"Maybe I had better have gone their way, and this road doubtless
leadeth to some place of resort."

But even therewith he heard horsehoofs behind him, and anon came up a man
a-horseback, armed with jack and sallet, a long spear in his hand, and budgets
at his saddle-bow, who looked like some lord's man going a message.
He nodded to Ralph, who gave him good-day; for seeing these folk and
their ways had by now somewhat amended his mind; and now he turned not,
but went on as before.

At last the way clomb a hill longer and higher than any he had
yet crossed, and when he had come to the brow and looked down,
he saw the big river close below running through the wide
valley which he had crossed with Roger on that other day.
Then he sat down on the green bank above the way, so heavy
of heart that not one of the things he saw gave him any joy,
and the world was naught to him. But within a while he came
somewhat to himself, and, looking down toward the river, he saw
that where the road met it, it was very wide, and shallow withal,
for the waves rippled merrily and glittered in the afternoon sun,
though there was no wind; moreover the road went up white
from the water on the other side, so he saw clearly that this
was the ford of a highway. The valley was peopled withal:
on the other side of the river was a little thorp, and there
were carts and sheds scattered about the hither side,
and sheep and neat feeding in the meadows, and in short it
was another world from the desert.