Hallblithe looked on them to note if any change should come over
them, and he deemed that already they were become stronger and of
more avail. But he spake nought thereof, and strode on toward the
Uttermost House, even as that other day he had stridden away from it.
Such diligence they made, that it was but little after noon when they
came to the door thereof. Then Hallblithe took the horn and blew
upon it, while his fellows stood by murmuring, "It is the Land! It
is the Land!"
So came the Warden to the door, clad in red scarlet, and the elder
went up to him and said: "Is this the Land?"
"What land?" said the Warden.
"Is it the Glittering Plain?" said the second of the seekers.
"Yea, forsooth," said the Warden. Said the sad man: "Will ye lead
us to the King?
"Ye shall come to the King," said the Warden.
"When, oh when?" cried they out all three.
"The morrow of to-morrow, maybe," said the Warden.
"Oh! if to-morrow were but come!" they cried.
"It will come," said the red man; "enter ye the house, and eat and
drink and rest you."
So they entered, and the Warden heeded Hallblithe nothing. They ate
and drank and then went to their rest, and Hallblithe lay in a shut-
bed off from the hall, but the Warden brought the seekers otherwhere,
so that Hallblithe saw them not after he had gone to bed; but as for
him he slept and forgot that aught was.
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