CHAPTER 31
Ralph Brings Ursula Home to the High House
Ralph speedily came to Richard's house and entered the chamber, and found
Ursula alone therein, clad in the daintiest of her woman's gear of the web
of Goldburg. She rose up to meet him, and he took her in his arms, and said:
"Now is come the very ending of our journey that we so often longed for;
and all will be ready by then we come to the High House."
"Ah," she said, as she clung to him, "but they were happy days
the days of our journey; and to-morrow begins a new life."
"Nay," he said, "but rather this even; shall it be loathly to thee, lady?"
She said: "There will be many people whom I knew not yesterday."
"There will be but me," he said, "when the night hath been dark
for a little."
She kissed him and said nought. And therewithal came some of Richard's folk,
for it was his house, and led with them a white palfrey for Ursula's riding,
dight all gay and goodly.
"Come then," said Ralph, "thou needest not to fear the ancient house,
for it is kind and lovely, and my father and my mother thou hast seen already,
and they love thee. Come then, lest the hall be grown too dusk for men to see
thy fairness." "Yea, yea," she said, "but first here is a garland I made
for thee, and one also for me, while I was abiding thee after the battle,
and my love and my hope is woven into it." And she set it on his head,
and said, "O thou art fair, and I did well to meet thee in the dark wood.
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