butIwillanswerallthreeasmyheartbiddethme。
Andfirst，Iwilltelltheethatmykissesareasthine；
andifthineareaughtbutthekissesoflove，thenamIbefooled。
Andnext，Isaythatifthouwiltbemyfriendindeed，Iwillnotsparetocalltheebeloved，ortobeallthyfriend。
Butastothythirdquestion；tellme，istherenottimeenoughforthat？”
Shefalteredasshespake，buthesaid：“Look，beloved，andseehowfairtheearthisto-day！Whatplaceandwhatseasoncanbegoodlierthanthis？
Andwereitnotwellthatwewholoveeachothershouldhaveourfulljoyoutofthissweetseason，whichasnowissomewhatmarredbyourdesire？”
“Ah，beloved！”shesaid，lookingshylyathim，“isitsomarredbythatwhichmarrethnotus？”
“Hearken！”hesaid；“howmuchlongershallthisfairnessandpeace，andourleisureandsafetyendure？Hereandnowtheearthrejoicethaboutus，andthereisnonetosayusnay；butto-morrowitmayallbeotherwise。
Bethinkthee，dear，ifbutanhouragothemonsterhadslainthee，andrenttheeerewehadlainineachother’sarms！”
“Alas！”shesaid，“andhadIlaininthinearmsanhundredtimes，oranhundredtimesanhundred，shouldnottheworldbebarrentome，wertthougonefromit，andthatcouldnevermorebe？
Butthoufriend，thouwell-beloved，fainwereItodothywillthatthoumightestbethehappier……andIwithal。
Andifthoucommandit，beitso！YetnowshouldItelltheeallmythought，anditisonmymind，thatforamanyhundredsofyears，yea，whileourpeoplewereyetheathen，whenamanshouldwedamaidallthefolkknewofit，andwerewitnessesofthedayandthehourthereof：nowthouknowestthatthetimedrawsnighwhenwemaylookforthosemessengersoftheInnocentFolk，whocomeeveryspringtothiscavetoseeiftherebeanywhomtheymayspeedonthewaytotheWellattheWorld’sEnd。Thereforeifthouwiltandnototherwise
Iwouldabidetheircomingifitbenotoverlongdelayed；
sothattheremaybeotherstowitnessourweddingbesidesGod，andthosehiscreatureswhodwellinthewilderness。
Yetshallallbeasthouwilt。”
“HowshallInotdoafterthybidding？”saidRalph。
“Iwillabidetheircoming：yetwouldthattheywerehereto-day！AndonethingIwillprayofthee，thatbecauseofthemthouwiltnotforbear，orcausemetoforbear，suchkissingandcaressingasismeetbetwixttroth-plightlovers。”
Shelaughedandsaid：“Nay，whyshouldItormentthee……orme？
Wewillnottarryforthis。”Andtherewithshetookherarmabouthisneckandkissedhimoft。
Thentheysaidnaughtawhile，butsatlisteninghappilytothesongofthepairingbirds。AtlastRalphsaid：
“Whatwasit，beloved，thatthouwertperchancetotellmeconcerningthethingthatcausedthinehearttoseethatthybetrothed，forwhomthouwepstorseemedsttoweepattheale-houseatBourtonAbbas，wasofnoavailtothee？”
Shesaid：“Itwasthesightofthee；andIthoughtalsohowImightneverbethine。ForthatIhavesorrowedmanyatimesince。”
SaidRalph：“Iamyoungandunmighty，yetlo！
IhealthysorrowasifIwereanexceedingmightyman。
AndnowItelltheethatIammindedtogobackwiththeetoUpmeadsstraightway；forlovewillprevail。”
“Nay。”shesaid，“thatwordisbutfromtheteethoutwards；
forthouknowest，asIdo，thattheperilsofthehomewardroadshallovercomeus，despiteoflove，ifwehavenotdrunkoftheWellattheWorld’sEnd。”
Againtheyweresilentawhile，butanonshearosetoherfeetandsaid：
“NowmustIneedsdightvictualforustwain；butfirst“
