"
"Who told thee this tale?" said she. Ralph answered, reddening again,
"I was told by one who seemed to know both of that folk, and of the Burg
of the Four Friths, and she said that the folk of Hampton were a good folk,
and that they of the Burg were evil."
The damsel smiled sadly when she heard him say 'She,' and when
he had done she said: "And I have heard, and not from yesterday,
that at Hampton dwelleth the Fellowship of the Dry Tree,
and that those of the fellowship are robbers and reivers.
Nevertheless they will perchance be little worse than the others;
and the tale tells that the way to the Well at the World's
End is by the Dry Tree; so thither will I at all adventure.
And now will I say farewell to thee, for it is most like that I
shall not see thee again."
"O, maiden!" said Ralph, "why wilt thou not go back to Bourton Abbas?
There I might soon meet thee again, and yet, indeed, I also am like to go
to Hampton. Shall I not see thee there?"
She shook her head and said: "Nay, since I must go so far,
I shall not tarry; and, sooth to say, if I saw thee coming
in at one gate I should go out by the other, for why
should I dally with a grief that may not be amended.
For indeed I wot that thou shalt soon forget to wish to see me,
either at Bourton Abbas or elsewhere; so I will say no more
than once again farewell."
Then she came close to him and put her hands on his shoulders
and kissed his mouth; and then she turned away swiftly,
caught up her cloak, and gat lightly into the saddle,
and so shook her reins and rode away east toward Hampton,
and left Ralph standing there downcast and pondering many things.
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