to Ralph this seemed but mockery, and he answered sharply: "I wot
not, thou wilt lead whither thou wilt, even as thou hast trained me
hitherward with lies and a forged tale. I suppose thou wilt lead me
now by some roundabout road to the stronghold of the Dry Tree. It
matters little, since thou durst not lead me back into the Burg. Yet
now I come to think of it, it is evil to be alone with a found out
traitor and liar; and I had belike have done better to go with their
company."

"Nay nay," quoth Roger, "thou art angry, and I marvel not thereat; but
let thy wrath run off thee if thou mayest; for indeed what I have told
thee of myself and my griefs is not all mere lying. Neither was it any
lie that thou wert in peril of thy life amongst those tyrants of the
Burg; thou with thy manly bearing, and free tongue, and bred, as I
judge, to hate cruel deeds and injustice. Such freedom they cannot
away with in that fellowship of hard men-at-arms; and soon hadst thou
come to harm amongst them. And further, let alone that it is not ill
to be sundered from yonder company, who mayhap will have rough work to
do or ever they win home, I have nought to do to bring thee to Hampton
under Scaur if thou hast no will to go thither: though certes I would
lead thee some whither, whereof thou shalt ask me nought as now; yet
will I say thereof this much, that there thou shalt be both safe and
well at ease. Now lastly know this, that whatever I have done, I have
done it to do thee good and not ill; and there is also another one,
whom I will not name to thee, who wisheth thee better yet, by the token
of those two strokes stricken by thee in the Wood Perilous before
yesterday was a day."

Now when Ralph heard those last words, such strong and sweet hope and
desire stirred in him to see that woman of the Want-ways of the Wood
Perilous that he forgat all else, except that he must nowise fall to
strife with Roger, lest they should sunder, and he should lose the help
of him, which he now deemed would bring him to sight of her whom he had
unwittingly come to long for more than aught else; so he spake to Roger
quietly and humbly: "Well, faring-fellow, thou seest how I am little
more than a lad, and have fallen into matters mighty and perilous,
which I may not deal with of my own strength, at least until I get
nigher to them so that I may look them in the eyes, and strike a stroke
or two on them if they be at enmity with me. So I bid thee lead me