“Now, our Lady,” said Agatha, “thou art marring the fairness of thy face again.  I bid thee be at peace, for all shall be well, and other than thou deemest.  Tell me, then, didst thou get our Lord to swear immunity for me?” Said the Lady:  “Yea, he swore on the edge of the sword that thou mightest say what thou wouldst, and neither he nor any other should lay hand on thee.”

“Good,” said Agatha; “then will I go to him to-morrow morning, when Joyce has gone from him.  But now hold up thine heart, and keep close for these two days that we shall yet abide in Tower Dale:  and trust me this very evening I shall begin to set tidings going that shall work and grow, and shall one day rejoice thine heart.”

So fell the talk betwixt them.

CHAPTER 38

A Friend Gives Ralph Warning

On the morrow Ralph wandered about the Dale where he would, and none meddled with him.  And as he walked east along the stream where the valley began to narrow, he saw a man sitting on the bank fishing with an angle, and when he drew near, the man turned about, and saw him.  Then he lays down his angling rod and rises to his feet, and stands facing Ralph, looking sheepish, with his hands hanging down by his sides; and Ralph, who was thinking of other folk, wondered what he would.  So he said:  “Hail, good fellow!  What wouldst thou?” Said the man:  “I would thank thee.”  “What for?” said Ralph, but as he looked on him he saw that it was Redhead, whose pardon he had won of the Lord yesterday; so he held out his hand, and took Redhead’s, and smiled friendly on him.  Redhead looked him full in the face, and though he was both big and very rough-looking, he had not altogether the look of a rascal.

He said:  “Fair lord, I would that I might do something for thine avail, and perchance I may:  but it is hard to do good deeds in Hell, especially for one of its devils.”

“Yea, is it so bad as that?” said Ralph.  “For thee not yet,” said Redhead, “but it may come to it.  Hearken, lord, there is none anigh us that I can see, so I will say a word to thee at once.  Later on it may be over late:  Go thou not to Utterbol whatever may betide.”

“Yea,” said Ralph, “but how if I be taken thither?” Quoth Redhead:  “I can see this, that thou art so favoured that thou mayst go whither thou wilt about the camp with none to hinder thee.  Therefore it will be easy for thee to depart by night and cloud, or in the grey of morning, when thou comest to a good pass, whereof I will tell thee.  And still I say, go thou not to Utterbol:  for thou art over good to be made a devil of, like to us, and therefore thou shalt be tormented till thy life is spoilt, and by that road shalt thou be sent to heaven.”