seafaring and merchandise had left the deep-hearted sailor. The
heavenly and the eternal, the salvation of his sinful soul, had
become all in all to him; and yet he could not rest in the little
dreary village on the Roman bank. He would go on pilgrimage again.
Then his mother would go likewise, and see St. Peter's church, and
the Pope, and all the wonders of Rome, and have her share in all the
spiritual blessings which were to be obtained (so men thought then)
at Rome alone. So off they set on foot; and when they came to ford
or ditch, Godric carried his mother on his back, until they came to
London town. And there AEdwen took off her shoes, and vowed out of
devotion to the holy apostles Peter and Paul (who, so she thought,
would be well pleased at such an act) to walk barefoot to Rome and
barefoot back again.

Now just as they went out of London, on the Dover Road, there met
them in the way the loveliest maiden they had ever seen, and asked
to bear them company in their pilgrimage. And when they agreed, she
walked with them, sat with them, and talked with them with
superhuman courtesy and grace; and when they turned into an inn, she
ministered to them herself, and washed and kissed their feet, and
then lay down with them to sleep, after the simple fashion of those
days. But a holy awe of her, as of some saint and goddess, fell on
the wild seafarer; and he never, so he used to aver, treated her for
a moment save as a sister. Never did either ask the other who they
were, and whence they came; and Godric reported (but this was long
after the event) that no one of the company of pilgrims could see
that fair maid, save he and his mother alone. So they came safe to
Rome, and back to London town; and when they were at the place
outside Southwark, where the fair maid had met them first, she asked
permission to leave them, for she "must go to her own land, where