re to the Lady of
Abundance; but why she should have meant the beads for him he wotted
not. Again he wondered how it was that the Lady of Abundance should
have given the beads to Ursula, and whether she knew that they had no
might to lead her to the Well at the World's End. And yet further he
wondered how it was that Ursula, unholpen by the talisman, should have
done so much to bring him to the Well; yea, and how she was the first
to see it while he slept. But his heart told him that whereas he was
seeking the Well with her, she must needs come thither with him, unless
they were both cast away; withal Katherine looked at him and said:
"Yea, dear lord, I wot what thou art thinking of; but couldest thou
have left her, when thou hadst once found her again, Well or no Well?"
"Sooth is that," said Ralph, "yet for all that she hath done without
help of talisman or witchcraft is she the more worshipful and the
dearer."

Then speech came into Clement's mouth, and he said: "Wife, it is as I
said before, when thy gossip had just departed from us. It was meet
enough that thou shouldst have loved him better than me; but now it is
even less to be undone than ever, when he has come back bringing with
him a woman so valiant and lovely as is my Lady Ursula. So thou must
e'en take the life that fate hath sent thee." Katherine laughed through
her tears, and said: "Withal, goodman, I have been no bad wife to
thee. And moreover, look thou, gossip dear: when I was wandering about
with Clement amongst many perils, when our need seemed sorest, then
would I think to give the beads to Clement; but so soon as I began to
speak to him of the Well at the World's End he would belittle the tale
of it, and would bid me look to it if it were not so, that where the
world endeth the clouds begin."

As she spoke, Ralph lifted up his hand and pointed to the window, and
said: "Friends, as we were speaking of all these marvels we were
forgetting the need of Upmeads and the day of battle; and lo now! how
the dawn is widening and the candles fading."

Scarce were the words out of his mouth, when on the quietness of the
beginning of day brake out the sound of four trumpets, which were
sounding in the four quarters of the town, and blowing men to the
gathering. Then rose up both Ralph and Clement and took their weapons,
and they kissed Katherine and went soberly out-a-doors into the
market-place, where already weaponed men were streaming in to the
m