The Well at the World’s End · Chapter
XX: Ralph Meeteth a Man in the Wood explained
Ralph, feeling troubled and heavy of spirit, leaves the castle to wander in the wood.
What happens
Ralph, feeling troubled and heavy of spirit, leaves the castle to wander in the wood. He encounters an old woman and her niece, who speak cryptically of the Lady of Abundance and her beauty. Later, he meets a priest who accompanies him partway back, offering ambiguous comments about the Lady. Ralph returns to the castle at sunset, pondering all he has heard.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Desire
Ralph's yearning for the Lady of Abundance and the carline's frank talk of beauty and love.
Nature and the Supernatural
The wood, the pool, and the mysterious nature of the Lady of Abundance blur the line between natural and supernatural.
Characters to notice
- Ralph of Upmeads
Ralph wanders the wood, troubled by thoughts of the Lady of Abundance and his own longing.
- The Lady of Abundance
Discussed by the carline and the priest; her beauty and nature are subjects of speculation.
- Roger
Mentioned by Ralph as possibly having directed his path toward the Lady.
Key passages
“But the morning began to wear as he sat deep in these thoughts and still the Carline came not to him; and he thought: “She leaveth me alone that I may do her bidding: so will I without tarrying.””
As the morning passed and the old woman did not appear, Ralph decided to act on his own.
Ralph's resolve to follow the carline's implied instructions.
““the one whom thou lovest, long hath she lived, but she is not old to look on, nor foul; but fair—O how fair!””
The woman you love has lived long but remains young and beautiful.
The carline's cryptic description of the Lady of Abundance.
““to my mind the Holy Lady will love no one but the saints of heaven, save it be some man with whom all women are in love.””
The Lady will only love saints or a man universally adored by women.
The priest's ambiguous warning about the Lady's nature.