Meanwhile the carles fell to speech freely with the wayfarers,
and told them much concerning their little land, were it hearsay,
or stark sooth: such as tales of the wights that dwelt in
the wood, wodehouses, and elf-women, and dwarfs, and such like,
and how fearful it were to deal with such creatures.
Amongst other matters they told how a hermit, a holy man,
had come to dwell in the wood, in a clearing but a little way thence
toward the north-west. But when Ralph asked if he dwelt on the way
to the ford of the Swelling Flood, they knew not what he meant;
for the wood was to them as a wall.
Hereon the Sage held one of the younger men in talk, and taught
him what he might of the way to the Burg of the Four Friths,
so that they might verily send a messenger to Upmeads if need were.
But the country youth said there was no need to think thereof,
as no man of theirs would dare the journey through the wood,
and that if they had need of a messenger, one of the Fathers
of the Thorn would do their errand, whereas they were holy men,
and knew the face of the world full well.
Now in this while the folk seemed to have gotten their courage again,
and to be cheery, and to have lost their grief for the Lady:
and of the maidens left about the oak were more than two or three very fair,
who stood gazing at Ralph as if they were exceeding fain of him.
But amidst these things came back the women with the victual;
to wit bread in baskets, and cheeses both fresh and old,
and honey, and wood-strawberries, and eggs cooked diversely,
and skewers of white wood with gobbets of roasted lamb's flesh,
and salad good plenty.
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