ith them,
hoping that perchance some of them might speak again of the Lady of
Abundance; but none of them did so, though the old carle he had spoken
with was there, and there also were the two maidens whom he had seen
fishing; and as for him, he was over faint-hearted to ask them any more
questions concerning her.

Yet he abode with them long, and ate and drank amidst the hay with them
till the moon shone brightly. Then he went back to the castle and
found the carline in the hall, and she had the book with her and gave
it to him, and he sat down in the shot-window under the waxlights and
fell to reading of it.

CHAPTER 19

Ralph Readeth in a Book Concerning the Well at the World's End

Fairly written was that book, with many pictures therein, the meaning
of which Ralph knew not; but amongst them was the image of the fair
woman whom he had holpen at the want-ways of the wood, and but four
days ago was that, yet it seemed long and long to him. The book told
not much about the Well at the World's End, but much it told of a
certain woman whom no man that saw her could forbear to love: of her
it told that erewhile she dwelt lonely in the wildwood (though how she
came there was not said) and how a king's son found her there and
brought her to his father's kingdom and wedded her, whether others were
lief or loth: and in a little while, when the fame of her had spread,
he was put out of his kingdom and his father's house for the love of
her, because other kings and lords hankered after her; whereof befel
long and grievous war which she abode not to the end, but sought to her
old place in the wildwood; and how she found there another woman a
sorceress, who made her her thrall; and tormented her grievously with
toil and stripes. And how again there came a knight to that place who
was seeking the Well at the World's End, and bore her away with him;
and how the said knight was slain on the way, and she was taken by
tyrants and robbers of the folk: but these being entangled in her love
fought amongst themselves and she escaped, and went seeking that Well,
and found it at the long last, and drank thereof, and throve ever
after: and how she liveth yet, and is become the servant of the Well to
entangle the seekers in her love and keep them from drinking thereof;
because there was no man that beheld her, but anon he was the thrall of
her love, and might not pluck his heart away from her to do any of the
deeds whereby men