nd a second son that I bore had died of a
pestilence that war and famine had brought upon the land. I will not
wear thy soul with words about my grief and sorrow: but it is to be
told that I sat now in a perilous place, and yet I might not step down
from it and abide in that land, for then it was a sure thing, that some
of my foes would have laid hand on me and brought me to judgment for
being but myself, and I should have ended miserably. So I gat to me
all the strength that I might, and whereas there were many who loved me
still, some for my own sake, and some for the sake of my lord that was,
I endured in good hope that all my days were not done. Yet I longed
for the coming of the Teacher of Lore; for now I made up my mind that I
would go with her, and seek to the Well at the World's End for weal and
woe.

"She came while April was yet young: and I need make no long tale of
how we gat us away: for whereas she was wise in hidden lore, it was no
hard matter for her to give me another semblance than mine own, so that
I might have walked about the streets of our city from end to end, and
none had known me. So I vanished away from my throne and my kingdom,
and that name and fame of a witch-wife clove to me once and for all,
and spread wide about the cities of folk and the kingdoms, and many are
the tales that have arisen concerning me, and belike some of these thou
hast heard told."

Ralph reddened and said: "My soul has been vexed by some inkling of
them; but now it is at rest from them for ever."

"May it be so!" she said: "and now my tale is wearing thin for the
present time.

"Back again went my feet over the ways they had trodden before, though
the Teacher shortened the road much for us by her wisdom. Once again
what need to tell thee of these ways when thine own eyes shall behold
them as thou wendest them beside me? Be it enough to say that once
again I came to that little house in the uttermost wilderness, and
there once more was the garth and the goat-house, and the trees of the
forest beyond it, and the wood-lawns and the streams and all the places
and things that erst I deemed I must dwell amongst for ever."

Said Ralph: "And did the carline keep troth with thee? Was she not
but luring thee thither to be her thrall? Or did the book that I read
in the Castle of Abundance but lie concerning thee?"

"She held her troth to me in all wise," said the Lady, "and I was no
thrall of hers, but as a sis