The Well at the World's End: A Tale

by William Morris

  CHAPTER 21

  Talk Between Those Two Brethren

  Ralph asked Hugh first if he wotted aught of Gregory their brother.Hugh laughed and pointed to Higham, and said: "He is yonder." "What,"said Ralph, "in the Abbot's host?" "Yea," said Hugh, laughing again,"but in his spiritual, not his worldly host: he is turned monk,brother; that is, he is already a novice, and will be a brother of theAbbey in six months' space." Said Ralph: "And Launcelot Long-tongue,thy squire, how hath he sped?" Said Hugh: "He is yonder also, but inthe worldly host, not the spiritual: he is a sergeant of theirs, andsomewhat of a catch for them, for he is no ill man-at-arms, as thouwottest, and besides he adorneth everything with words, so that menhearken to him gladly." "But tell me," said Ralph, "how it befalleththat the Abbot's men of war be so churlish, and chary of the inside oftheir town; what have they to fear? Is not the Lord Abbot still amighty man?" Hugh shook his head: "There hath been a change of days atHigham; though I say not but that the knights are over careful, andmuch over fearful." "What has the change been?" said Ralph. Hughsaid: "In time past my Lord Abbot was indeed a mighty man, and boththis town of Higham was well garnished of men-at-arms, and also many ofhis manors had castles and strong-houses on them, and the yeomen wereready to run to their weapons whenso the gathering was blown. Inshort, Higham was as mighty as it was wealthy; and the Abbot's men hadnaught to do with any, save with thy friends here who bear the TreeLeafless; all else feared those holy walls and the well-blessed men whowarded them. But the Dry Tree feared, as men said, neither man nordevil (and I hope it may be so still since they are become thyfriends), and they would whiles lift in the Abbot's lands when they hadno merrier business on hand, and not seldom came to their above intheir dealings with his men. But all things come to an end; for, as Iam told, some year and a half ago, the Abbot had debate with theWestland Barons, who both were and are ill men to deal with, being bothhungry and doughty. The quarrel grew till my Lord must needs defythem, and to make a long tale short, he himself in worldly armour ledhis host against them, and they met some twenty miles to the west inthe field of the Wry Bridge, and there was Holy Church overthrown; andthe Abbot, who is as valiant a man as ever sang mass, though notover-wise in war, would not flee, and as none would slay him, mightthey help it, they had to lead him away, and he sits to this day intheir strongest castle, the Red Mount west-away. Well, he being gone,and many of his wisest warriors slain, the rest ran into gates again;but when the Westlanders beset Higham and thought to have it goodcheap, the monks and their men warded it not so ill but that theWestlanders broke their teeth over it. Forsooth, they turned awaythence and took most of the castles and strong-houses of the Abbot'slands; burned some and put garrisons into others, and drave away amighty spoil of chattels and men and women, so that the lands of Highamare half ruined; and thereby the monks, though they be stout enoughwithin their walls, will not suffer their men to ride abroad. Whereby,being cooped up in a narrow place, and with no deeds to hand to cheertheir hearts withal, they are grown sour and churlish."

  "But, brother," said Ralph, "howsoever churlish they may be, and howsotimorous, I cannot see why they should shut their gates in our faces, alittle band, when there is no foe anear them."

  "Ralph," said Hugh, "thou must think of this once more, that the DryTree is no good let-pass to flourish in honest men's faces; specialiterif they be monks. Amongst the brothers of Higham the tale goes thatthose Champions have made covenant with the devil to come to theirabove whensoever they be not more than one to five. Nay, moreover, itis said that there be very devils amongst them; some in the likeness ofcarles, and some (God help us) dressed up in women's flesh; and fairflesh also, meseemeth. Also to-day they say in Higham that nootherwise might they ever have overcome the stark and cruel carles ofthe Burg of the Four Friths and chased them out of their town, as weknow they have done. Hah! what sayest thou?"

