n thy journey to hell." The other men laughed, but the Carline
answered them nought.

So down they went, and as they drew nigher they saw a tall
black-bearded man standing before the tent door, and presently knew
him for the chapman who had been such an ill guest to them at their
own house. And the Maiden quaked and turned pale at the sight of him.
But the Carline spake to her under her breath and said: "Fear not, we
shall not abide long with this one." Now he came forward to meet them;
but when he saw the Carline he cried out wrathfully to his men and
said: "Why have ye brought this accursed hag with you over all these
many miles of way? Now must she be hewn down here, and her carcase
will lie stinking at our door." The men said nought, but sat in their
saddles staring stupidly at him. But the Carline looked him hard in
the face, and again made that muttering and the passing of her hands
to and fro. The chapman said nought for a while, and then he spoke in
a lower voice, wherein his pride seemed abated, and said: "Well, after
all, the damsel must needs have some woman to wait upon her, and this
one shall serve our turn for the present. Ho ye! come and take these
women off their horses, and take them into the inner tent and give
them to eat, and let them rest." Then came forward two serving-men,
who bore short-swords by their sides, and led the Carline and the
Maiden through the big tent into the lesser one, and there brought
water for their hands, and then victual and drink, and waited on them
with honour; and the Carline laughed and said: "Lo my dear, here am I
an honoured guest instead of a stinking corpse. Seest thou, the old
woman is still good for something, and always to serve thee and help
thee, my dear." Then the Maiden kissed the Carline and caressed her,
not without tears, and presently, being very weary with the way and
the sorrow, laid her down on the bed and fell asleep. But the Carline
sat watching heedfully all that went on, setting her eye to the
default between the cloths of the tent, so that she could see all that
was toward in the big tent, and somewhat the goings-on without.

Now it must be said the chapman, for as eager as had been his lust
after the Maiden when he saw her at her house, found it somewhat
abated when he saw her lighted down from her nag at his tent door.
Forsooth she was worn with the travel, and yet more with the overmuch
sorrow, so that she looked wan and haggard, and he said to