There she still sat when Alleyne reached the crossing.
"Come, mother," quoth he, "it is not so very perilous a passage." "Alas! good youth," she answered, "I have a humor in the eyes, and though I can see that there is a stone there I can by no means be sure as to where it lies." "That is easily amended," said he cheerily, and picking her lightly up, for she was much worn with time, he passed across with her.

He could not but observe, however, that as he placed her down her knees seemed to fail her, and she could scarcely prop herself up with her staff.
"You are weak, mother," said he.

"Hast journeyed far, I wot." "From Wiltshire, friend," said she, in a quavering voice; "three days have I been on the road.

I go to my son, who is one of the King's regarders at Brockenhurst.

He has ever said that he would care for me in mine old age." "And rightly too, mother, since you cared for him in his youth.