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alk to strangers about our business； if you dont mind。 shall we have a little rain soon； do you think？”
the lady laughed： the richest； most musical laugh you can imagine。 〃well； children；〃 she said； 〃you have a wise； solemn old guide with you。 i think none the worse of him for keeping his own counsel； but ill be free with mine。 i have often heard the name of the giantish city ruinous； but never met any who would tell me the way thither。 this road leads to the burgh and castle of harfang； where dwell the gentle giants。 they are as mild； civil； prudent； and courteous as those of ettinsmoor are foolish； fierce； savage； and given to all beastliness。 and in harfang you may or may not hear tidings of the city ruinous； but certainly you shall find good lodgings and merry hosts。 you would be wise to winter there； or； at the least； to tarry certain days for your ease and refreshment。 there you shall have steaming baths； soft beds； and bright hearths； and the roast and the baked and the sweet and the strong will be on the table four times in a day。”
〃i say！〃 exclaimed scrubb。 〃thats something like！ think of sleeping in a bed again。”
〃yes； and having a hot bath；〃 said jill。 〃do you think theyll ask us to stay？ we dont know them； you see。”
〃only tell them；〃 answered the lady； 〃that she of the green kirtle salutes them by you； and has sent them two fair southern children for the autumn feast。”
〃oh； thank you； thank you ever so much；〃 said jill and scrubb。
〃but have a care；〃 said the lady。 〃on whatever day you reach harfang； that you e not to the door too late。 for they shut their gates a few hours after noon； and it is the custom of the castle that they open to none when once they have drawn bolt； how hard so ever he knock。”
the children thanked her again； with shining eyes； and the lady waved to them。 the marsh…wiggle took off his steeple…hat and bowed very stiffly。 then the silent knight and the lady started walking their horses up the slope of the bridge with a great clatter of hoofs。
〃well！〃 said puddleglum。 〃id give a good deal to know where shes ing from and where shes going。 not the sort you expect to meet in the wilds of giantland； is she？ up to no good； ill be bound。”
〃oh rot！〃 said scrubb。 〃i thought she was simply super。 and think of hot meals and warm rooms。 i do hope harfang isnt a long way off。”
〃same here；〃 said jill。 〃and hadnt she a scrumptious dress。 and the horse！”
〃all the same；〃 said puddleglum； 〃i wish we knew a bit more about her。”
〃i was going to ask her all about herself；〃 said jill。 〃but how could i when you wouldnt tell her anything about us？”
〃yes；〃 said scrubb。 〃and why were you so stiff and unpleasant。 didnt you like them？”
〃them？〃 said the wiggle。 〃whos them？ i only saw one。”
〃didnt you see the knight？〃 asked jill。
〃i saw a suit of armour；〃 said puddleglum。 〃why didnt he speak？”
〃i expect he was shy；〃 said jill。 〃or perhaps he just wants to look at her and listen to her lovely voice。 im sure i would if i was him。”
〃i was wondering；〃 remarked puddleglum； 〃what youd really see if you lifted up the visor of that helmet and looked inside。”
〃hang it all；〃 said scrubb。 〃think of the shape of the armour！ what could be inside it except a man？”
〃how about a skeleton？〃 asked the marsh…wiggle with ghastly cheerfulness。 〃or perhaps；〃 he added as an afterthought； 〃nothing at all。 i mean； nothing you could see。
someone invisible。”
〃really； puddleglum；〃 said jill with a shudder； 〃you do have the most horrible ideas。
how do you think of them all？”
〃oh； bother his ideas！〃 said scrubb。 〃hes always expecting the worst； and hes always wrong。 lets think about those gentle giants and get on to harfang as quickly as we can。
i wish i knew how far it is。”
and now they nearly had the first of those quarrels which puddleglum had foretold： not that jill and scrubb hadnt been sparring and snapping at each other a good deal before； but this was the first really serious disagreement。 puddleglum didnt want them to go to harfang at all。 he said that he didnt know what a giants idea of being 〃gentle〃 might be； and that； anyway； aslans signs had said nothing about staying with giants； gentle or otherwise。 the children； on the other hand； who were sick of wind and rain； and skinny fowl roasted over campfires； and hard； cold earth to sleep on； were absolutely dead set to visit the gentle giants。 in the end； puddleglum agreed to do so； but only on one condition。 the others must give an absolute promise that； unless he gave them leave； they would not tell the gentle giants that they came from narnia or that they were looking for prince rilian。 and they gave him this promise； and went on。
after that talk with the lady things got worse in two different ways。 in the first place the country was much harder。 the road led through endless； narrow valleys down which a cruel north wind was always blowing in their faces。 there was nothing that could be used for firewood； and there were no nice little hollows to camp in； as there had been on the moor。 and the ground was all stony； and made your feet sore by day and every bit of you sore by night。
in the second place； whatever the lady had intended by telling them about harfang； the actual effect on the children was a bad one。 they could think about nothing but beds and baths and hot meals and how lovely it would be to get indoors。 they never talked about aslan； or even about the lost prince； now。 and jill gave up her habit of repeating the signs over to herself every night and morning。 she said to herself； at first； that she was too tired； but she soon forgot all about it。 and though you might have expected that the idea of having a good time at harfang would have made them more cheerful； it really made them more sorry for themselves and more grumpy and snappy with each other and with puddleglum。
at last they came one afternoon to a place where the gorge in which they were travelling widened out and dark fir woods rose on either side。 they looked ahead and saw that they had e through the mountains。 before them lay a desolate； rocky plain： beyon