er; he knew not what to do or say.

So he left the Queen's House and the court thereof, as though the
pavement were growing red hot beneath his feet.

CHAPTER 30

Ralph Hath Hope of Tidings Concerning the Well at the World's End

Now he goes to Clement, and tells him that he deems he has no need to
abide their departure from Goldburg to say farewell and follow his
quest further afield; since it is clear that in Goldburg he should have
no more tidings. Clement laughed and said: "Not so fast, Lord Ralph;
thou mayst yet hear a word or two." "What!" said Ralph, "hast thou
heard of something new?" Said Clement: "There has been a man here
seeking thee, who said that he wotted of a wise man who could tell thee
much concerning the Well at the World's End. And when I asked him of
the Damsel and the Lord of Utterbol, if he knew anything of her, he
said yea, but that he would keep it for thy privy ear. So I bade him
go and come again when thou shouldst be here. And I deem that he will
not tarry long."

Now they were sitting on a bench outside the hall of the hostel, with
the court between them and the gate; and Ralph said: "Tell me, didst
thou deem the man good or bad?" Said Clement: "He was hard to look
into: but at least he looked not a fierce or cruel man; nor indeed did
he seem false or sly, though I take him for one who hath lost his
manhood--but lo you! here he comes across the court."

So Ralph looked, and saw in sooth a man drawing nigh, who came straight
up to them and lowted to them, and then stood before them waiting for
their word: he was fat and somewhat short, white-faced and
pink-cheeked, with yellow hair long and curling, and with a little thin
red beard and blue eyes: altogether much unlike the fashion of men of
those parts. He was clad gaily in an orange-tawny coat laced with
silver, and broidered with colours.

Clement spake to him and said: "This is the young knight who is minded
to seek further east to wot if it be mere lies which he hath heard of
the Well at the World's End."

The new-comer lowted before them again, and said in a small voice, and
as one who was shy and somewhat afeared: "Lords, I can tell many a
tale concerning that Well, and them who have gone on the quest thereof.
And the first thing I have to tell is that the way thereto is through
Utterness, and that I can be a shower of the way and a leader to any
worthy knight who listeth to seek thither; and moreover, I know o