The Well at the World's End: A Tale

by William Morris

  CHAPTER 15

  Ralph Dreams a Dream Or Sees a Vision

  Therewithall they parted after more talk concerning small matters, andRalph wore through the day, but Richard again did him to wit, that onthe morrow he would find his old friends of Swevenham in the Market.And Ralph was come to life again more than he had been since that evilhour in the desert; though hard and hard he deemed it that he shouldnever see his love again.

  Now as befalleth young men, he was a good sleeper, and dreamed butseldom, save such light and empty dreams as he might laugh at, ifperchance he remembered them by then his raiment was on him in themorning. But that night him-seemed that he awoke in his chamber atWhitwall, and was lying on his bed, as he verily was, and the door ofthe chamber opened, and there entered quietly the Lady of the Woodland,dight even as he had seen her as she lay dead beside their cooking fireon that table of greensward in the wilderness, barefoot and garlandedabout her brow and her girdlestead, but fair and fresh coloured as shewas before the sword had pierced her side; and he thought that herejoiced to see her, but no wild hope rose in his heart, and no sobbingpassion blinded his eyes, nor did he stretch out hand to touch her,because he remembered that she was dead. But he thought she spake tohim and said: "I know that thou wouldst have me speak, therefore I saythat I am come to bid thee farewell, since there was no farewellbetween us in the wilderness, and I know that thou are about going on along and hard and perilous journey: and I would that I could kiss theeand embrace thee, but I may not, for this is but the image of me asthou hast known me. Furthermore, as I loved thee when I saw theefirst, for thy youth, and thy fairness, and thy kindness and thyvaliancy, so now I rejoice that all this shall endure so long in thee,as it surely shall."

  Then the voice ceased, but still the image stood before him awhile, andhe wondered if she would speak again, and tell him aught of the way tothe Well at the World's End; and she spake again: "Nay," she said, "Icannot, since we may not tread the way together hand in hand; and thisis part of the loss that thou hast had of me; and oh! but it is hardand hard." And her face became sad and distressful, and she turned anddeparted as she had come.

  Then he knew not if he awoke, or if it were a change in his dream; butthe chamber became dark about him, and he lay there thinking of her,till, as it seemed, day began to dawn, and there was some little stirin the world without, and the new wind moved the casement. And againthe door opened, and someone entered as before; and this also was awoman: green-clad she was and barefoot, yet he knew at once that itwas not his love that was dead, but the damsel of the ale-house ofBourton, whom he had last seen by the wantways of the Wood Perilous,and he thought her wondrous fair, fairer than he had deemed. And theword came from her: "I am a sending of the woman whom thou hast loved,and I should not have been here save she had sent me." Then the wordsended, while he looked at her and wondered if she also had died on theway to the Well at the World's End. And it came into his mind that hehad never known her name upon the earth. Then again came the word:"So it is that I am not dead but alive in the world, though I am faraway from this land; and it is good that thou shouldst go seek the Wellat the World's End not all alone: and the seeker may find me: andwhereas thou wouldst know my name, I hight Dorothea."

  So fell the words again: and this image stood awhile as the other haddone, and as the other had done, departed, and once more the chamberbecame dark, so that Ralph could not so much as see where was thewindow, and he knew no more till he woke in the early morn, and therewas stir in the street and the voice of men, and the scent of freshherbs and worts, and fruits; for it was market-day, and the countryfolk were early afoot, that they might array their wares timely in themarket-place.