Thence again we took the water, and came to the Isle of Kings, and
that was in the middle of the night: we beheld the dead long and
heedfully when the morning came, and departed again before noon, and
came to the Isle of Queens a little after nightfall. The next
morning we deemed we needs must go see the images of those ladies,
lest aught might have befell since thou wert there which might be of
import to the Quest, but all was unchanged, and we came away while
the day was yet young.

We made the Isle of the Young and the Old about sunset that day, and
the boy and the girl came down to the strand to behold us and wonder
at us, and we sported with them merrily a while; and then they
brought us to the house of the old man, who received us courteously
and gave us to eat and drink. Forsooth, when the night was somewhat
spent, he brought out strong drink to us, and took it somewhat amiss
that we drank not overmuch thereof, as forsooth he did, and so fell
asleep. Before he was drunk we asked him many questions about the
isle and its customs, but he knew nought to tell us of them. Of thee
also we asked, sister, but he had no memory of thee.

On the morrow he fared down with us to our ferry, and made many
prayers to us to take him along with us; for here, said he, is
neither lordship nor fair lady; and if here I abide, soon shall I
come to mine ending day, and sore I yearn for joyance and a long term
to my years. Now we durst not take him aboard lest we should fare
amiss with the wight of the Sending Boat; so we naysaid him
courteously, thanked him for his guesting, and gave him gifts, to
wit, a finger gold ring and an ouch of gold, so he turned away from
us somewhat downcast as we deemed; but ere we had given the word to
the Sending Boat we heard him singing merrily in a high cracked voice