thy thought." "Yea," said Ralph, "what is it then?"
Said the minstrel: "Thou art thinking what thou shalt do
when thou meetest suchlike folk on thy way back; but fear not,
for with that same seal thou shalt pass through the land again."
Said Ralph: "Yea, something like that, forsooth, was my thought.
But also I was pondering who should be my guide when I
leave Utterbol." The minstrel looked at him askance; quoth he:
"Thou mayst leave thinking of that awhile." Ralph looked
hard at him, but could make naught of the look of his face;
so he said: "Why dost thou say that?" Said Morfinn:
"Because I know whither thou art bound, and have been wondering
this long while that thou hast asked me not about the way
to the WELL at the WORLD'S END: since I told thy friend
the merchant that I could tell thee somewhat concerning it.
But I suppose thou hast been thinking of something else?"

"Well," said Ralph, "tell me what thou hast to say of the Well."
Said Morfinn: "This will I tell thee first: that if thou hast
any doubt that such a place there is, thou mayst set that aside;
for we of Utterness and Utterbol are sure thereof; and of all
nations and peoples whereof we know, we deem that we are the
nighest thereto. How sayest thou, is that not already something?"
"Yea, verily," said Ralph.

"Now," said Morfinn, "the next thing to be said is that we are on
the road thereto: but the third thing again is this, lord, that though
few who seek it find it, yet we know that some have failed not of it,
besides that lord of Goldburg, of whom I know that thou hast heard.
Furthermore, there dwelleth a sage in the woods not right far from Utterbol,
a hermit living by himself; and folk seek to him for divers lore,