e he slew our Lady."

Ralph shook his head and said: "Nay, old friend, and new vassal, this
we may not do: we must on speedily, for belike there is work for us to
do nearer home."

"Yea, Lord," said the carle, "but at least light down and sit for a
while under this fair oak-tree in the heat of the day, and eat a morsel
with us, and drink a cup, that thy luck may abide with us when thou art
gone."

Ralph would not naysay him; so he and all of them got off their horses,
and sat down on the green grass under the oak: and that people gathered
about and sat down by them, save that a many of the women went to their
houses to fetch out the victual. Meanwhile the carles fell to speech
freely with the wayfarers, and told them much concerning their little
land, were it hearsay, or stark sooth: such as tales of the wights
that dwelt in the wood, wodehouses, and elf-women, and dwarfs, and such
like, and how fearful it were to deal with such creatures. Amongst
other matters they told how a hermit, a holy man, had come to dwell in
the wood, in a clearing but a little way thence toward the north-west.
But when Ralph asked if he dwelt on the way to the ford of the Swelling
Flood, they knew not what he meant; for the wood was to them as a wall.

Hereon the Sage held one of the younger men in talk, and taught him
what he might of the way to the Burg of the Four Friths, so that they
might verily send a messenger to Upmeads if need were. But the country
youth said there was no need to think thereof, as no man of theirs
would dare the journey through the wood, and that if they had need of a
messenger, one of the Fathers of the Thorn would do their errand,
whereas they were holy men, and knew the face of the world full well.

Now in this while the folk seemed to have gotten their courage again,
and to be cheery, and to have lost their grief for the Lady: and of the
maidens left about the oak were more than two or three very fair, who
stood gazing at Ralph as if they were exceeding fain of him.

But amidst these things came back the women with the victual; to wit
bread in baskets, and cheeses both fresh and old, and honey, and
wood-strawberries, and eggs cooked diversely, and skewers of white wood
with gobbets of roasted lamb's flesh, and salad good plenty. All these
they bore first to Ralph and Ursula, and their two fellows, and then
dealt them to their own folk: and they feasted and were merry in
despite of that tale of evil ti