世界尽头的那口井-CHAPTER 3 Ralph Cometh to the Cheaping-Town
He slept in an upper chamber in a turret of the House, which chamber
was his own, and none might meddle with it. There the next day he
awoke in the dawning, and arose and clad himself, and took his wargear
and his sword and spear, and bore all away without doors to the side of
the Ford in that ingle of the river, and laid it for a while in a
little willow copse, so that no chance-comer might see it; then he went
back to the stable of the House and took his destrier from the stall
(it was a dapple-grey horse called Falcon, and was right good,) and
brought him down to the said willow copse, and tied him to a tree till
he had armed himself amongst the willows, whence he came forth
presently as brisk-looking and likely a man-at-arms as you might see on
a summer day. Then he clomb up into the saddle, and went his ways
splashing across the ford, before the sun had arisen, while the
throstle-cocks were yet amidst their first song.
Then he rode on a little trot south away; and by then the sun was up he
was without the bounds of Upmeads; albeit in the land thereabout dwelt
none who were not friends to King Peter and his sons: and that was
well, for now were folk stirring and were abroad in the fields; as a
band of carles going with their scythes to the hay-field; or a maiden
with her milking-pails going to her kine, barefoot through the seeding
grass; or a company of noisy little lads on their way to the nearest
pool of the stream that they might bathe in the warm morning after the
warm night. All these and more knew him and his armour and Falcon his
horse, and gave him the sele of the day, and he was nowise troubled at
meeting them; for besides that they thought it no wonder to meet one of
the lords of Upmeads going armed about his errands, their own errands
were close at home, and it was little likely that they should go that
day so far as to Upmeads Water, seeing that it ran through the meadows
a half-score miles to the north-ward.
So Ralph rode on, and came into the high road, that led one way back
again into Upmeads, and crossed the Water by a fair bridge late builded
between King Peter and a house of Canons on the north side, and the
other way into a good cheaping-town hight Wulstead, beyond which Ralph
knew little of the world which lay to the south, and seemed to him a
wondrous place, full of fair things and marvellous adventures.
So he rode till he came into the town when the fair morning was still
young, the first mass over, and maids gathered about the fountain
amidst the market-place, and two or three dames sitting under the
buttercross. Ralph rode straight up to the house of a man whom he
knew, and had often given him guesting there, and he himself was not
seldom seen in the High House of Upmeads. This man was a merchant, who
went and came betwixt men's houses, and bought and sold many things
needful and pleasant to folk, and King Peter dealt with him much and
often. Now he stood in the door of his house, which was new and
goodly, sniffing the sweet scents which the morning wind bore into the
town; he was clad in a goodly long gown of grey welted with silver, of
thin cloth meet for the summer-tide: for little he wrought with his
hands, but much with his tongue; he was a man of forty summers,
ruddy-faced and black-bearded, and he was called Clement Chapman.
When he saw Ralph he smiled kindly on him, and came and held his
stirrup as he lighted down, and said: "Welcome, lord! Art thou come
to give me a message, and eat and drink in a poor huckster's house, and
thou armed so gallantly?"
Ralph laughed merrily, for he was hungry, and he said: "Yea, I will eat
and drink with thee and kiss my gossip, and go my ways."
Therewith the carle led him into the house; and if it were goodly
without, within it was better. For there was a fair chamber panelled
with wainscot well carven, and a cupboard of no sorry vessels of silver
and latten: the chairs and stools as fair as might be; no king's might
be better: the windows were glazed, and there were flowers and knots
and posies in them; and the bed was hung with goodly web from over sea
such as the soldan useth. Also, whereas the chapman's ware-bowers were
hard by the chamber, there was a pleasant mingled smell therefrom
floating about. The table was set with meat and drink and vessel of
pewter and earth, all fair and good; and thereby stood the chapman's
wife, a very goodly woman of two-score years, who had held Ralph at the
font when she was a slim damsel new wedded; for she was come of no mean
kindred of the Kingdom of Upmeads: her name was Dame Katherine.
Now she kissed Ralph's cheek friendly, and said: "Welcome, gossip! thou
art here in good time to break thy fast; and we will give thee a trim
dinner thereafter, when thou hast been here and there in the town and
done thine errand; and then shalt thou drink a cup and sing me a song,
and so home again in the cool of the evening."
