is like that ye shall see them," said Clement; "but I shall look onit as a token that they are about waylaying us if we come on none ofthem in the Mountain House. For they will be fearful lest theirpurpose leak out from unwary lips." Ralph wondered how it would be, andwhat might come of it, and rode on, pondering much.
The road was rough that day, and they went not above a foot-pace themore part of the time; and daylong they were going up and up, and itgrew cold as the sun got low; though it was yet summer. At last at thetop of a long stony ridge, which lay beneath a great spreadingmountain, on the crest whereof the snow lay in plenty, Ralph saw ahouse, long and low, builded of great stones, both walls and roof: atsight thereof the men of the fellowship shouted for joy, and hastenedon, and Clement spurred up the stony slopes all he might. But Ralphrode slowly, since he had naught to see to, save himself, so that hewas presently left alone. Now he looks aside, and sees somethingbright-hued lying under a big stone where the last rays of the sun justcaught some corner of it. So he goes thither, deeming that mayhappenone of the company had dropped something, pouch or clout, or what not,in his haste and hurry. He got off his horse to pick it up, and whenhe had laid hand on it found it to be a hands-breadth of fine greencloth embroidered with flowers. He held it in his hand a whilewondering where he could have seen such like stuff before, that itshould smite a pang into his heart, and suddenly called to mind thelittle hall at Bourton Abbas with the oaken benches and the rush-strewnfloor, and this same flower-broidered green cloth dancing about thenaked feet of a fair damsel, as she moved nimbly hither and thitherdighting him his bever. But his thought stayed not there, but carriedhim into the days when he was abiding in desire of the love that he wonat last, and lost so speedily. But as he stood pondering he heardClement shouting to him from the garth-gate of that house. So he leapton his horse and rode up the slope into the garth and lighted down byClement; who fell to chiding him for tarrying, and said: "There isperil in loitering outside this garth alone; for those Sons of the Ropeoften lurk hard by for what they may easily pick up, and they be briskand nimble lads." "What ailed thee?" said Ralph. "I stayed to look ata flower which called Upmeads to my mind."
"Yea lad, yea," quoth Clement, "and art thou so soft as that? But comethou into the House; it is as I deemed it might be; besides theHouse-warden and his wife there is no soul therein. Thou shalt yetlook on Mick Hangman's sons, as thou desirest."
So they went into the House, and men had all that they might need. Thewarden was an old hoar man, and his wife well-stricken in years; andafter supper was talk of this and that, and it fell much, as was liketo be, on those strong-thieves, and Clement asked the warden what hehad seen of them of late.
The old carle answered: "Nay, master Clement, much according to wont:a few beeves driven into our garth; a pack or two brought into thehall; and whiles one or two of them come in hither with empty hands fora sleep and a bellyful; and again a captive led in on the road to themarket. Forsooth it is now a good few days ago three of them broughtin a woman as goodly as mine eyes have ever seen; and she sat on thebench yonder, and seemed to heed little that she was a captive and hadshackles on her feet after the custom of these men, though indeed herhands were unbound, so that she might eat her meat; and the carle thieftold me that he took her but a little way from the garth, and that shemade a stout defence with a sword before they might take her, but beingtaken, she made but little of it."
"Would he do her any hurt?" said Ralph. "Nay, surely," said the carle;"doth a man make a hole in a piece of cloth which he is taking tomarket? Nay, he was courteous to her after his fashion, and bade usgive her the best of all we had."
"What like was she?" said Ralph. Said the carle: "She was somewhattall, if I am to note such matters, grey-eyed and brown haired, andgreat abundance of it. Her lips very red; her cheeks tanned with thesun, but in such wise that her own white and red shone through thesun's painting, so that her face was as sweet as the best wheat-ear ina ten-acre field when the season hath been good. Her hands were notlike those of a demoiselle who sitteth in a chamber to be looked at,but brown as of one who hath borne the sickle in the sun. But when shestretched out her hand so that the wrist of her came forth from hersleeve it was as white as milk."
"Well, my man," said the carline, "thou hast a good memory for an oldand outworn carle. Why dost thou not tell the young knight what shewas clad withal; since save for their raiment all women of an age aremuch alike?"
"Nay, do thou do it," said the carle; "she was even as fair as I havesaid; so that there be few like her."
Said the dame: "Well, there is naught so much to be said for herraiment: her gown was green, of fine cloth enough; but not very new:welts of needle-work it had on it, and a wreath of needle-work flowersround the hem of the skirt; but a cantle was torn off from it; in thescuffle when she was taken, I suppose, so that it was somewhat raggedin one place. Furthermore--"
She had been looking at Ralph as she spoke, and now she broke offsuddenly, and said, still looking at him hard; "Well, it is strange!""What is strange?" said Clement. "O naught, naught," said the dame,"save that folk should make so much to do about this matter, when thereare so many coming and going about the Midhouse of the Mountains."
But Ralph noted that she was still staring at him even after she hadlet the talk drop.
Waned the even, and folk began to go bedward, so that the hall grewthin of guests. Then came up the carline to Ralph and took him asideinto a nook, and said to him: "Young knight, now will I tell thee whatseemed to me strange e'en now; to wit, that the captive damsel shouldbe bearing a necklace about her neck as like to thine as one lamb is toanother: but I thought thou mightest be liever that I spake it notopenly before all the other folk. So I held my peace."
"Dame," said he, "I thank thee: forsooth I fear sorely that thisdamsel is my sister; for ever we have worn the samelike pair of beads.And as for me I have come hither to find her, and evil will it be if Ifind her enthralled, and it may be past redemption."
And therewith he gave her a piece of the gold money of Upmeads.
"Yea," said she, "poor youth; that will be sooth indeed, for thou artsomewhat like unto her, yet far goodlier. But I grieve for thee, andknow not what thou wilt do; whereas by this time most like she has beensold and bought and is dwelling in some lord's strong-house; sometyrant that needeth not money, and will not let his prey go for aprayer. Here, take thou thy gold again, for thou mayst well need it,and let me shear a lock of thy golden hair, and I shall be well apaidfor my keeping silence concerning thy love. For I deem that it is evenso, and that she is not thy sister, else h
adst thou stayed at home, andprayed for her with book and priest and altar, and not gone seeking hera weary way."
Ralph reddened but said naught, and let her put scizzors amongst hiscurly locks, and take what of them she would. And then he went to hisbed, and pondered these matters somewhat, and said to himself that itwas by this damsel's means that he should find the Well at the World'sEnd. Yet he said also, that, whether it were so or not, he was boundto seek her, and deliver her from thralldom, since he had kissed her sosweet and friendly, like a brother, for the sweetness and kindness ofher, before he had fallen into the love that had brought him such joyand such grief. And therewith he took out that piece of her gown fromhis pouch, and it seemed dear to him. But it made him think sadly ofwhat grief or pain she might even then be bearing, so that he longed todeliver her, and that longing was sweet to him. In such thoughts hefell asleep.