William Morris

“ Sooth to say, the Maiden had a love, a fair youth and a stalwarth, and a glorious man, and many were the words they had spoken together, but never had her hand touched his hand, nor his lips her lips; because betwixt these two was a river such as are few upon the earth, unbridged, unfordable, unferryable. And few might think that it was anywise like to betide that ever their two bodies should touch each the other; but the Carline, who was somewhat wise in lore, had an inkling that, despite this terrible hedge of water, the twain should one day meet. ”

“ They were but three, and as they drew nigh it could be seen that they were hooded and cloaked despite the warm night; and one was tall and seemed a stalwarth man, and another was jimp and went daintily, as if it were a young woman, and the third, who forsooth had her face but little hidden, seemed a carline of some three-score years and ten.
None of the folk stirred save Stephen the Eater, who rose up as if to welcome the guests; and the tall man spake in a strange high voice that seemed to come from the back of his head: May we three wayfarers be here to-night? ”

“ Why are ye not in the battle with your fellows? Said one: Because our errand is here and not there; neither are those men our fellows. We be the servants of that goodly merchant who guested here a while ago, and would have bought the Maiden within there in all honour, and ye rewarded his good will with scorn and mocks and japes and scurvy dealing; wherefore he hath set these reivers on your folk, and hath sent us along with them to look to you. And two-fold is our errand, to bear away the Maiden without a price, and to slay thee. ”