Then Ralph saw that it was none other than the damsel of the hostelry
of Bourton Abbas, and he came up to her and reached out his hand
to her, and she took it in both hers and held it and said, smiling:
"It is nought save mountains that shall never meet. Here have I followed
on thy footsteps; yet knew I not where thou wouldst be in the forest.
And now I am glad to have fallen in with thee; for I am going a long way."
Ralph looked on her and himseemed some pain or shame touched his heart,
and he said: "I am a knight adventurous; I have nought to do save
to seek adventures. Why should I not go with thee?"
She looked at him earnestly awhile and said: "Nay, it may
not be; thou art a lord's son, and I a yeoman's daughter."
She stopped, and he said nothing in answer.
"Furthermore," said she, "it is a long way, and I know not how long."
Again he made no answer, and she said: "I am going to seek the WELL AT
THE WORLD'S END, and to find it and live, or to find it not, and die."
He spake after a while: "Why should I not come with thee?"
It was growing light now, and he could see that she reddened
and then turned pale and set her lips close.
Then she said: "Because thou willest it not: because thou hadst
liefer make that journey with some one else."
He reddened in his turn, and said: "I know of no one else who shall
go with me."
"Well," she said, "it is all one, I will not have thee go with me.
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