was, rather rocky
and stony and sandy than mountainous, though they had hills to cross
also: withal there was but little water there, and that foul and
stinking. Long lasted this waste, and Ralph thought indeed that it had
been hard to cross, had not their way-leaders been; therefore he made
marks and signs by the wayside, and took note of the bearings of rocks
and mounds against the day of return.

Twelve days they rode this waste, and on the thirteenth it began to
mend somewhat, and there was a little grass, and sweet waters, and they
saw ahead the swelling hills of a great woodland, albeit they had to
struggle through marshland and low scrubby thicket for a day longer, or
ever they got to the aforesaid trees, which at first were naught but
pines; but these failed in a while, and they rode a grass waste nearly
treeless, but somewhat well watered, where they gat them good store of
venison. Thereafter they came on woods of oak and sweet-chestnut, with
here and there a beech-wood.

Long and long they rode the woodland, but it was hard on May when they
entered it, and it was pleasant therein, and what with one thing, what
with another, they had abundant livelihood there. Yet was June at its
full when at last they came within sight of the House of the Sorceress,
on the hottest of a fair afternoon. And it was even as Ralph had seen
it pictured in the arras of the hall of the Castle of Abundance; a
little house built after the fashion of houses in his own land of the
west; the thatch was trim, and the windows and doors were unbroken, and
the garth was whole, and the goats feeding therein, and the wheat was
tall and blossoming in the little closes, where as he had looked to see
all broken down and wild, and as to the house, a mere grass-grown heap,
or at the most a broken gable fast crumbling away.

Then waxed his heart sore with the memory of that passed time, and the
sweetness of his short-lived love, though he refrained him all he
might: yet forsooth Ursula looked on him anxiously, so much his face
was changed by the thoughts of his heart.

But the elder of the way-leaders saw that he was moved, and deemed that
he was wondering at that house so trim and orderly amidst the wildwood,
so he said: "Here also do we after our behest to that marvellous and
lovely Lady, that we suffer not this house to go to ruin: ever are some
of our folk here, and every year about this season we send two or more
to take the places of