CHAPTER 18
Of Ralph in the Castle of Abundance
Broad lay the sun upon the plain amidst the wildwood when he awoke andsprang out of bed and looked out of the window (for the chamber was inthe gable of the hall and there was nought of the castle beyond it). Itwas but little after noon of a fair June day, for Ralph had slumberedas it behoved a young man. The light wind bore into the chamber thesweet scents of the early summer, the chief of all of them being thesavour of the new-cut grass, for about the wide meadows the carles andqueens were awork at the beginning of hay harvest; and late as it wasin the day, more than one blackbird was singing from the bushes of thecastle pleasance. Ralph sighed for very pleasure of life before he hadyet well remembered where he was or what had befallen of late; but ashe stood at the window and gazed over the meadows, and the memory ofall came back to him, he sighed once more for a lack of somewhat thatcame into his heart, and he smiled shamefacedly, though there was noone near, as his thought bade him wonder if amongst the haymaking womenyonder there were any as fair as those yellow-clad thrall-women of theBurg; and as he turned from the window a new hope made his heart beat,for he deemed that he had been brought to that house that he might meetsome one who should change his life and make him a new man.
So he did on his raiment and went his ways down to the hall, and lookedabout for Roger, but found him not, nor any one else save the carline,who presently came in from the buttery, and of whom he asked, where wasRoger. Quoth she: "He has been gone these six hours, but hath left aword for thee, lord, to wit, that he beseeches thee to abide him herefor two days at the least, and thereafter thou art free to go if thouwilt. But as for me" (and therewith she smiled on him as sweetly asher wrinkled old face might compass) "I say to thee, abide beyond thosetwo days if Roger cometh not, and as long as thou art here I will makethee all the cheer I may. And who knoweth but thou mayest meet worthyadventures here. Such have ere now befallen good knights in this houseor anigh it."
"I thank thee, mother," quoth Ralph, "and it is like that I may abidehere beyond the two days if the adventure befall me not ere then. Butat least I will bide the eating of my dinner here to-day."
"Well is thee, fair lord," said the carline. "If thou wilt but walk inthe meadow but a little half hour all shall be ready for thee.Forsooth it had been dight before now, but that I waited thy comingforth from thy chamber, for I would not wake thee. And the saints bepraised for the long sweet sleep that hath painted thy goodly cheeks."So saying she hurried off to the buttery, leaving Ralph laughing at heroutspoken flattering words.
Then he got him out of the hall and the castle, for no door was shut,and there was no man to be seen within or about the house. So hewalked to and fro the meadow and saw the neat-herds in the pasture, andthe hay-making folk beyond them, and the sound of their voices came tohim on the little airs that were breathing. He thought he would talkto some of these folk ere the world was much older, and also he notedbetween the river and the wood many cots of the husbandmen trimlybuilded and thatched, and amidst them a little church, white anddelicate of fashion; but as now his face was set toward the riverbecause of the hot day. He came to a pool a little below where awooden foot-bridge crossed the water, and about the pool were willowsgrowing, which had not been shrouded these eight years, and the waterwas clear as glass with a bottom of fine sand. There then he bathedhim, and as he sported in the water he bethought him of the long smoothreaches of Upmeads Water, and the swimming low down amidst the longswinging weeds between the chuckle of the reed sparrows, when the sunwas new risen in the July morning. When he stood on the grass again,what with the bright weather and fair little land, what with thefreshness of the water, and his good rest, and the hope of adventure tocome, he felt as if he had never been merrier in his life-days. Withalit was a weight off his heart that he had escaped from the turmoil ofthe wars of the Burg of the Four Friths, and the men of the Dry Tree,and the Wheat-wearers, with the thralldom and stripes and fire-raising,and the hard life of strife and gain of the walled town and strongplace.
