too," she saith. "When thou standest without
Aldgate, ready to pass within, 'tis but a full little turn shall take
thee up to Shoreditch on the right hand, or down Blanche Chappleton on
the left. Thy feet shall be set scarce an inch different at beginning.
Yet pursue the roads, and the one shall land thee at York, and the other
at Sandwich. Many a man hath reckoned he set forth to follow Christ,
whose feet were scarce an inch out of the way. `Go to,' quoth he; `what
can an inch matter? what difference shall it make?' Ah me, it maketh
all the difference between Heaven and Hell, for the steps lead to
diverse roads. Be well assured of the right road; and when thou so art,
take heed to walk straight therein. Many a man hath turned a score out
of the way, by reason that he walked a-crooked himself."

"Do we know alway when we walk straight?" said I.

"Thou hast thy Psalter and thine Evangelisterium," made she answer: "and
thou hast God above. Make good use of the Guide and the map, and thou
art not like to go far astray. And God pardon the souls that go astray!
Ay, God forgive us all!"

She sat and span a while, and said nought.

"Cicely," then quoth she, "I shall not abide here."

"Whither go you, Dame?"

"Like Abraham of old," she saith, "to the land which God shall show me.
If I could serve my dear master,--the lad that once lay in mine arms--by
tarrying hither, I could bear much for his sake. But now can I do
nought: and soothly I feel as though I could not bear to stand and look
on. I can pray for him any whither. Cicely, this will go on. Man that
setteth foot on slide shall be carried down it. Thou mayest choose to
take or let be the first step; but oft-times thou canst not choose
touching the second and all that be to follow. Or if thou yet canst
choose, it shall be at an heavy cost that thou draw back thy foot. One
small twinge may be all the penalty to-day, when an hour's deadly
anguish shall not pay the wyte to-morrow. Thou lookest on me aswhasay,
What mean you by this talk? I mean, dear heart, that she which hath
entered on this road is like to pursue it to the bitter end. A bitter
end it shall be--not alone to her. It means agony to him and all that
love him: what maimer of agony God wot, and in His hand is the ell-wand
to measure, and the balances to weigh. Lord! Thou wilt not blunder to
give an inch too much, nor wilt Thou for all our greeting weigh one
grain too little. Thou wilt