CHAPTER 16
They Come to the Castle of Abundance Once More
When they rode on next morning Ralph was few-spoken, and seemed
to heed little so long as they made good speed on the way:
most of the talk was betwixt Richard and the Sage, Ralph but putting
in a word when it would have seemed churlish to forbear.
So they went their ways through the wood till by then the sun
was well westering they came out at the Water of the Oak,
and Richard drew rein there, and spake: "Here is a fair place
for a summer night's lodging, and I would warrant both good knight
and fair lady have lain here aforetime, and wished the dark longer:
shall we not rest here?"
Ralph stared at him astonished, and then anger grew in his face
for a little, because, forsooth, as Richard and the Sage both wotted
of the place of the slaying of the Lady, and he himself had every
yard of the way in his mind as they went, it seemed but due
that they should have known of this place also, what betid there:
but it was not so, and the place was to Richard like any other lawn
of the woodland.
But thought came back to Ralph in a moment, and he smiled
at his own folly, howbeit he could not do to lie another night
on that lawn with other folk than erst. So he said quietly:
"Nay, friend, were we not better to make the most of this daylight?
Seest thou it wants yet an hour of sunset?"
Richard nodded a yeasay, and the Sage said no word more; but Ursula cast
her anxious look on Ralph as though she understood what was moving in him;
and therewith those others rode away lightly, but Ralph turned slowly
from the oak-tree, and might not forbear looking on to the short
sward round about, as if he hoped to see some token left behind.
Pages:
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633