andshesmiledonhimwithal，“howisitthatthouhastnotaskedmeifthebeastdidmeanyhurt？Artthougrowncarelessofme，nowtheweddingissonigh？”
Hesaid：“Nay，butcouldInotseetheethatthouwertnothurt？
Therewasnomarkofblooduponthee，noranystainatall。”
Thenshereddened，andsaid：“Ah，Iforgothowkeen-eyesthouart。”
Andshestoodsilentalittlewhile，ashelookedonherandlovedhersweetness。Thenhesaid：“Iamexceedingfullofjoy，butmybodyisuneasy；soIwillnowgoandskinthattrollwhowentsonightoslaythee，andbreakupthecarcase，ifthouwiltpromisetoabideaboutthedoorofthehouse，andhavethyswordandthespearreadytohand，andtodonthinehelmandhauberktoboot。”
Shelaughedandsaid：“Thatwerebutstrangeattireforacook-maid，Ralph，myfriend；yetshallIdothywill，mylordandmylove。”
ThenwentRalphintothecave，andbroughtforththearmouranddiditonher，andkissedher，andsowenthiswaystothecarcaseofthebear，whichlaysometwofurlongsfromtheirdwelling；andwhenhecametothequarryhefelltowork，andwassometimeaboutit，sohugeasthebeastwas。
Thenhehungtheskinandthecarcaseonatreeofthegrove，andwentdowntotheriverandwashedhim，andthenwentlightlyhomewards。
CHAPTER14
NowCometheMessengersoftheInnocentFolkButwhenhehadcomeforthfromthechestnut-grove，andcouldseethefaceoftheirhouse-rockclearly，hebeheldnewtidings；
fortherewerefolkbeforethedoorofthedwelling，andUrsulawasstandingamidstofthem，forhecouldseethegleamofherarmour；
andwiththemenhecouldseealsocertainbeastsofburden，andanonthatthesewereoxen。Sohehastenedontofindwhatthismightmean，anddrewhisswordashewent。
Butwhenhecameuptotherock，hefoundtheretwoyoungmenandanelder，andtheyhadwiththemfiveoxen，threeforriding，andtwosumpterbeasts，laden：andUrsulaandthesemenweretalkingtogetherfriendly；sothatRalphdeemedthatthenew-comersmustbethemessengersoftheInnocentFolk。
Theyweregoodlymenallthree，somewhatbrownofskin，butwellfashioned，andofsmilingcheerfulcountenance，wellknit，andtall。Theelderhadalongwhitebeard，buthiseyewasbright，andhishandfirmandsmooth。
Theywereallcladinwhitewoollenraiment，andborenoarmour，buteachhadanaxewithagreenstoneblade，curiouslytiedtotheheft，andeachoftheyoungmencarriedastrongbowandaquiverofarrows。
Ralphgreetedthemen，andbadethemsitdownonthetoftandeatamorsel；theytookhisgreetingkindly，andsatdown，whileUrsulawentintothecavetofetchthemmattersfortheirvictual，andtherewasalreadyvenisonroastingatthefireonthetoft，intheplacewheretheywerewonttocooktheirmeat。
SothencameUrsulaforthfromthecave，andservedthenew-comersandRalphofsuchthingsasshehad，andtheyateanddranktogether；
andnonesaidaughtoftheirerrandtilltheyhaddonetheirmeat，buttheytalkedtogetherpleasantlyaboutthespring，andtheblossomsoftheplainandthemountain，andthewildthingsthatdweltthereabout。
Butwhenthemealwasover，thenew-comersrosetotheirfeet，andbowedbeforeRalphandUrsula，andtheeldertookupthewordandsaid：
“Yefairpeople，haveyeanyerrandinthewilderness，orareyechance-comerswhohavestrayedthusfar，andknownothowtoreturn？”
“Father。”saidRalph，“wehavecomealongwayonanerrandoflifeordeath；forweseektheWELLattheWORLD’SEND。
Andseeyethetokenthereof，thepairofbeadswhichwebear，eitherofus，andthefashionwhereofyeknow。”
Thentheelderbowedtothemagain，andsaid：“Itiswell；