When he came back to the castle gate there was the carline in thewicket peering out to right and left, seeking him to bring him in todinner. And when she saw him so joyous, with his lips smiling and hiseyes dancing for mirth, she also became joyous, and said: "Verily, itis a pity of thee that there is never a fair damsel or so to look onthee and love thee here to-day. Far would many a maiden run to kiss thymouth, fair lad. But now come to thy meat, that thou mayest grow thefairer and last the longer."
He laughed gaily and went into the hall with her, and now was it welldight with bankers and dorsars of goodly figured cloth, and on thewalls a goodly halling of arras of the Story of Alexander. So he satto table, and the meat and drink was of the best, and the carlineserved him, praising him ever with fulsome words as he ate, till hewished her away.
After dinner he rested awhile, and called to the carline and bade herbring him his sword and his basnet. "Wherefore?" said she. "Whitherwilt thou?"
Said he, "I would walk abroad to drink the air."
"Wilt thou into the wildwood?" said she.
"Nay, mother," he said, "I will but walk about the meadow and look onthe hay-making folk."
"For that," said the carline, "thou needest neither sword nor helm. Iwas afeard that thou wert about departing, and thy departure would be agrief to my heart: in the deep wood thou mightest be so bestead as toneed a sword in thy fist; but what shouldst thou do with it in thisPlain of Abundance, where are nought but peaceful husbandmen and frankand kind maidens? and all these are as if they had drunk a draught ofthe WELL AT THE WORLD'S END."
Ralph started as she said the word, but held his peace awhile. Then hesaid: "And who is lord of this fair land?" "There is no lord, but alady," said the carline. "How hight she?" said Ralph. "We call herthe Lady of Abundance," said the old woman. Said Ralph: "Is she agood lady?" "She is my lady," said the carline, "and doeth good to me,and there is not a carle in the land but speaketh well of her--it maybe over well." "Is she fair to look on?" said Ralph. "Of women-folkthere is none fairer," said the carline; "as to men, that is anotherthing."
Ralph was silent awhile, then he said: "What is the Well at theWorld's End?"
"They talk of it here," said she, "many things too long to tell of now:but there is a book in this house that telleth of it; I know it well bythe look of it though I may not read in it. I will seek it for theeto-morrow if thou wilt."
"Have thou thanks, dame," said he; "and I pray thee forget it not; butnow I will go forth."
"Yea," said the carline, "but abide a little."
Therewith she went into the buttery, and came back bearing with her agarland of roses of the garden, intermingled with green leaves, and shesaid: "The sun is yet hot and over hot, do this on thine head to shadethee from the burning. I knew that thou wouldst go abroad to-day, so Imade this for thee in the morning; and when I was young I was calledthe garland-maker. It is better summer wear than thy basnet."
He thanked her and did it on smiling, but somewhat ruefully; for hesaid to himself: "This is over old a dame that I should wear alove-token from her." But when it was on his head, the old dameclapped her hands and cried: "O there, there! Now art thou like theimage of St. Michael in the Choir of Our Lady of the Thorn: there isnone so lovely as thou. I would my Lady could see thee thus; surelythe sight of thee should gladden her heart. And withal thou art notill clad otherwise."
Indeed his raiment was goodly, for his surcoat was new, and it was offine green cloth, and the coat-armour of Upmead was beaten on it, towit, on a gold ground an apple-tree fruited, standing by a river-side.
Now he laughed somewhat uneasily at her words, and so went forth fromthe castle again, and made straight for the hay-making folk on theother side of the water; for all this side was being fed by beasts andsheep; but at the point where he crossed, the winding of the streambrought it near to the castle gate. So he came up with the countryfolk and greeted them, and they did as much
by him in courteous words:they were goodly and well-shapen, both men and women, gay and joyous ofdemeanour and well clad as for folk who work afield. So Ralph wentfrom one to another and gave them a word or two, and was well pleasedto watch them at their work awhile; but yet he would fain speaksomewhat more with one or other of them. At last under the shade of atall elm-tree he saw an old man sitting heeding the outer raiment ofthe haymakers and their victual and bottles of drink; and he came up tohim and gave him the sele of the day; and the old man blessed him andsaid: "Art thou dwelling in my lady's castle, fair lord?" "A while atleast," said Ralph. Said the old man: "We thank thee for coming to seeus; and meseemeth from the look of thee thou art worthy to dwell in myLady's House."
