Said Hallblithe, and his voice sounded big in the hall: "Who calleth Hallblithe a fool and mocketh at the sons of the Raven?" Spake the voice: "Why cometh not the fool to the man that may not go to him?" Then Hallblithe bent forward to hearken, and he deemed that the voice came from one of the shut-beds, so he leaned his spear against a pillar, and went into the shut-bed he had noted, and saw where there lay along in it a man exceeding old by seeming, sore wasted, with long hair as white as snow lying over the bed-clothes. When the elder saw Hallblithe, he laughed a thin cracked laugh as if in mockery and said: "Hail newcomer! wilt thou eat?" "Yea," said Hallblithe. "Go thou into the buttery then," said the old carle, "and there shalt thou find on the cupboard cakes and curds and cheese: eat thy fill, and when thou hast done, look in the ingle, and thou shalt see a cask of mead exceeding good, and a stoup thereby, and two silver cups; fill the stoup and bring it hither with the cups; and then may we talk amidst of drinking, which is good for an old carle. Hasten thou! or I shall deem thee a double fool who will not fare to fetch his meat, though he be hungry." Then Hallblithe laughed, and went down the hall into the buttery and found the meat, and ate his fill, and came away with the drink back to the Long-hoary man, who chuckled as he came and said: "Fill up now for thee and for me, and call a health to me and wish me somewhat." "I wish thee luck," said Hallblithe, and drank. Said the elder: "And I wish thee more wits; is luck all that thou mayst wish me? What luck may an outworn elder have?" "Well then," quoth Hallblithe, "what shall I wish thee? Wouldst thou have me wish thee youth?" "Yea, certes," said the Long-hoary, "that and nought else." "Youth then I wish thee, if it may avail thee aught," said Hallblithe, and he drank again therewith. "Nay, nay," said the old carle peevishly, "take a third cup, and wish me youth with no idle words tacked thereto." Said Hallblithe raising the cup: "Herewith I wish thee youth!" and he drank. "Good is the wish," said the elder; "now ask thou the old carle whatso thou wilt." Said Hallblithe: "What is this land called?" "Son," said the other, "hast thou heard it called the Isle of Ransom?" "Yea," said Hallblithe, "but what wilt thou call it?" "By no other name," said the hoary carle. "It is far from other lands?" said Hallblithe. "Yea," said the carle, "when the light winds blow, and the ships sail slow." "What do ye who live here?" said Hallblithe. "How do ye live, what work win ye?" "We win diverse work," said the elder, "but the gainfullest is robbing men by the high hand." "Is it ye who have stolen from me the Hostage of the Rose?" said Hallblithe. Said the Long-hoary, "Maybe; I wot not; in diverse ways my kinsmen traffic, and they visit many lands. Why should they not have come to Cleveland also?" "Is she in this Isle, thou old runagate?" said Hallblithe.