Wulstead standeth on a little hill or swelling of the earth, and the road that the company of Ralph took went up to the gate across the plain meadows, which had but here and there a tree upon them, so that the going of the company was beheld clearly from the gate; as was well seen, because anon came the sound of the blowing of great horns, and the spears thickened in the towers.  Then Ralph stayed his company two bowshots from the barriers, while he himself, with his sword in his sheath, took Ursula’s hand and set forth an easy pace toward the gate.  Some of his company, and specially Roger and Stephen, would have letted him; but he laughed and said, “Why, lads, why? these be friends.”  “Yea,” quoth Roger, “but an arrow knoweth no kindred nor well-willers:  have a care, lord.”  Said the Sage of Swevenham:  “Ye speak but after the folly of men of war; the hands and the eyes that be behind the bows have other hands and eyes behind them which shall not suffer that a Friend of the Well shall be hurt.”

So Ralph and Ursula went forth, and came within a stone’s cast of the barrier, when Ralph lifted up his voice and said:  “Is there a captain of the townsfolk within the timber there?” A cheery voice answered him:  “Yea, yea, lad; spare thy breath; I am coming to thee.”

And therewith a man came from out the barrier and did off his headpiece and ran straight toward Ralph, who saw at once that it was Clement Chapman; he made no more ado, but coming up to Ralph fell to clipping him in his arms, while the tears ran down his face.  Then he stood aloof and gazed upon him speechless a little while, and then spake:  “Hail, and a hundred times hail! but now I look on thee I see what hath betid, and that thou art too noble and high that I should have cast mine arms about thee.  But now as for this one, I will be better mannered with her.”

Therewith he knelt down before Ursula, and kissed her feet, but reverently.  And she stooped down and raised him up, with a merry countenance kissed his face, and stroked his cheeks with her hand and said:  “Hail, friend of my lord!  Was it not rather thou than he who delivered me from the pain and shame of Utterbol, whereas thou didst bring him safe through the mountains unto Goldburg?  And but for that there had been no Well, either for him or for me.”

But Clement stood with his head hanging down, and his face reddening.  Till Ralph said to him:  “Hail, friend! many a time we thought of this meeting when we were far away and hard bestead; but this is better than all we thought of.  But now, Clement, hold up thine head and be a stout man of war, for thou seest that we are not alone.”

Said Clement:  “Yea, fair lord, and timely ye come, both thou and thy company; and now that I have my speech again which joy hath taken away from me at the first, I shall tell thee this, that if ye go further than the good town ye shall be met and fought withal by men who are over-many and over-fierce for us.”  “Yea,” said Ralph, “and how many be they?” Quoth Clement:  “How many men may be amongst them I wot not, but I deem there be some two thousand devils.”