Whereas for him was naught but strife and confusion, till he was slain in a quarrel, wherein to fail was to fail, and to win the day was to win shame and misery." She looked on him sweetly and said: "Thou art nowise such as he; and if thou drink of the Well, thou wilt go back to Upmeads, and thy father and mother, and thine own folk and thine home.

But now here is the letter which thou shalt give to the Lord of Utterbol if thou meet him; and mayhappen he is naught so evil a man as the tale of him runs." She gave him the letter into his hands, and spake again: "And now I have this to say to thee, if anything go amiss with thee, and thou be nigh enough to seek to me, come hither, and then, in whatso plight thou mayst be, or whatsoever deed thou mayst have done, here will be the open door for thee and the welcome of a friend." Her voice shook a little as she spake, and she was silent again, mastering her trouble.

Then she said: "At last I must say this to thee, that there may no lie be between us.

That damsel of whom thou spakest that she was but thy friend, and not thy love--O that I might be thy friend in such-wise! But over clearly I see that it may not be so.

For thy mind looketh on thy deeds to come, that they shall be shared by some other than me.