Ralph seemed a little troubled at her word, and he said: "Nay, gossip,
though I thank thee for all these good things as though I had them, yet
must I ride away south straightway after I have breakfasted, and said
one word to the goodman. Goodman, how call ye the next town southward,
and how far is it thither?"
Quoth Clement: "My son, what hast thou to do with riding south? As
thou wottest, going hence south ye must presently ride the
hill-country; and that is no safe journey for a lonely man, even if he
be a doughty knight like to thee, lord."
Said Ralph, reddening withal: "I have an errand that way."
"An errand of King Peter's or thine own?" said Clement.
"Of King Peter's, if ye must wot," said Ralph.
Clement were no chapman had he not seen that the lad was lying; so he
said:
"Fair lord, saving your worship, how would it be as to the speeding of
King Peter's errand, if I brought thee before our mayor, and swore the
peace against thee; so that I might keep thee in courteous prison till
I had sent to thy father of thy whereabouts?"
The young man turned red with anger; but ere he could speak Dame
Katherine said sharply: "Hold thy peace, Clement! What hast thou to
meddle or make in the matter? If our young lord hath will to ride out
and see the world, why should we let him? Yea, why should his father
let him, if it come to that? Take my word for it that my gossip shall
go through the world and come back to those that love him, as goodly as
he went forth. And hold! here is for a token thereof."
Therewith she went to an ark that stood in the corner, and groped in
the till thereof and brought out a little necklace of blue and green
stones with gold knobs betwixt, like a pair of beads; albeit neither
pope nor priest had blessed them; and tied to the necklace was a little
box of gold with something hidden therein. This gaud she gave to
Ralph, and said to him: "Gossip, wear this about thy neck, and let no
man take it from thee, and I think it will be salvation to thee in
peril, and good luck to thee in the time of questing; so that it shall
be to thee as if thou hadst drunk of the WELL AT THE WORLD'S END."
"What is that water?" said Ralph, "and how may I find it?"
"I know not rightly," she said, "but if a body might come by it, I hear
say it saveth from weariness and wounding and sickness; and it winneth
love from all, and maybe life everlasting. Hast thou not heard tell of
it, my husband?"
"Yea," said the chapman, "many times; and how that whoso hath drunk
thereof hath the tongue that none may withstand, whether in buying or
selling, or prevailing over the hearts of men in any wise. But as for
its wherabouts, ye shall not find it in these parts. Men say that it
is beyond the Dry Tree; and that is afar, God wot! But now, lord
Ralph, I rede thee go back again this evening with Andrew, my nephew,
for company: forsooth, he will do little less gainful than riding with
thee to Upmeads than if he abide in Wulstead; for he is idle. But, my
lord, take it not amiss that I spake about the mayor and the tipstaves;
for it was but a jest, as thou mayest well wot."
Ralph's face cleared at that word, and he stood smiling, weighing the
chaplet in his hand; but Dame Katherine said:
"Dear gossip, do it on speedily; for it is a gift from me unto thee:
and from a gossip even king's sons may take a gift."
Quoth Ralph: "But is it lawful to wear it? is there no wizardry within
it?"
"Hearken to him!" she said, "and how like unto a man he speaketh; if
there were a brawl in the street, he would strike in and ask no word
thereof, not even which were the better side: whereas here is my
falcon-chick frighted at a little gold box and a pair of Saracen beads."
"Well," quoth Ralph, "the first holy man I meet shall bless them for
me."
"That shall he not," said the dame, "that shall he not. Who wotteth
what shall betide to thee or me if he do so? Come, do them on, and
then to table! For seest thou not that the goodman is wearying for
meat? and even thine eyes will shine the brighter for a mouthful,
king's son and gossip."
She took him by the hand and did the beads on his neck and kissed and
fondled him before he sat down, while the goodman looked on, grinning
rather sheepishly, but said nought to them; and only called on his boy
to lead the destrier to stable. So when they were set down, the
chapman took up the word where it had been dropped, and said: "So,
Lord Ralph, thou must needs take to adventures, being, as thou deemest,
full grown. That is all one as the duck taketh to water despite of the
hen that hath hatched her. Well, it was not to be thought that Upmeads
would hold you lords much longer. Or what is gone with my lords your
brethren?"
