Wilt thou not now ask
me concerning that privy word that I had for thy ears?"
"Yea," said Ralph reddening, "hath it to do with a woman?"
"Naught less," said Morfinn. "For I heard of thee asking
many questions thereof in Goldburg, and I said to myself,
now may I, who am bound for Utterness, do a good turn to this
fair young lord, whose face bewrayeth his heart, and telleth
all men that he is kind and bounteous; so that there is no doubt
but he will reward me well at once for any help I may give him;
and also it may be that he will do me a good turn hereafter
in memory of this that I have done him."
"Speak, wilt thou not," said Ralph, "and tell me at once if thou hast seen
this woman? Be sure that I shall reward thee." "Nay, nay, fair sir,"
said Morfinn; "a woman I have seen brought captive to the House of Utterbol.
See thou to it if it be she whom thou seekest."
He smiled therewith, but now Ralph deemed him not so debonnaire
as he had at first, for there was mocking in the smile;
therefore he was wroth, but he refrained him and said:
"Sir Minstrel, I wot not why thou hast come with a tale in thy
mouth and it will not out of it: lo you, will this open
the doors of speech to thee" (and he reached his hand out
to him with two pieces of gold lying therein) "or shall this?"
and therewith he half drew his sword from his sheath.
Said Morfinn, grinning again: "Nay, I fear not the bare steel in
thine hands, Knight; for thou hast not fool written plain in thy face;
therefore thou wilt not slay thy way-leader, or even anger him over much.
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