"How hight she ?" said Ralph.

"We call her the Lady of Abundance," said the old woman.

Said Ralph: "Is she a good lady ?" "She is my lady," said the carline, "and doeth good to me, and there is not a carle in the land but speaketh well of her--it may be over well." "Is she fair to look on ?" said Ralph.

"Of women-folk there is none fairer," said the carline; "as to men, that is another thing." Ralph was silent awhile, then he said: "What is the Well at the World's End ?" "They talk of it here," said she, "many things too long to tell of now: but there is a book in this house that telleth of it; I know it well by the look of it though I may not read in it.

I will seek it for thee to-morrow if thou wilt." "Have thou thanks, dame," said he; "and I pray thee forget it not; but now I will go forth." "Yea," said the carline, "but abide a little." Therewith she went into the buttery, and came back bearing with her a garland of roses of the garden, intermingled with green leaves, and she said: "The sun is yet hot and over hot, do this on thine head to shade thee from the burning.