Said Ralph: "They have departed at all adventure, north, east, and
west, each bearing our father's blessing and a bag of pennies. And to
speak the truth, goodman, for I perceive I am no doctor at lying, my
father and mother would have me stay at home when my brethren were
gone, and that liketh me not; therefore am I come out to seek my luck
in the world: for Upmeads is good for a star-gazer, maybe, or a
simpler, or a priest, or a worthy good carle of the fields, but not for
a king's son with the blood running hot in his veins. Or what sayest
thou, gossip?"
Quoth the dame: "I could weep for thy mother; but for thee nought at
all. It is good that thou shouldest do thy will in the season of youth
and the days of thy pleasure. Yea, and I deem that thou shalt come
back again great and worshipful; and I am called somewhat foreseeing.
Only look to it that thou keep the pretty thing that I have just given
thee."
"Well," said the chapman, "this is fine talk about pleasure and the
doing of one's will; nevertheless a whole skin is good wares, though it
be not to be cheapened in any market of the world. Now, lord, go thou
where thou wilt, whether I say go or abide; and forsooth I am no man of
King Peter's, that I should stay thee. As for the name of the next
town, it is called Higham-on-the-Way, and is a big town plenteous of
victuals, with strong walls and a castle, and a very rich abbey of
monks: and there is peace within its walls, because the father abbot
wages a many men to guard him and his, and to uphold his rights against
all comers; wherein he doth wisely, and also well. For much folk
flocketh to his town and live well therein; and there is great recourse
of chapmen thither. No better market is there betwixt this and
Babylon. Well, Sir Ralph, I rede thee if thou comest unhurt to
Higham-on-the-Way, go no further for this time, but take service with
the lord abbot, and be one of his men of war; thou may'st then become
his captain if thou shouldest live; which would be no bad adventure for
one who cometh from Upmeads."
Ralph looked no brighter for this word, and he answered nought to it:
but said presently:
"And what is to be looked for beyond Higham if one goeth further? Dost
thou know the land any further?"
The carle smiled: "Yea forsooth, and down to the Wood Perilous, and
beyond it, and the lands beyond the Wood; and far away through them. I
say not that I have been to the Dry Tree; but I have spoken to one who
hath heard of him who hath seen it; though he might not come by a
draught of the Well at the World's End."
Ralph's eyes flashed, and his cheeks reddened as he listened hereto;
but he spake quietly:
"Master Clement, how far dost thou make it to Higham-on-the-Way?"
"A matter of forty miles," said the Chapman; "because, as thou wottest,
if ye ride south from hence, ye shall presently bring your nose up
against the big downs, and must needs climb them at once; and when ye
are at the top of Bear Hill, and look south away ye shall see nought
but downs on downs with never a road to call a road, and never a
castle, or church, or homestead: nought but some shepherd's hut; or at
the most the little house of a holy man with a little chapel thereby in
some swelly of the chalk, where the water hath trickled into a pool;
for otherwise the place is waterless." Therewith he took a long pull at
the tankard by his side, and went on:
"Higham is beyond all that, and out into the fertile plain; and a
little river hight Coldlake windeth about the meadows there; and it is
a fair land; though look you the wool of the downs is good, good, good!
I have foison of this year's fleeces with me. Ye shall raise none such
in Upmeads."
Ralph sat silent a little, as if pondering, and then he started up and
said: "Good master Clement, we have eaten thy meat and thank thee for
that and other matters. Wilt thou now be kinder, and bid thy boy bring
round Falcon our horse; for we have far to go, and must begone
straight-away."
"Yea, lord," said Clement, "even so will I do." And he muttered under
his breath; "Thou talkest big, my lad, with thy 'we'; but thou art
pressed lest Nicholas be here presently to fetch thee back; and to say
sooth I would his hand were on thy shoulder even now."
Then he spake aloud again, and said:
"I must now begone to my lads, and I will send one round with thy
war-horse. But take my rede, my lord, and become the man of the Abbot
of St. Mary's of Higham, and all will be well."
