[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
moved with them. And just out of hearing of the village, behind wild shrubs that hid them, the bowmen that
were coming from the forest met the three that had spent the night in taverns of Lowlight. And the three told
the hundred of the great wedding that there was to be in the Church of the Renunciation that morning in
Lowlight: and of the preparations that were made, and how holy men had come from far on mules, and had slept
the night in the village, and the Bishop of Toledo himself would bless the bridegroom's sword. The bowmen
therefore retired a little way and, moving through the mists, came forward to points whence they could watch
the church, well concealed on the wild plain, which here and there gave up a field to man but was mostly the
playground of wild creatures whose ways were the bowmen's ways. And here they waited.
This was the wedding of Rodriguez and Serafina, of which gossips often spoke at their doors in summer
evenings, old women mumbling of fair weddings that each had seen; and they had been children when they saw
this wedding; they were those that threw small handfuls of anemones on the path before the porch. They told
the tale of it till they could tell no more. It is the account of the last two or three of them, old, old women, that
came at last to these chronicles, so that their tongues may wag as it were a little longer through these pages
although they have been for so many centuries dead. And this is all that books are able to do.
First there was bell-ringing and many voices, and then the voices hushed, and there came the procession of
eight divines of Murcia, whose vestments were strange to Lowlight. Then there came a priest from the South,
near the border of Andalusia, who overnight had sanctified the ring. (It was he who had entertained Rodriguez
when he first escaped from la Garda, and Rodriguez had sent for him now.) Each note of the bells came clear
through the hush as they entered the church. And then with suitable attendants the bishop strode by and they
saw quite close the blessed cope of Toledo. And the bridegroom followed him in, wearing his sword, and Don
Alderon went with him. And then the voices rose again in the street: the bells rang on: they all saw Dona Mirana.
The little bunches of bright anemones grew sticky in their hands: the bells seemed louder: cheering rose in the
street and came all down it nearer. Then Dona Serafina walked past them with all her maids: and that is what the
gossips chiefly remembered, telling how she smiled at them, and praising her dress, through those distant summer
evenings. Then there was music in the church. And afterwards the forest-people had come. And the people
screamed, for none knew what they would do. But they bowed so low to the bride and bridegroom, and showed
their great hunting bows so willingly to all who wished to see, that the people lost their alarm and only feared lest
the Bishop of Toledo should blast the merry bowmen with one of his curses.
And presently the bride and bridegroom entered the chariot, and the people cheered; and there were
farewells and the casting of flowers; and the bishop blessed three of their bows; and a fat man sat beside the
driver with folded arms, wearing bright on his face a look of foolish contentment; and the bowmen and bride and
bridegroom all went away to the forest.
Four huge white horses drew that bridal chariot, the bowmen ran beside it, and soon it was lost to sight of
the girls that watched it from Lowlight; but their memories held it close till their eyes could no longer see to knit
and they could only sit by their porches in fine weather and talk of the days that were.
So came Rodriguez and his bride to the forest; he silent, perplexed, wondering always to what home and
what future he brought her; she knowing less than he and trusting more. And on the untended road that the
bowmen shared with stags and with rare, very venturous travellers, the wheels of the woodland chariot sank so
deep in the sandy earth that the escort of bowmen needed seldom to run any more; and he who sat by the
driver climbed down and walked silent for once, perhaps awed by the occasion, though he was none other than
Morano. Serafina was delighted with the forest, but between Rodriguez and its beautiful grandeur his anxieties [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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moved with them. And just out of hearing of the village, behind wild shrubs that hid them, the bowmen that
were coming from the forest met the three that had spent the night in taverns of Lowlight. And the three told
the hundred of the great wedding that there was to be in the Church of the Renunciation that morning in
Lowlight: and of the preparations that were made, and how holy men had come from far on mules, and had slept
the night in the village, and the Bishop of Toledo himself would bless the bridegroom's sword. The bowmen
therefore retired a little way and, moving through the mists, came forward to points whence they could watch
the church, well concealed on the wild plain, which here and there gave up a field to man but was mostly the
playground of wild creatures whose ways were the bowmen's ways. And here they waited.
This was the wedding of Rodriguez and Serafina, of which gossips often spoke at their doors in summer
evenings, old women mumbling of fair weddings that each had seen; and they had been children when they saw
this wedding; they were those that threw small handfuls of anemones on the path before the porch. They told
the tale of it till they could tell no more. It is the account of the last two or three of them, old, old women, that
came at last to these chronicles, so that their tongues may wag as it were a little longer through these pages
although they have been for so many centuries dead. And this is all that books are able to do.
First there was bell-ringing and many voices, and then the voices hushed, and there came the procession of
eight divines of Murcia, whose vestments were strange to Lowlight. Then there came a priest from the South,
near the border of Andalusia, who overnight had sanctified the ring. (It was he who had entertained Rodriguez
when he first escaped from la Garda, and Rodriguez had sent for him now.) Each note of the bells came clear
through the hush as they entered the church. And then with suitable attendants the bishop strode by and they
saw quite close the blessed cope of Toledo. And the bridegroom followed him in, wearing his sword, and Don
Alderon went with him. And then the voices rose again in the street: the bells rang on: they all saw Dona Mirana.
The little bunches of bright anemones grew sticky in their hands: the bells seemed louder: cheering rose in the
street and came all down it nearer. Then Dona Serafina walked past them with all her maids: and that is what the
gossips chiefly remembered, telling how she smiled at them, and praising her dress, through those distant summer
evenings. Then there was music in the church. And afterwards the forest-people had come. And the people
screamed, for none knew what they would do. But they bowed so low to the bride and bridegroom, and showed
their great hunting bows so willingly to all who wished to see, that the people lost their alarm and only feared lest
the Bishop of Toledo should blast the merry bowmen with one of his curses.
And presently the bride and bridegroom entered the chariot, and the people cheered; and there were
farewells and the casting of flowers; and the bishop blessed three of their bows; and a fat man sat beside the
driver with folded arms, wearing bright on his face a look of foolish contentment; and the bowmen and bride and
bridegroom all went away to the forest.
Four huge white horses drew that bridal chariot, the bowmen ran beside it, and soon it was lost to sight of
the girls that watched it from Lowlight; but their memories held it close till their eyes could no longer see to knit
and they could only sit by their porches in fine weather and talk of the days that were.
So came Rodriguez and his bride to the forest; he silent, perplexed, wondering always to what home and
what future he brought her; she knowing less than he and trusting more. And on the untended road that the
bowmen shared with stags and with rare, very venturous travellers, the wheels of the woodland chariot sank so
deep in the sandy earth that the escort of bowmen needed seldom to run any more; and he who sat by the
driver climbed down and walked silent for once, perhaps awed by the occasion, though he was none other than
Morano. Serafina was delighted with the forest, but between Rodriguez and its beautiful grandeur his anxieties [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]