The Wood Beyond the World

and at each was buying and selling after the manner of chapmen; and Walter not only looked on the doings of his father’s folk, but lent a hand, what he might, to help them in all matters,

again as one sees people in the streets, and as if he might touch them if he would, yet were their images often before his mind’s eye; and yet, as t

ven months from Langton on Holm; and by this time was Walter taking heed and joyance in such things as were toward in that fair city, so fa

eholding all that there was of rare and goodly, and making merry with the merchants and the towns-folk, and the country-folk beyond the gates,

before him three mariners in the guise of his own country, and with them was one of clerkly aspect, whom he knew at once for his father’s scrivener,

are ill with thy folk; for I may not hide that thy fa

, and that his past life of the last few months had never been; and it was to him as if he saw his father lying dead on his

his bed, or how? for he was neith

bed he died: but first he

how?” qu

her kindred of the Reddings with no honour, and yet with no such shame as might have been, without blame to u

eel; and there then was the hewing and thrusting! Two of ours were slain outright on the floor, and four of theirs, and many were hurt on either side. Of these was thy father, for as thou mayst well deem, he was nought backward in the fray; but despite his hurts, two in the side and one on the arm, he went home on his own feet, and we deemed that we had come to our above. But well-a-way! it was an

war. Come back will I, and the Reddings

t aileth thee, master, that thou starest so wild over my shoulder? I pray thee take it no

ad become pale, and he pointed up stree

here, a most goodly and noble lady! Yea, I see; and doubtless she owneth both the two, and is of the greatest of the folk of this fair city; for on the maiden’s ankle I saw an iron ring, which betokeneth thralldom amongst these aliens. But this is strange! for notest thou not how

is it?” s

t of eye-shot, yet gone they are. What is be

ill staring down the street; “they have gone into some

nold, “mine eyes were not o

Now would I be alone to turn the matter of thine errand over in my mind. Meantime do thou tell the shipmaster Geoffrey and our other folk of these tidin

ightened thereby, he found that he thought no more of the Reddings and their strife, but as matters that were passed and done with, and that now he was thinking and devising if by any means he might find out in what land dwelt those three. And then again he strove to put that from him, saying that what he had seen was but meet for one brainsick, and a dreamer of dreams. But furthermore he thought, Yea, and was Arnold, who

sing up of his goods, and made all ready for his departure, and so wore the day and slept at nightfall; and at daybreak comes Arnold to lead him to their keel, which hight the Bart