do save to
seek adventures. Why should I not go with thee?"

She looked at him earnestly awhile and said: "Nay, it may not be; thou
art a lord's son, and I a yeoman's daughter." She stopped, and he said
nothing in answer.

"Furthermore," said she, "it is a long way, and I know not how long."
Again he made no answer, and she said: "I am going to seek the WELL AT
THE WORLD'S END, and to find it and live, or to find it not, and die."

He spake after a while: "Why should I not come with thee?"

It was growing light now, and he could see that she reddened and then
turned pale and set her lips close.

Then she said: "Because thou willest it not: because thou hadst
liefer make that journey with some one else."

He reddened in his turn, and said: "I know of no one else who shall go
with me."

"Well," she said, "it is all one, I will not have thee go with me."
"Yea, and why not?" said he. She said: "Wilt thou swear to me that
nought hath happed to thee to change thee betwixt this and Bourton? If
thou wilt, then come with me; if thou wilt not, then refrain thee. And
this I say because I see and feel that there is some change in thee
since yesterday, so that thou wouldst scarce be dealing truly in being
my fellow in this quest: for they that take it up must be
single-hearted, and think of nought save the quest and the fellow that
is with them."

She looked on him sadly, and his many thoughts tongue-tied him a while;
but at last he said: "Must thou verily go on this quest?" "Ah," she
said, "now since I have seen thee and spoken with thee again, all need
there is that I should follow it at once."

Then they both kept silence, and when she spoke again her voice was as
if she were gay against her will. She said: "Here am I come to these
want-ways, and there are three roads besides the one I came by, and I
wot that this that goeth south will bring me to the Burg of the Four
Friths; and so much I know of the folk of the said Burg that they would
mock at me if I asked them of the way to the Well at the World's End.
And as for the western way I deem that that will lead me back again to
the peopled parts whereof I know; therefore I am minded to take the
eastern way. What sayest thou, fair lord?"

Said Ralph: "I have heard of late that it leadeth presently to Hampton
under the Scaur, where dwelleth a people of goodwill."

"Who told thee this tale?" said she. Ralph answered, reddening again,
"I was told by one