f whence and whither, and she answered:

"'From unrest to the Well at the World's End.'

"Then when he put out his hand to her, he saw a great anlace gleaming
in her hand, wherefore he forbore her; and this was but five days ago.

"So I gave the lad my knife, and deemed there would be little else to
hear in Swevenham for this bout; and at least I heard no more tales to
tell till I came away this morning; so there is my poke turned inside
out for thee. But this word further would I say to thee, that I have
seen on thy neck also a pair of beads exceeding goodly. Tell me now
whence came they."

"From my gossip, dame Katherine," said Ralph; "and it seems to me now,
though at the time I heeded the gift little save for its kindness, that
she thought something great might go with it; and there was a monk at
Higham on the Way, who sorely longed to have it of me." "Well," said
Richard, "that may well come to pass, that it shall lead thee to the
Well at the World's End. But as to the tales of Swevenham, what
deemest thou of them?" Said Ralph: "What are they, save a token that
folk believe that there is such a thing on earth as the Well? Yet I
have made up my mind already that I would so do as if I trowed in it.
So I am no nearer to it than erst. Now is there naught for it save to
abide Master Clement's coming; and when he hath brought me to Goldburg,
then shall I see how the quest looks by the daylight of that same
city." He spake so cheerfully that Richard looked at him askance,
wondering what was toward with him, and if mayhappen anything lay
underneath those words of his.

But in his heart Ralph was thinking of that last tale of the woman whom
the young man had met such a little while ago; and it seemed to him
that she must have been in Whitwall when he first came there; and he
scarce knew whether he were sorry or not that he had missed her: for
though it seemed to him that it would be little more than mere grief
and pain, nay, that it would be wicked and evil to be led to the Well
at the World's End by any other than her who was to have brought him
there; yet he longed, or thought he longed to speak with her concerning
that love of his heart, so early rewarded, so speedily beggared. For
indeed he doubted not that the said woman was the damsel of Bourton
Abbas, whose image had named herself Dorothea to him in that dream.

CHAPTER 17

Richard Bringeth Tidings of Departing

Fell the talk between them at th