spy.' So
I escaped them for that moment. And now I wonder what we shall find in
the hall when we come in thither. It is somewhat like to me, as when
one gets up from bed in the dead night, when all is quiet and the moon
is shining, and goes out of the chamber into the hall, and coming back,
almost dreads to see some horror lying in one's place amid the familiar
bedclothes."

And she grew paler as she spake. Then Ralph comforted her and trimmed
his countenance to a look of mirth, but inwardly he was ill at ease.

So up they went and up, till they came to a level place whereon was
built the chief hall and its chambers: there they stood awhile to
breathe them before the door, which was rather low than great; and
Ursula clung to Ralph and trembled, but Ralph spake in her ear: "Take
heart, my sweet, or these men, and Roger in especial, will think the
worse of thee; and thou a Friend of the Well. What! here is naught to
hurt thee! this is naught beside the perils of the desert, and the
slaves and the evil lord of Utterbol." "Yea," she said, "but meseemeth
I loved thee not so sore as now I do. O friend, I am become a weak
woman and unvaliant, and there is naught in me but love of thee, and
love of life because of thee; nor dost thou know altogether what befell
me in that hall."

But Ralph turned about and cried out in a loud, cheerful voice: "Let us
enter, friends! and lo you, I will show the Champions of the Dry Tree
the way into their own hall and high place." Therewith he thrust the
door open, for it was not locked, and strode into the hall, still
leading Ursula by the hand, and all the company followed him, the clash
of their armour resounding through the huge building. Though it was
long, it was not so much that it was long as that it was broad, and
exceeding high, so that in the dusk of it the great vault of the roof
was dim and misty. There was no man therein, no halling on its walls,
no benches nor boards, naught but the great standing table of stone on
the dais, and the stone high-seat amidst of it: and the place did
verily seem like the house and hall of a people that had died out in
one hour because of their evil deeds.

They stood still a moment when they were all fairly within doors, and
Roger thrust up to Ralph and said, but softly: "The woman is
blenching, and all for naught; were it not for the oath, we had best
have left her in the thorp: I fear me she will bring evil days on our
old home with