"
"Yea, and why not?" said he. She said: "Wilt thou swear to me that
nought hath happed to thee to change thee betwixt this and Bourton?
If thou wilt, then come with me; if thou wilt not, then refrain thee.
And this I say because I see and feel that there is some change in thee
since yesterday, so that thou wouldst scarce be dealing truly in being
my fellow in this quest: for they that take it up must be single-hearted,
and think of nought save the quest and the fellow that is with them."
She looked on him sadly, and his many thoughts tongue-tied him a while;
but at last he said: "Must thou verily go on this quest?"
"Ah," she said, "now since I have seen thee and spoken with thee again,
all need there is that I should follow it at once."
Then they both kept silence, and when she spoke again her
voice was as if she were gay against her will. She said:
"Here am I come to these want-ways, and there are three roads
besides the one I came by, and I wot that this that goeth south
will bring me to the Burg of the Four Friths; and so much I
know of the folk of the said Burg that they would mock at me
if I asked them of the way to the Well at the World's End.
And as for the western way I deem that that will lead me back
again to the peopled parts whereof I know; therefore I am minded
to take the eastern way. What sayest thou, fair lord?"
Said Ralph: "I have heard of late that it leadeth presently to Hampton
under the Scaur, where dwelleth a people of goodwill.
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