"What sayest thou?" said Ralph. "Is she a good lady and a gracious?""O yea, yea," said the carle. Said Ralph: "Thou meanest, I suppose,that she is fair to look on, and soft-spoken when she is pleased?"
"I mean far more than that," said the carle; "surely is she mostheavenly fair, and her voice is like the music of heaven: but withalher deeds, and the kindness of her to us poor men and husbandmen, areno worse than should flow forth from that loveliness."
"Will you be her servants?" said Ralph, "or what are ye?" Said thecarle: "We be yeomen and her vavassors; there is no thralldom in ourland." "Do ye live in good peace for the more part?" said Ralph. Saidthe carle: "Time has been when cruel battles were fought in thesewood-lawns, and many poor people were destroyed therein: but that wasbefore the coming of the Lady of Abundance."
"And when was that?" said Ralph. "I wot not," said the old carle; "Iwas born in peace and suckled in peace; and in peace I fell to theloving of maidens, and I wedded in peace, and begat children in peace,and in peace they dwell about me, and in peace shall I depart."
"What then," said Ralph (and a grievous fear was born in his heart),"is not the Lady of Abundance young?" Said the carle: "I have seen herwhen I was young and also since I have been old, and ever was she fairand lovely, and slender handed, as straight as a spear, and as sweet aswhite clover, and gentle-voiced and kind, and dear to our souls."
"Yea," said Ralph, "and she doth not dwell in this castle always; whereelse then doth she dwell?" "I wot not," said the carle, "but it shouldbe in heaven: for when she cometh to us all our joys increase in us bythe half."
"Look you, father," said Ralph, "May it not have been more than oneLady of Abundance that thou hast seen in thy life-days; and that thisone that now is, is the daughter's daughter of the one whom thou firstsawest--how sayest thou?" The carle laughed: "Nay, nay," said he,"It is not so: never has there been another like to her in all ways, inbody and voice, and heart and soul. It is as I say, she is the same asshe was always." "And when," said Ralph, with a beating heart, "doesshe come hither? Is it at some set season?" "Nay, from time to time,at all seasons," said the carle; "and as fair she is when she goethover the snow, as when her feet are set amidst the June daisies."
Now was Ralph so full of wonder that he scarce knew what to say; but hebethought him of that fair waste on the other side of the forest, thecountry through which that wide river flowed, so he said: "And thatland north-away beyond the wildwood, canst thou tell me the tale of itswars, and if it were wasted in the same wars that tormented this land?"The carle shook his head: "As to the land beyond this wood," quoth he,"I know nought of it, for beyond the wood go we never: nay, most oftenwe go but a little way into it, no further than we can see the glimmerof the open daylight through its trees,--the daylight of the land ofAbundance--that is enough for us."
"Well," said Ralph, "I thank thee for the tale thou hast told me, andwish thee more years of peace."
"And to thee, young man," said the carle, "I wish a good wish indeed,to wit that thou mayest see the Lady of Abundance here before thoudepartest."
His words once more made Ralph's heart beat and his cheek flush, and hewent back to the castle somewhat speedily; for he said to himself,after the folly of lovers, "Maybe she will be come even now, and I notthere to meet her." Yet when he came to the castle-gate his heartmisgave him, and he would not enter at once, but turned about to goround the wall by the north and west. In the castle he saw no soulsave the old dame looking out of the window and nodding to him, but inthe pasture all about were neatherds and shepherds, both men and women;and at the north-west corner, whereas the river drew quite close to thewall, he came upon two damsels of the field-folk fishing with an anglein a quiet pool of the stream. He greeted them, and they, who wereyoung and goodly, returned his greeting, but were shamefaced at hisgallant presence, as indeed was he at the thoughts of his heart mingledwith the sight of their fairness. So he passed on at first withoutmore words than his greeting. Yet presently he turned back again, forhe longed to hear some word more concerning the Lady whose coming heabode. They stood smiling and blushing as he came up to them again,and heeded their angles little.