  "I say, Hugh," quoth Ralph angrily, "that thou art a fool to go aboutwith a budget of slanderous old wives' tales." Hugh laughed. "Be notso wroth, little lord, or I shall be asking thee tales of marvels also.But hearken. I shall smooth out thy frowns with a smile when thou hastheard this: this folk are not only afeard of their old enemies, thedevil-led men, but also they fear those whom the devil-led men havedriven out of house and home, to wit, the Burgers. Yet again they fearthe Burgers yet more, because they have beaten some of the very foes ofHigham, to wit, the Westland Barons; for they have taken from them someof their strong-holds, and are deemed to be gathering force."

  Ralph pondered a while, and then he said: "Brother, hast thou anytidings of Upmeads, or that these Burgers have gone down thither?" "Godforbid!" said Hugh. "Nay, I have had no tidings of Upmeads since I wasfool enough to leave it."

  "What! brother," said Ralph, "thou hast not thriven then?"

  "I have had ups and downs," said Hugh, "but the ups have been one rungof the ladder, and the downs three--or more. Three months I sat inprison for getting me a broken head in a quarrel that concerned me not.Six months was I besieged in a town whither naught led me but ill-luck.Two days I wore in running thence, having scaled the wall and swam theditch in the night. Three months I served squire to a knight who gaveme the business of watching his wife of whom he was jealous; and tohelp me out of the weariness of his house I must needs make love myselfto the said wife, who sooth to say was perchance worth it. Thenceagain I went by night and cloud. Ten months I wore away at the edge ofthe wildwood, and sometimes in it, with a sort of fellows who taught memany things, but not how to keep my hands from other men's goods when Iwas hungry. There was I taken with some five others by certainsergeants of Higham, whom the warriors of the town had sent outcautiously to see if they might catch a few men for their ranks. Well,they gave me the choice of the gallows-tree or service for the Church,and so, my choice made, there have I been ever since, till I saw thyface this evening, fair sir."

  "Well, brother," said Ralph, "all that shall be amended, and thou shaltback to Upmeads with me. Yet wert thou to amend thyself somewhat, itmight not be ill."

  Quoth Hugh: "It shall be tried, brother. But may I ask theesomewhat?" Said Ralph: "Ask on." "Fair Sir," said Hugh, "thouseemedst grown into a pretty man when I saw thee e'en-now before thistwilight made us all alike; but the men at thy back are not wont to beled by men who have not earned a warrior's name, yet they follow thee:how cometh that about? Again, before the twilight gathered I saw thewoman that rideth anigh us (who is now but a shadow) how fair andgentle she is: indeed there is no marvel in her following thee (thoughif she be an earl's daughter she is a fair getting for an imp ofUpmeads), for thou art a well shapen lad, little lord, and carriest asweet tongue in thy mouth. But tell me, what is she?"

  "Brother," said Ralph kindly, "she is my wife."

  "I kiss her hands," said Hugh; "but of what lineage is she?"

  "She is my wife," said Ralph. Said Hugh: "That is, forsooth, a highdignity." Said Ralph: "Thou sayest sooth, though in mockery thouspeakest, which is scarce kind to thine own mother's son: but learn,brother, that I am become a Friend of the Well, and were meet to wedwith the daughters of the best of the Kings: yet is this one meeter towed with me than the highest of the Queens; for she also is a Friend ofthe Well. Moreover, thou sayest it that the champions of the Dry Tree,who would think but little of an earl for a leader, are eager to followme: and if thou still doubt what this may mean, abide, till in two daysor three thou see me before the foeman. Then shalt thou tell me howmuch changed I am from the stripling whom thou knewest in Upmeads alittle while ago."

  Then was Hugh somewhat abashed, and he said: "I crave thy pardon,brother, but never had I a well filed tongue, and belike it hath grownno smoother amid the hard haps which have befallen me of late. Besidesit was dull in there, and I must needs try to win a little mirth out ofkith and kin."

  "So be it, lad," quoth Ralph kindly, "thou didst ask and I told, andall is said."

