And bid him come see me at Upmeads, and to ride with a good band
of proper men, for eschewing the dangers of the road."
Then spake Richard: "I shall tell Lord Blaise neither more nor less
than thou mayst tell him thyself: for think it not that thou shalt
go without me. As for Blaise, he may well spare me; for he is become
a chief and Lord of the Porte; and the Porte hath now right good
men-at-arms, and captains withal younger and defter than I be.
But now suffer me to send a swain for my horse and arms, and another to
the captain of the watch at West-gate Bar that he be ready to open to me
and three of my friends, and to send me a let-pass for the occasion.
So shall we go forth ere it be known that the brother of the Lord of the Porte
is abiding at the Lamb. For verily I see that the Lady hath spoken truth;
and it is like that she is forseeing, even as thou hast grown to be.
And now I bethink me I might lightly get me a score of men to ride with us,
whereas we may meet men worse than ourselves on the way."
Said Ralph: "All good go with thy words, Richard; yet gather not force:
there may stout men be culled on the road; and if thou runnest or
ridest about the town, we may yet be stayed by Blaise and his men.
Wherefore now send for thine horse and arms, and bid the host
here open his gates with little noise when we be ready;
and we will presently ride out by the clear of the moon.
But thou, beloved, shalt don thine armour no more, but shalt ride
henceforth in thy woman's raiment, for the wild and the waste
is well nigh over, and the way is but short after all these months
of wandering; and I say that now shall all friends drift toward us,
and they that shall rejoice to strike a stroke for my father's son,
and the peaceful years of the Friend of the Well.
Pages:
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622