Said Ralph: "Fair maidens, do ye know at all when the Lady of thecastle may be looked for?" They were slow to answer, but at last onesaid: "No, fair sir, such as we know nothing of the comings and goingsof great folk."
Said Ralph, smiling on her for kindness, and pleasure of her fairness:"Is it not so that ye will be glad of her coming?"
But she answered never a word, only looked at him steadily, with hergreat grey eyes fixed in wonderment, while the other one looked down asif intent on her angling tools.
Ralph knew not how to ask another question, so he turned about with agreeting word again, and this time went on steadily round about thewall.
And now in his heart waxed the desire of that Lady, once seen, as hedeemed, in such strange wise; but he wondered within himself if thedevil had not sown that longing within him: whereas it might be thatthis woman on whom he had set his heart was herself no real woman but adevil, and one of the goddesses of the ancient world, and his heart wassore and troubled by many doubts and hopes and fears; but he said tohimself that when he saw her then could he judge between the good andthe evil, and could do or forbear, and that the sight of her would cureall.
Thus thinking he walked swiftly, and was soon round at the castle gateagain, and entered, and went into the hall, where was the old dame,busied about some household matter. Ralph nodded to her and hastenedaway, lest she should fall to talk with him; and he set himself now togo from chamber to chamber, that he might learn the castle, what itwas. He came into the guard-chamber and found the walls thereof allhung with armour and weapons, clean and in good order, though there wasnever a man-at-arms there, nor any soul except the old woman. He wentup a stair therefrom on to the battlements, and went into the towers ofthe wall, and found weapons both for hand, and for cast and shot ineach one of them, and all ready as if for present battle; then he camedown into the court again and went into a very goodly ambulatory overagainst the hall, and he entered a door therefrom, which was but on thelatch, and went up a little stair into a chamber, which was thegoodliest and the richest of all. Its roof was all done with gold andblue from over sea, and its pavement wrought delicately in Alexandrinework. On the dais was a throne of carven ivory, and above it a canopyof baudekin of the goodliest fashion, and there was a foot-carpetbefore it, wrought with beasts and the hunting of the deer. As for thewalls of that chamber, they were hung with a marvellous halling ofarras, wherein was wrought the greenwood, and there amidst in one placea pot-herb garden, and a green garth with goats therein, and in thatgarth a little thatched house. And amidst all this greenery werefigured over and over again two women, whereof one old and the otheryoung; and the old one was clad in grand attire, with gold chains andbrooches and rings, and sat with her hands before her by the housedoor, or stood looking on as the young one worked, spinning or diggingin the garth, or milking the goats outside of it, or what not; and thisone was clad in sorry and scanty raiment.
What all this might mean Ralph knew not; but when he had looked long atthe greenery and its images, he said to himself that if he who wroughtthat cloth had not done the young woman after the likeness
of the Ladywhom he had helped in the wildwood, then it must have been done fromher twin sister.
Long he abode in that chamber looking at the arras, and wonderingwhether the sitter in the ivory throne would be any other than thethrall in the greenwood cot. He abode there so long that the duskbegan to gather in the house, and he could see the images no more; forhe was filled with the sweetness of desire when he looked on them.
Then he went back slowly to the hall, and found the carline, who hadlighted the waxlights and made meat ready for him; and when she saw himshe cried out joyously: "Ah, I knew that thou wouldst come back. Artthou well content with our little land?"
"I like it well, dame," said he; "but tell me, if thou canst, what isthe meaning of the halling in the chamber with the ivory throne?"
Said the carline: "Thereof shall another tell thee, who can tell of itbetter than I; but it is nought to hide that yonder chamber is thechamber of estate of our Lady, and she sitteth there to hear the casesof folk and to give dooms."