  "Yet forsooth," said Hugh, "thou hast given me marvel for marvel,brother." "
Even so," said Ralph, "and hereafter I will tell thee morewhen we sit safe by the wine at Upmeads."

  Now cometh back one of the fore-riders and draweth rein by Ralph andsaith that they are hard on a little thorp under the hanging of thehill that was the beginning of the Down country on that road. So Ralphbade make stay there and rest the night over, and seek new tidings onthe morrow; and the man told Ralph that the folk of the thorp werefleeing fast at the tidings of their company, and that it were bestthat he and some half score should ride sharply into the thorp, so thatit might not be quite bare of victuals when they came to their night'slodging. Ralph bids him so do, but to heed well that he hurt no man,or let fire get into any house or roof; so he takes his knot of men andrides off on the spur, and Ralph and the main of them come on quietly;and when they came into the street of the thorp, lo there by the crossa big fire lighted, and the elders standing thereby cap in hand, and ascore of stout carles with weapons in their hands. Then the chief mancame up to Ralph and greeted him and said: "Lord, when we heard that anarmed company was at hand we deemed no less than that the riders of theBurg were upon us, and deemed that there was nought for it but to fleeeach as far and as fast as he might. But now we have heard that thouart a good lord seeking his own with the help of worthy champions, anda foeman to those devils of the Burg, we bid thee look upon us and allwe have as thine, lord, and take kindly such guesting as we may givethee."

  The old man's voice quavered a little as he looked on the stark shapesof the Dry Tree; but Ralph looked kindly on him, and said: "Yea, mymaster, we will but ask for a covering for our heads, and what victualthou mayst easily spare us in return for good silver, and thou shalthave our thanks withal. But who be these stout lads with staves andbucklers, or whither will they to-night?"

  Thereat a tall young man with a spear in his hand and girt with a shortsword came forth and said boldly: "Lord, we be a few who thought whenwe heard that the Burg-devils were at hand that we might as well die inthe field giving stroke for stroke, as be hauled off and drop to piecesunder the hands of their tormentors; and now thou hast come, we havelittle will to abide behind, but were fain to follow thee, and do theewhat good we can: and after thou hast come to thine above, when we goback to our kin thou mayst give us a gift if it please thee: but wedeem that no great matter if thou but give us leave to have the comfortof thee and thy Champions for a while in these hard days."

  When he had done speaking there rose up from the Champions a hum as ofpraise, and Ralph was well-pleased withal, deeming it a good omen; sohe said: "Fear not, good fellows, that I shall forget you when we haveovercome the foemen, and meanwhile we will live and die together. Butthou, ancient man, show our sergeants where our riders shall lieto-night, and what they shall do with their horses."

  So the elders marshalled the little host to their abodes for thatnight, lodging the more part of them in a big barn on the westernoutskirt of the thorp. The elder who led them thither, brought themvictual and good drink, and said to them: "Lords, ye were best to keepa good watch to-night because it is on this side that we may look foran onfall from the foemen if they be abroad to-night; and sooth to saythat is one cause we have bestowed you here, deeming that ye would notgrudge us the solace of knowing that your valiant bodies were betwixtus and them, for we be a poor unwalled people."

  Stephen to whom he spake laughed at his word, and said: "Heart-up,carle! within these few days we shall build up a better wall than yemay have of stone and lime; and that is the overthrow of our foemen inthe open field."

  So there was kindness and good fellowship betwixt the thorp-dwellersand the riders, and the country folk told those others many tales ofthe evil deeds of the Burg-devils, as they called them; but they couldnot tell them for certain whether they had gone down into Upmeads.

  As to Ralph and Ursula they, with Richard and Roger, were lodged in theheadman's house, and had good feast there, and he also talked over thewhere-abouts of the Burgers with the thorp-dwellers, but might have nocertain tidings. So he and Ursula and his fellows went to bed andslept peacefully for the first hours of the night.