"He was hard to look into: but at least he looked not
a fierce or cruel man; nor indeed did he seem false or sly,
though I take him for one who hath lost his manhood--
but lo you! here he comes across the court."

So Ralph looked, and saw in sooth a man drawing nigh, who came
straight up to them and lowted to them, and then stood before
them waiting for their word: he was fat and somewhat short,
white-faced and pink-cheeked, with yellow hair long
and curling, and with a little thin red beard and blue eyes:
altogether much unlike the fashion of men of those parts.
He was clad gaily in an orange-tawny coat laced with silver,
and broidered with colours.

Clement spake to him and said: "This is the young knight
who is minded to seek further east to wot if it be mere lies
which he hath heard of the Well at the World's End."

The new-comer lowted before them again, and said in a small voice,
and as one who was shy and somewhat afeared: "Lords, I can tell many
a tale concerning that Well, and them who have gone on the quest thereof.
And the first thing I have to tell is that the way thereto is
through Utterness, and that I can be a shower of the way and a leader
to any worthy knight who listeth to seek thither; and moreover,
I know of a sage who dwelleth not far from the town of Utterness,
and who, if he will, can put a seeker of the Well on the right road."

He looked askance on Ralph, whose face flushed and whose eyes glittered
at that word. But Clement said: "Yea, that seemeth fair to look to:
but hark ye! Is it not so that the way to Utterness is perilous?"