The old woman crossed herself as she spoke, and Ralph wondered thereat,but asked no more questions, for he was scarce sorry that the carlinewould not tell him thereof, lest she should spoil the tale.
So passed the evening, and he went to bed and slept as a young manshould, and the next day he was up betimes and went abroad and mingledwith the carles and queens afield; but this time he spake not of theLady, and heard nought to heed from any of that folk. So he went backto the castle and gat him a bow and arrows, and entered the thicket ofthe wood nigh where he and Roger first came out of it. He had prayed ayoung man of the folk to go with him, but he was not over willing togo, though he would not say wherefore. So Ralph went himself byhimself and wandered some way into the wood, and saw nought worse thanhimself. As he came back, making a circuit toward the open meadows, hehappened on a herd of deer in a lonely place, half wood half meadow,and there he slew a hart with one shaft, for he was a deft bowman.Then he went and fetched a leash of carles, who went with him somewhatless than half willingly, and between them they broke up the hart andcarried him home to the castle, where the carline met them. She smiledon Ralph and praised the venison, and said withal that the hunting waswell done; "For, as fond and as fair as thou mayst be, it is not goodthat young men should have their minds set on one thing only."Therewith she led him in to his meat, and set him down and served him;and all the while of his dinner he was longing to ask her if she deemedthat the Lady would come that day, since it was the last day of thosewhich Roger had bidden him wait; but the words would not out of hismouth.
She looked at him and smiled, as though she had a guess of his thought,and at last she said to him: "Thy tongue is tied to-day. Hast thou,after all, seen something strange in the wood?" He shook his head fornaysay. Said she: "Why, then, dost thou not ask more concerning theWell at the World's End?"
He laughed, and said: "Maybe because I think that thou canst not tellme thereof." "Well," she said, "if I cannot, yet the book may, andthis evening, when the sun is down, thou shalt have it."
"I thank thee, mother," said he; "but this is now the last day thatRoger bade me wait. Dost thou think that he will come back to-night?"and he reddened therewith. "Nay," she said, "I know not, and thoucarest not whether he will come or not. Yet I know that thou wiltabide here till some one else come, whether that be early or late."Again he reddened, and said, in a coaxing way: "And wilt thou give meguesting, mother, for a few more summer days?"
"Yea," she said, "and till summer is over, if need be, and the corn iscut and carried, and till the winter is come and the latter end ofwinter is gone." He smiled faintly, though his heart fell, and hesaid: "Nay, mother, and can it by any chance be so long a-coming?"
"O, fair boy," she said, "thou wilt make it long, howsoever short itbe. And now I will give thee a rede, lest thou vex thyself sick andfret thy very heart. To-morrow go see if thou canst meet thy fateinstead of abiding it. Do on thy war-gear and take thy sword and trythe adventure of the wildwood; but go not over deep into it." Said he:"But how if the Lady come while I am away from this house?"
"Sooth to say," said the carline, "I deem not that she will, for theway is long betwixt us and her."
"Dost thou mean," said Ralph, standing up from the board, "that shewill not come ever? I adjure thee not to beguile me with soft words,but tell me the very sooth." "There, there!" said she, "sit down,king's son; eat thy meat and drink thy wine; for to-morrow is a newday. She will come soon or late, if she be yet in the world. And nowI will say no more to thee concerning this matter."
Therewith she went her ways from the hall, and when she came back withhand-basin and towel, she said no word to him, but only smiled kindly.He went out presently into the meadow (for it was yet but earlyafternoon) and came among the haymaking folk and spake with them,hoping that perchance some of them might speak again of the Lady ofAbundance; but none of them did so, though the old carle he had spokenwith was there, and there also were the two maidens whom he had seenfishing; and as for him, he was over faint-hearted to ask them any morequestions concerning her.
Yet he abode with them long, and ate and drank amidst the hay with themtill the moon shone brightly. Then he went back to the castle andfound the carline in the hall, and she had the book with her and gaveit to him, and he sat down in the shot-window under the waxlights andfell to reading of it.
The Well at the World's End: A Tale Page 19
