and on the morrow they took the road to Utterbol,
and went swiftly, having no baggage, and staying but for victual, and
for rest every night. The Lord had me brought to him on that first
evening of our journey, and he saw me privily and spake to me, bidding
me do shameful things, and I would not; wherefore he threatened me
grievously; and, I being alone with him, bade him beware lest I should
slay him or myself. Thereat he turned pale, as he had done before Bull
Nosy, yet sent for none to slay me, but only bade me back to my
keepers. And so I came to Utterbol unscathed."

"And at Utterbol," said Ralph, "what befell thee there?" Ursula smiled
on him, and held up her finger; yet she answered: "Utterbol is a very
great house in a fair land, and there are sundry roofs and many fair
chambers. There was I brought to a goodly chamber amidst a garden; and
women servants were given me who led me to the bath and clad me in
dainty raiment, and gave me to eat and to drink, and all that I needed.
That is all my tale for this time."

CHAPTER 5

They Come on the Sage of Swevenham

Night was at hand before they came to the stream that they sought.
They found it cleaving the pine-wood, which held on till the very bank
of it, and was thick again on the further side in a few yards' space.
The stream was high-banked and ran deep and strong. Said Ursula as
they came up to it: "We may not cross it, but it matters not; and it is
to-morrow that we must ride up along it."

So they abode there, and made a fire by the waterside, and watched
there, turn and turn about, till it was broad day. Naught befell to
tell of, save that twice in the night Ralph deemed that he heard a lion
roar.

They got to horse speedily when they were both awake, and rode up the
stream, and began to go up hill, and by noon were come into a rough and
shaggy upland, whence from time to time they could see the huge wall of
the mountains, which yet seemed to Ralph scarce nigher, if at all, than
when he had beheld it ere he had come to Vale Turris. The way was
rough day-long, and now and again they found it hard to keep the stream
in sight, as especially when it cleft a hill, and ran between sheer
cliffs with no low shore on either side.

They made way but slowly, so that at last Ralph lost patience somewhat,
and said that he had but little hope of falling in with the Sage that
day or any day. But Ursula was of good cheer, and mocked him merrily
but swee