CHAPTER 12
The Roads Sunder Again
Ralph and Ursula, with the Sage and Michael-a-dale went their ways, andall was smooth with them, and they saw but few folk, and those mild andlowly. At last, of an afternoon, they saw before them afar off thetowers and pinnacles of Whitwall, and Ralph's heart rose within him, sothat he scarce knew how to contain himself; but Ursula was shy andsilent, and her colour came and went, as though some fear had hold ofher. Now they two were riding on somewhat ahead of the others, soRalph turned to Ursula, and asked what ailed her. She smiled on himand said: "A simple sickness. I am drawing nigh to thy home, and I amashamed. Beyond the mountains, who knew what and whence I was? I wasfair, and for a woman not unvaliant, and that was enough. But now whenI am coming amongst the baronages and the lineages, what shall I do tohold up my head before the fools and the dastards of these highkindreds? And that all the more, my knight, because thou art changedsince yester-year, and since we met on the want-way of the WoodPerilous, when I bade thee remember that thou wert a King's son and I ayeoman's daughter; for then thou wert but a lad, high-born andbeautiful, but simple maybe, and untried; whereas now thou art meet tosit in the Kaiser's throne and rule the world from the Holy City."
He laughed gaily and said: "What! is it all so soon forgotten, ourdeeds beyond the Mountains? Belike because we had no minstrel to rhymeit for us. Or is it all but a dream? and has the last pass of themountains changed all that for us? What then! hast thou never becomemy beloved, nor lain in one bed with me? Thou whom I looked to deliverfrom the shame and the torment of Utterbol, never didst thou freethyself without my helping, and meet me in the dark wood, and lead meto the Sage who rideth yonder behind us! No, nor didst thou ridefearless with me, leaving the world behind; nor didst thou comfort mewhen my heart went nigh to breaking in the wilderness! Nor thee did Ideliver as I saw thee running naked from the jaws of death. Nor werewe wedded in the wilderness far from our own folk. Nor didst thoudeliver me from the venom of the Dry Tree. Yea verily, nor did wedrink together of the Water of the Well! It is all but tales ofSwevenham, a blue vapour hanging on the mountains yonder! So be itthen! And here we ride together, deedless, a man and a maid of whom notale may be told. What next then, and who shall sunder us?"
Therewith he drew his sword from the sheath, and tossed it into theair, and caught it by the hilts as it came down, and he cried out:"Hearken, Ursula! By my sword I swear it, that when I come home to thelittle land, if my father and my mother and all my kindred fall notdown before thee and worship thee, then will I be a man withoutkindred, and I will turn my back on the land I love, and the Housewherein I was born, and will win for thee and me a new kindred that allthe world shall tell of. So help me Saint Nicholas, and all Hallows,and the Mother of God!"
She looked on him with exceeding love, and said: "Ah, beloved, howfair thou art! Is it not as I said, yea, and more, that now lieth theworld at thy feet, if thou wilt stoop to pick it up? Believe me,sweet, all folk shall see this as I see it, and shall judge betwixtthee and me, and deem me naught."
"Beloved," he said, "thou dost not wholly know thyself; and I deem thatthe mirrors of steel serve thee but ill; and now must thou havesomewhat else for a mirror, to wit, the uprising and increase oftrouble concerning thee and thy fairness, and the strife of them thatlove thee overmuch, who shall strive to take thee from me; and then theblade that hath seen the Well at the World's End shall come out of hissheath and take me and thee from the hubbub, and into the quiet fieldsof my father's home, and then shalt thou be learned of thyself, whenthou seest that thou art the desire of all hearts."
"Ah, the wisdom of thee," she said, "and thy valiancy, and I am becomefeeble and foolish before thee! What shall I do then?"
He said: "Many a time shall it be shown what thou shalt do; but hereand now is the highway dry and long, and the plain meads and acres oneither hand, and a glimmer of Whitwall afar off, and the little cloudof dust about us two in the late spring weather; and the Sage andMichael riding behind us, and smiting dust from the hard road. And nowif this also be a dream, let it speedily begone, and let us wake up inthe ancient House at Upmeads, which thou hast never seen--and thou andI in each other's arms."
The Well at the World's End: A Tale Page 100
