ine."

Ralph heard the words but saw not the smiling face, so wroth he was;
therefore the bare sword was in his fist in a twinkling. But ere he
could smite Bull caught hold of his wrist, and said: "Master, master,
thou art but a sorry lawyer, or thou wouldst have said: 'Thou art my
thrall, and how shall a thrall have heritage?' Dost thou not see that I
cannot own her till I be free, and that thou wilt not give me my
freedom save for hers? There, now is all the matter of the service
duly settled, and I am free and a Lord. And this damsel is free also,
and--yea, is she not thy well-beloved, King's Son?"

Ralph was somewhat abashed, and said: "I crave thy pardon, Lord, for
misdoubting thee: but think how feeble are we two lovers amongst the
hosts of the aliens."

"It is well, it is well," said Bull, "and in very sooth I deem thee my
friend; and this damsel was my brother's friend. Sit down, dear
maiden, I bid thee; and thou also, O man overwise; and let us drink a
cup, and then we will talk about what we may do for each other."

So they sat down all on the grass, and the Lord of Utterbol called for
wine, and they drank together in the merry season of May; and the new
Lord said: "Here be we friends come together, and it were pity of our
lives if we must needs sunder speedily: howbeit, it is thou must rule
herein, King's Son; for in my eyes thou art still greater than I, O my
master. For I can see in thine eyes and thy gait, and in thine also,
maiden, that ye have drunk of the Well at the World's End. Therefore I
pray you gently and heartily that ye come home with me to Utterbol."

Ralph shook his head, and answered: "Lord of Utterbol, I bid thee all
thanks for thy friendliness, but it may not be."

"But take note," said Bull, "that all is changed there, and it hath
become a merry dwelling of men. We have cast down the Red Pillar, and
the White and the Black also; and it is no longer a place of torment
and fear, and cozening and murder; but the very thralls are happy and
free-spoken. Now come ye, if it were but for a moon's wearing: I shall
be there in eight days' time. Yea, Lord Ralph, thou would'st see old
acquaintance there withal: for when I slew the tyrant, who forsooth
owed me no less than his life for the murder of my brother, I made
atonement to his widow, and wedded her: a fair woman as thou wottest,
lord, and of good kindred, and of no ill conditions, as is well seen
now that she lives happy days