that he had foreseen all; he spoke as simply as one who was going to
another village only, looking away from me upon the ground. (I was glad
of that.)

I begged of him to bid good-bye to his meadow.

"I will not;" he said, "I bear it with me wherever I go."

Then he took me by the arm, carrying his shod staff in his other hand,
and led me to the gate, for I was so blinded that I stumbled as I went.

Once only did I speak as we passed upwards through the dark wood.

"And what will be your message," I asked, "when you come to the King?"

"Our Lord will tell it me when I come thither," he said.

We went through the village that lay dark and fast asleep. I wished him
to go to some of the houses, and bid the folks good-bye, but he would
not.

"I bear them, too, wherever I go," he said.

After we had adored God Almighty in the church, [That is, God present in
the Blessed Sacrament.] and I had shriven the young man and blessed him,
we went out and stood under the lychgate where his body afterwards
rested.

It was a clear night of stars and as silent as was once heaven for the
space of half-an-hour. The philomels had given over their singing near a