"Tush, man!" said Walter, looking not on Arnold, but still staring
down the street; "they have gone into some house while thine eyes
were turned from them a moment."

"Nay, master, nay," said Arnold, "mine eyes were not off them one
instant of time."

"Well," said Walter, somewhat snappishly, "they are gone now, and
what have we to do to heed such toys, we with all this grief and
strife on our hands? Now would I be alone to turn the matter of
thine errand over in my mind. Meantime do thou tell the shipmaster
Geoffrey and our other folk of these tidings, and thereafter get
thee all ready; and come hither to me before sunrise to-morrow, and
I shall be ready for my part; and so sail we back to Langton."

Therewith he turned him back into the house, and the others went
their ways; but Walter sat alone in his chamber a long while, and
pondered these things in his mind. And whiles he made up his mind
that he would think no more of the vision of those three, but would
fare back to Langton, and enter into the strife with the Reddings
and quell them, or die else. But lo, when he was quite steady in
this doom, and his heart was lightened thereby, he found that he
thought no more of the Reddings and their strife, but as matters
that were passed and done with, and that now he was thinking and
devising if by any means he might find out in what land dwelt those
three. And then again he strove to put that from him, saying that
what he had seen was but meet for one brainsick, and a dreamer of
dreams. But furthermore he thought, Yea, and was Arnold, who this
last time had seen the images of those three, a dreamer of waking
dreams? for he was nought wonted in such wise; then thought he: At