noon
The tales of Valerius did not always hang together , but Nicanor cared not at all for that . By and by Valerius took to asking questions , his tongue in his cheek at some of Nicanor 's replies . In half an hour he had learned the boy 's life , deeds , and ambitions , and had extracted a promise that Nicanor would get the worthy Tobias to provide him also with employment , preferably around the church , where would be fat pickings and little work . At noon they ate by the roadside with two kindly disposed merchants , and later continued on their way , meeting other folk , with whom Valerius passed the time of day . So , toward sunset , they came with many others ahorse and afoot , to Thorney , the Isle of Brambles , at the foot of the road . And here Nicanor thought he had never seen anything so wonderful , and stood staring wide-eyed , while Valerius hummed his drinking-song and chewed a piece of metyl leaf , which turned his lips and teeth quite red . For here the country broadened out into a great marsh , vast and spreading widely over the land , dotted with eyots , where birds flew low among the sedge .