lord!" said Blaise,
stroking Ralph's cheek.

Then up came Richard, and if Blaise were glad, Richard was twice glad,
and quoth he: "Said I not, Lord Blaise, that this chick would be the
hardest of all to keep under the coop? Welcome to the Highways, Lord
Ralph! But where is thine horse? and whence and whither is it now?
Hast thou met with some foil and been held to ransom?"

Ralph found it hard and grievous and dull work to answer; for now again
his sorrow had taken hold of him: so he said: "Yea, Richard, I have
had adventures, and have lost rather than won; but at least I am a free
man, and have spent but little gold on my loss."

"That is well," said Richard, "but whence gat ye any gold for
spending?" Ralph smiled, but sadly, for he called to mind the glad
setting forth and the kind face of dame Katherine his gossip, and he
said: "Clement Chapman deemed it not unmeet to stake somewhat on my
luck, therefore I am no pauper."

"Well," said Blaise, "if thou hast no great errand elsewhere, thou
mightest ride with us, brother. I have had good hap in these days,
though scarce kingly or knightly, for I have been buying and selling:
what matter? few know Upmeads and its kings to wite me with fouling a
fair name. Richard, go fetch a horse hither for Lord Ralph's riding,
and we will tarry no longer." So Richard trotted on, and while they
abode him, Ralph asked after his brethren, and Blaise told him that he
had seen or heard naught of them. Then Ralph asked of whither away,
and Blaise told him to Whitwall, where was much recourse of merchants
from many lands, and a noble market.

Back then cometh Richard leading a good horse while Ralph was pondering
his matter, and thinking that at such a town he might well hear tidings
concerning the Well at the World's End.

Now Ralph mounts, and they all ride away together. On the way, partly
for brotherhood's sake, partly that he might not be questioned overmuch
himself, Ralph asked Blaise to tell him more of his farings; and Blaise
said, that when he had left Upmeads he had ridden with Richard up and
down and round about, till he came to a rich town which had just been
taken in war, and that the Companions who had conquered it were looking
for chapmen to cheapen their booty, and that he was the first or nearly
the first to come who had will and money to buy, and the Companions,
who were eager to depart, had sold him thieves' penny-worths, so that
his share of the Upmeads' tr