ms of him, a poor man by seeming, and evilly
clad. But when Ralph was alone with him, the poor man did him to wit
that for all his seeming wretchedness he was but disguised, and was in
sooth a man of worship, and one of the Porte. Quoth he: "I am of the
King's Council, and I must needs tell thee a thing of the King: that
though he was at the first overawed and cowed by the majesty of thee, a
Friend of the Well, he presently came to himself, which was but ill; so
that what for greed, what for fear even, he is minded to send men to
waylay thee, some three leagues from the town, on your way to the
mountains, but ye shall easily escape his gin now I have had speech of
thee; for ye may take a by-road and fetch a compass of some twelve
miles, and get aback of the waylayers. Yet if ye escape this first
ambush, unless ye are timely in riding early tomorrow it is not unlike
that he shall send swift riders to catch up with you ere ye come to the
mountains. Now I am come to warn thee hereof, partly because I would
not have so fair a life spilt, which should yet do so well for the sons
of Adam, and partly also because I would have a reward of thee for my
warning and my wayleading, for I shall show thee the way and the road."

Said Ralph: "Ask and fear not; for if I may trust thee I already owe
thee a reward." "My name is Michael-a-dale," said the man, "and from
Swevenham I came hither, and fain would I go thither, and little hope I
have thereof save I go privily in some such band as thine, whereas the
tyrant holdeth me on pain, as well I know, of an evil death."

"I grant thine asking, friend," said Ralph; "and now thou wert best go
to thine house and truss what stuff thou mayst have with thee and come
back hither in the grey of the morning."

The man shook his head and said: "Nay; here must I bide night-long,
and go out of gates amongst thy men-at-arms, and clad like one of them
with iron enough about me to hide the fashion of me; it were nowise
safe for me to go back into the town; for this tyrant wages many a spy:
yea, forsooth, I fear me by certain tokens that it is not all so
certain that I have not been spied upon already, and that it is known
that I have come to thee. And I will tell thee that by hook or by
crook the King already knoweth somewhat of thee and of the woman who is
in thy company."

Ralph flushed red at that word, and felt his heart bound: but even
therewith came into them the Sage; and straightway Ra