noon
He spake so cheerfully that Richard looked at him askance , wondering what was toward with him , and if mayhappen anything lay underneath those words of his . But in his heart Ralph was thinking of that last tale of the woman whom the young man had met such a little while ago ; and it seemed to him that she must have been in Whitwall when he first came there ; and he scarce knew whether he were sorry or not that he had missed her : for though it seemed to him that it would be little more than mere grief and pain , nay , that it would be wicked and evil to be led to the Well at the World 's End by any other than her who was to have brought him there ; yet he longed , or thought he longed to speak with her concerning that love of his heart , so early rewarded , so speedily beggared . For indeed he doubted not that the said woman was the damsel of Bourton Abbas , whose image had named herself Dorothea to him in that dream . Richard Bringeth Tidings of Departing Fell the talk between them at that time , and three days wore , and on the morning of the fourth day came Richard to Ralph , and said to him : `` Foster-son , I am sorry for the word I must say , but Clement Chapman came within the gates this morning early , and the company with which he is riding are alboun for the road , and will depart at noon to-day , so that there are but four hours wherein we twain may be together ; and thereafter whatso may betide thee , it may well be , that I shall see thy face no more ; so what thou wilt tell me must be told straightway . And now I will say this to thee , that of all things I were fain to ride with thee , but I may not , because it is Blaise whom I am bound to serve in all ways . And I deem , moreover , that troublous times may be at hand here in Whitwall . For there is an Earl hight Walter the Black , a fair young man outwardly , but false at heart and a tyrant , and he had some occasion against the good town , and it was looked for that he should send his herald here to defy the Port more than a half moon ago ; but about that time he was hurt in a fray as we hear , and may not back a horse in battle yet .