Sooth to say, it was by no means north that those twain rode, but as near south as might be. The Sisters were good to them, and gave them each a gown such as their lay-sisters wore, for they said that so arrayed they would be the less meddled with. Therewithal the Prioress gave them a writing under her seal, praying all religious houses to help them wheresoever they came, whereas they were holy women and of good life. And the twain thanked them and blessed them, and made an oblation, each one of them, of a fine ruby from off that necklace of gems aforesaid.
Now they rode through a peaceable country, not ill-peopled, for two weeks or more, and gat good guesting, whiles at some house of nuns, whiles at a good yeoman's, and ever were folk good to them; and nought befell them to tell of, save that once they were chased by riders, but overwent them and came under the shelter of a good old knight's castle, who drave off the thieves, and gave them good guesting, but was of somewhat heavy cheer, whereas his son, who had gone to the wars, had been taken captive by the Lord of Longshaw, and was not yet come back again.
After this they came into worser lands, rocky and barren, but made their way through somehow, whereas the Carline was deft at snaring small deer, as coneys and the like, and so they lived and got forward on their way.
But on a day toward sunset, as they had just turned about a corner of the road, they came upon a fellowship of a half-score men who were at