Therewith he edged himself out of the chamber, and the dame fell to
making a mighty clatter with the vessel and trenchers and cups on the
board, while Ralph walked up and down the chamber his war-gear jingling
upon him. Presently the dame left her table-clatter and came up to
Ralph and looked kindly into his face and said: "Gossip, hast thou
perchance any money?"
He flushed up red, and then his face fell; yet he spake gaily: "Yea,
gossip, I have both white and red: there are three golden crowns in my
pouch, and a little flock of silver pennies: forsooth I say not as many
as would reach from here to Upmeads, if they were laid one after the
other."
She smiled and patted his cheek, and said:
"Thou art no very prudent child, king's son. But it comes into my mind
that my master did not mean thee to go away empty-handed; else had he
not departed and left us twain together."
Therewith she went to the credence that stood in a corner, and opened a
drawer therein and took out a little bag, and gave it into Ralph's
hand, and said: "This is the gift of the gossip; and thou mayst take
it without shame; all the more because if thy father had been a worser
man, and a harder lord he would have had more to give thee. But now
thou hast as much or more as any one of thy brethren."
He took the bag smiling and shame-faced, but she looked on him fondly
and said:
"Now I know not whether I shall lay old Nicholas on thine heels when he
cometh after thee, as come he will full surely; or whether I shall
suffer the old sleuth-hound nose out thy slot of himself, as full
surely he will set on to it."
"Thou mightest tell him," said Ralph, "that I am gone to take service
with the Abbot of St. Mary's of Higham: hah?"
She laughed and said: "Wilt thou do so, lord, and follow the rede of
that goodman of mine, who thinketh himself as wise as Solomon?"
Ralph smiled and answered her nothing.
"Well," she said, "I shall say what likes me when the hour is at hand.
Lo, here! thine horse. Abide yet a moment of time, and then go whither
thou needs must, like the wind of the summer day."
Therewith she went out of the chamber and came back again with a scrip
which she gave to Ralph and said: "Herein is a flask of drink for the
waterless country, and a little meat for the way. Fare thee well,
gossip! Little did I look for it when I rose up this morning and
nothing irked me save the dulness of our town, and the littleness of
men's doings therein, that I should have to cut off a piece of my life
from me this morning, and say, farewell gossip, as now again I do."
Therewith she kissed him on either cheek and embraced him; and it might
be said of her and him that she let him go thereafter; for though as
aforesaid he loved her, and praised her kindness, he scarce understood
the eagerness of her love for him; whereas moreover she saw him not so
often betwixt Upmeads and Wulstead: and belike she herself scarce
understood it. Albeit she was a childless woman.
So when he had got to horse, she watched him riding a moment, and saw
how he waved his hand to her as he turned the corner of the
market-place, and how a knot of lads and lasses stood staring on him
after she lost sight of him. Then she turned her back into the chamber
and laid her head on the table and wept. Then came in the goodman
quietly and stood by her and she heeded him not. He stood grinning
curiously on her awhile, and then laid his hand on her shoulder, and
said as she raised her face to him:
"Sweetheart, it availeth nought; when thou wert young and exceeding
fair, he was but a little babe, and thou wert looking in those days to
have babes of thine own; and then it was too soon: and now that he is
such a beauteous young man, and a king's son withal, and thou art
wedded to a careful carle of no weak heart, and thou thyself art more
than two-score years old, it is too late. Yet thou didst well to give
our lord the money. Lo! here is wherewithal to fill up the lack in thy
chest; and here is a toy for thee in place of the pair of beads thou
gavest him; and I bid thee look on it as if I had given him my share of
the money and the beads."
She turned to Clement, and took the bag of money, and the chaplet which
he held out to her, and she said: "God wot thou art no ill man, my
husband, but would God I had a son like to him!"
She still wept somewhat; but the chapman said: "Let it rest there,
sweetheart! let it rest there! It may be a year or twain before thou
seest him again: and then belike he shall be come back with some woman
whom he loves better than any other; and who knows but in a way he may
deem himself our son. Meanwhile thou hast done well, sweetheart, so be
glad."
Therewith he kissed her and went his ways to his merchandize, and she
to the ordering of her house, grieved but not unhappy.