thenisthisourerrandwithyou，tobeyourway-leadersasfarastheHouseoftheSorceress，whereyeshallhaveotherhelp。
Willyesetoutonthejourneyto-day？Inonehourshallwebeready。”
“Nay。”saidRalph，“wewillnotdeparttilltomorrowmorn，ifitmaybeso。
TherewithIbidyousitdownandrestyou，whileyehearkenawordwhichI
havetosaytoyou。”
Sotheysatdownagain，andRalpharoseandtookUrsulabythehand，andstoodwithherbeforetheelder，andsaid：
“Thismaiden，whoismyfellow-farerintheQuest，Idesiretowedthissamenight，andshealsodesirethme：
thereforeIwouldhaveyouaswitnesseshereto。
ButfirstyeshalltellusifourweddingandtheknowingeachothercarnallyshallbetoourhurtintheQuest；
forifthatbeso，thenshallwebridleourdesiresandperformourQuestintheirdespite。”
Theoldmansmileduponthemkindly，andsaid：“Nay，son，wehearnotthatitshallbetheworseforyouinanywisethatyeshallbecomeoneflesh；andrightjoyfulitistous，notonlythatwehavefoundfolkwhoseektotheWellattheWorld’sEnd，butalsothatthereissuchloveasI
perceivethereisbetwixtsuchgoodlyandholyfolkasyebe。
Forhitherwecomeyearbyyearaccordingtothebehestthatwemadetothefairestwomanoftheworld，whenshecamebacktousfromtheWellattheWorld’sEnd，anditismanyandmanyayearagosincewefoundanyseekersaftertheWelldwellinghere。Thereforehavewethemorejoyinyou。
Andwehavebroughthithermattersgoodforyou，asraiment，andmeal，andwine，onoursumpter-beasts；thereforeasyehavefeastedusthismorning，soshallwefeastyouthiseven。
Andifyewill，weshallbuildforyouinthegroveyondersuchaboweraswebuildforourownfolkonthenightofthewedding。”
Ralphyeasaidthis，andthankedthem。Sothentheeldercried：
“Up，mysons，andshowyourdeftnesstothesedearfriends！”
Thentheyoungmenarose，naughtloth，andwhentheyhadhoppledtheiroxenandtakentheburdensfromoffthem，theyallwentdownthemeadowtogetherintothechestnutgrove，andtheyfelltoandcutwillowboughs，andsuch-likewood，anddravestakesandwovethetwigstogether；andRalphandUrsulaworkedwiththemastheybade，andtheywereallverymerrytogether：
becauseforthosetwowanderersitwasagreatdelighttoseethefacesofthechildrenofmenoncemoreaftersomanymonths，andtoholdconversewiththem；whilefortheirparttheyoungmenmarvelledatUrsula’sbeauty，andthepithandgoodlinessofRalph。
Bythenitwasnigheveningtheyhadmadeaverygoodlywattledbower，androofeditwiththeskinsthatwereinthecave，andhungitaboutwithgarlands，andstrewnflowersonthefloorthereof。
Andwhenallwasdonetheywentbacktothetoftbeforetherock-chamber，wheretheelderhadopenedtheloads，andhadtakenmealthence，andwasmakingcakesatthefire。
Andtherewaswinethereinwell-hoopedkegs，andwoodencupsfairlycarven，andraimentoffinewhitewoolforthosetwain，broideredinstrangebutbeauteousfashionwiththefeathersofbright-huedbirds。
Sothenwerethosetwainarrayedforthebridal；andthemeatwasdightandthecupsfilled，andtheysatdownonthegrassytoftalittlebeforesunset，andfeastedtillthenightwascome，andwasgrownalllightwiththemoon；andthenRalphroseup，andtookUrsula’shand，andtheystoodbeforetheelder，andbadehimandtheyoungmenbearwitnessthattheywerewedded：
thenthosetwainkissedthenewcomersanddepartedtotheirbridalbowerhandinhandthroughthefreshnessofthenight。