Who can say but our lord may find deeds to hand or ever he come to Upmeads?"
Ralph turned his head as one awaking from a dream, and he said:
"When shall to-morrow be, that we may get us gone from Whitwall,
we three, and turn our faces toward Upmeads?"
Said Richard: "Wilt thou not tarry a day or two, and talk
with thine own mother's son and tell him of thine haps?"
"Yea," said Ralph, "and so would I, were it not that my father's
trouble and my mother's grief draw me away."
"O tarry not," said Ursula; "nay, not for the passing of the night;
but make this hour the sunrise, and begone by the clear of the moon.
For lo! how he shineth through the window!"
Then she turned to Richard, and said: "O fosterer of my love,
knowest thou not that as now he speaketh as a Friend of the Well,
and wotteth more of far-off tidings than even this wise man
of many years?"
Said Ralph: "She sayeth sooth, O Richard. Or how were it
if the torch were even now drawing nigh to the High House
of Upmeads: yea, or if the very House were shining as a dreary
candle of the meadows, and reddening the waters of the ford!
What do we here?"
Therewith he thrust the board from him, and arose and went
to his harness, and fell to arming him, and he spake to Richard:
"Now shall thine authority open to us the gates of the good town,
though the night be growing old; we shall go our ways, dear friend,
and mayhappen we shall meet again, and mayhappen not: and thou
shalt tell my brother Blaise who wotteth not of my coming hither,
how things have gone with me, and how need hath drawn me hence.
Pages:
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621