it was a great thing for him
that he had so won the love of this noble wight and great-heart. So in
all pleasure the day sped, and when it was hard on sunset Steelhead
spake: "Now must I get me back to my house and home of old time, and
thou shalt go home to Wethermel the dear; and now I see of thee that
thou shalt hold a cheerful countenance there, and depart when needs
must in honour and well-liking of all men."

So they stood up, but ere Osberne turned his face to the west he said:
"And when shall I see thee again, lord?"

"Who knows?" said Steelhead; "maybe when thou lookest least for me: on
the lonely marsh maybe, or in the thick of the forest; or in the midst
of the fierce battle, or on thy very death-bed; or it may not be at
all in thine earthly life."

"And that house whereto thou art now going, shall I ever see thee
there?" said Osberne.

"Surely I deem that thou shalt; and yet most surely not till thine
earthly days are over. But now farewell, and my heart goes with thee."
Therewith he turned and was gone, and Osberne went his ways to
Wethermel without looking after him. And now it seemed to him as if he
had been fain not to have gone back to that well-beloved stead, but to
have gone on east at all adventure; and he looked toward the day when
he must depart at last as a sad and sore time, when hope would be
dimmed by mere sorrow and trouble.

Chapter XXXVI. The Staves which Osberne Taught to the Dalesmen

Now all folk at Wethermel when they looked upon Osberne's face deemed
that he was bettering of the drearihood which had weighed on him ever
since the battle with the strong-thieves, and of that bettering they
were right glad, for they were wont to have much joy of his
fellowship. Came on therewith the Midsummer Feast of the Cloven Mote,
which, as aforesaid, was the greatest of all the feasts of the
Dalesmen, and Osberne was there with a countenance of good cheer no
worser than the best. Now at this feast not only did they do in the
heedfullest and solemnest wise all that belonged to Midsummer, as the
Trundling of the Fiery Wheel, and the Kindling of the Bale, and the
Leaping through the Fire; but also before noon, and ere these plays
were begun, was high mass sung in the goodliest fashion in each of the
two churches of Allhallows for the good rest of them who had fallen
manfully in battle with the thieves. And last of all, when the summer
night was as dark as it would be before the dawn, and the fo