that would deal with me,
friend or foe, let him come hither to me."

So he fell to walking up and down the hall from buttery to dais, and his
war-gear rattled upon him. At last as he walked he thought he heard a
small thin peevish voice, which yet was too husky for the squeak of a
rat. So he stayed his walk and stood still, and said: "Will any man
speak to Hallblithe, a newcomer, and a stranger in this Stead?"

Then that small voice made a word and said: "Why paceth the fool up and
down our hall, doing nothing, even as the Ravens flap croaking about the
crags, abiding the war-mote and the clash of the fallow blades?"

Said Hallblithe, and his voice sounded big in the hall: "Who calleth
Hallblithe a fool and mocketh at the sons of the Raven?"

Spake the voice: "Why cometh not the fool to the man that may not go to
him?"

Then Hallblithe bent forward to hearken, and he deemed that the voice
came from one of the shut-beds, so he leaned his spear against a pillar,
and went into the shut-bed he had noted, and saw where there lay along in
it a man exceeding old by seeming, sore wasted, with long hair as white
as snow lying over the bed-clothes.

When the elder saw Hallblithe, he laughed a thin cracked laugh as if in
mockery and said: "Hail newcomer! wilt thou eat?"

"Yea," said Hallblithe.

"Go thou into the buttery then," said the old carle, "and there shalt
thou find on the cupboard cakes and curds and cheese: eat thy fill, and
when thou hast done, look in the ingle, and thou shalt see a cask of mead
exceeding good, and a stoup thereby, and two silver cups; fill the stoup
and bring it hither with the cups; and then may we talk amidst of
drinking, which is good for an old carle. Hasten thou! or I shall deem
thee a double fool who will not fare to fetch his meat, though he be
hungry."

Then Hallblithe laughed, and went down the hall into the buttery and
found the meat, and ate his fill, and came away with the drink back to
the Long-hoary man, who chuckled as he came and said: "Fill up now for
thee and for me, and call a health to me and wish me somewhat."

"I wish thee luck," said Hallblithe, and drank. Said the elder: "And I
wish thee more wits; is luck all that thou mayst wish me? What luck may
an outworn elder have?"

"Well then," quoth Hallblithe, "what shall I wish thee? Wouldst thou
have me wish thee youth?"

"Yea, certes," said the Long-hoary, "that and nought else."

"Youth then I wish thee, if i