“Yea,” said Ralph, “I have had one guide in this country-side and he bewrayed me.  This is a matter of life and death, so I will speak out and say how am I to know but that thou also art going about to bewray me?”

Redhead lept up to his feet, and roared out:  “What shall I say? what shall I say?  By the soul of my father I am not bewraying thee.  May all the curses of Utterbol be sevenfold heavier on me if I am thy traitor and dastard.”

“Softly lad, softly,” said Ralph, “lest some one should hear thee.  Content thee, I must needs believe thee if thou makest so much noise about it.”

Then Redhead sat him down again, and for all that he was so rough and sturdy a carle he fell a-weeping.

“Nay, nay,” said Ralph, “this is worse in all wise than the other noise.  I believe thee as well as a man can who is dealing with one who is not his close friend, and who therefore spareth truth to his friend because of many years use and wont.  Come to thyself again and let us look at this matter square in the face, and speedily too, lest some unfriend or busybody come on us.  There now!  Now, in the first place dost thou know why I am come into this perilous and tyrannous land?”

Said Redhead:  “I have heard it said that thou art on the quest of the Well at the World’s End.”

“And that is but the sooth,” said Ralph.  “Well then,” quoth Redhead, “there is the greater cause for thy fleeing at the time and in the manner I have bidden thee.  For there is a certain sage who dwelleth in the wildwood betwixt that place and the Great Mountains, and he hath so much lore concerning the Mountains, yea, and the Well itself, that if he will tell thee what he can tell, thou art in a fair way to end thy quest happily.  What sayest thou then?”

Said Ralph, “I say that the Sage is good if I may find him.  But there is another cause why I have come hither from Goldburg.”  “What is that?” said Redhead.  “This,” said Ralph, “to come to Utterbol.”  “Heaven help us!” quoth Redhead, “and wherefore?”

Ralph said:  “Belike it is neither prudent nor wise to tell thee, but I do verily trust thee; so hearken!  I go to Utterbol to deliver a friend from Utterbol; and this friend is a woman—­hold a minute—­ and this woman, as I believe, hath been of late brought to Utterbol, having been taken out of the hands of one of the men of the mountains that lie beyond Cheaping Knowe.”

Redhead stared astonished, and kept silence awhile; then he said:  “Now all the more I say, flee! flee! flee!  Doubtless the woman is there, whom thou seekest; for it would take none less fair and noble than that new-come thrall to draw to her one so fair and noble as thou art.  But what availeth it?  If thou go to Utterbol thou wilt destroy both her and thee.  For know, that we can all see that the Lord hath set his love on this damsel; and what better can betide, if thou come to Utterbol, but that the Lord shall at once see that there is love betwixt you two, and then there will be an end of the story.”