[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
making somewhat of a compass. And when she was gone, Walter knelt down and
kissed the place where her feet had been, and arose thereafter, and made his
way toward the house, he also, but slowly, and staying oft on his way.
CHAPTER XVII
OF THE HOUSE
AND THE PLEASANCE IN THE WOOD
On the morrow morning Walter loitered a while about the house till the morn
was grown old, and then about noon he took his bow and arrows and went into
the woods to the northward, to get him some venison. He went somewhat far ere
he shot him a fawn, and then he sat him down to rest under the shade of a
great chestnut-tree, for it was not far past the hottest of the day. He looked
around thence and saw below him a little dale with a pleasant stream running
through it, and he bethought him of bathing therein, so he went down and had
his pleasure of the water and the willowy banks; for he lay naked a while on
the grass by the lip of the water, for joy of the flickering shade, and the
little breeze that ran over the down-long ripples of the stream.
64
Then he did on his raiment, and began to come his ways up the bent, but had
scarce gone three steps ere he saw a woman coming towards him from downstream.
His heart came into his mouth when he saw her, for she stooped and reached
down her arm, as if she would lay her hand on her ankle, so that at first he
deemed it had been the Maid, but at the second eye-shot he saw that it was the
Mistress. She stood still and looked on him, so that he deemed she would have
him come to her. So he went to meet her, and grew somewhat shamefaced as he
drew nigher, and wondered at her, for now was she clad but in one garment of
some dark grey silky stuff, embroidered with, as it were, a garland of flowers
about the middle, but which was so thin that, as the wind drifted it from side
and limb, it hid her no more, but for the said garland, than if water were
running over her: her face was full of smiling joy and content as she spake to
him in a kind, caressing voice, and said: I give thee good day, good Squire,
Page 35
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
and well art thou met. And she held out her hand to him. He knelt down before
her and kissed it, and abode still upon his knees, and hanging down his head.
But she laughed outright, and stooped down to him, and put her hand to his
arms, and raised him up, and said to him: What is this, my Squire, that thou
kneelest to me as to an idol?
He said faltering: I wot not; but perchance thou art an idol; and I fear
thee.
What! she said, more than yesterday, whenas thou sawest me afraid?
Said he: Yea, for that now I see thee unhidden, and meseemeth there hath been
none such since the old days of the Gentiles.
She said: Hast thou not yet bethought thee of a gift to crave of me, a reward
for the slaying of mine enemy, and the saving of me from death?
O my Lady, he said, even so much would I have done for any other lady, or,
forsooth, for any poor man; for so my manhood would have bidden me. Speak not
of gifts to me then. Moreover
(and he reddened therewith, and his voice faltered), didst thou not give me
my sweet reward yesterday? What more durst I ask?
65
She held her peace awhile, and looked on him keenly; and he reddened under her
gaze. Then wrath came into her face, and she reddened and knit her brows, and
spake to him in a voice of anger, and said: Nay, what is this? It is growing
in my mind that thou deemest the gift of me unworthy! Thou, an alien, an
outcast; one endowed with the little wisdom of the World without the Wood! And
here I stand before thee, all glorious in my nakedness, and so fulfilled of
wisdom, that I can make this wilderness to any whom I love more full of joy
than the kingdoms and cities of the world and thou! Ah, but it is the Enemy
that hath done this, and made the guileless guileful! Yet will I have the
upper hand at least, though thou suffer for it, and I suffer for thee.
Walter stood before her with hanging head, and he put forth his hands as if
praying off her anger, and pondered what answer he should make; for now he
feared for himself and the Maid; so at last he looked up to her, and said
boldly: Nay, Lady, I know what thy words mean, whereas I
remember thy first welcome of me. I wot, forsooth, that thou wouldst call me
base-born, and of no account, and unworthy to touch the hem of thy raiment;
and that I have been over-bold, and guilty towards thee; and doubtless this is
sooth, and I have deserved thine anger: but I will not ask thee to pardon me,
for I have done but what I must needs.
She looked on him calmly now, and without any wrath, but rather as if she
would read what was written in his inmost heart. Then her face changed into
joyousness again, and she smote her palms together, and cried out: This is
but foolish talk; for yesterday did I see thy valiancy, and to-day I have seen
thy goodliness; and I say, that though thou mightest not be good enough for a
fool woman of the earthly baronage, yet art thou good enough for me, the wise
and the mighty, and the lovely. And whereas thou sayest that I gave thee but
disdain when first thou camest to us, grudge not against me therefor, because
it was done but to prove thee; and now thou art proven.
Then again he knelt down before her, and embraced her knees, and again she
raised him up, and let her arm hang down over his shoulder, and her cheek
brush his cheek; and she kissed his mouth and said: Hereby is all forgiven,
both thine offence and mine; and now cometh joy and merry days.
66
Therewith her smiling face grew grave, and she stood before him looking
stately and gracious and kind at once, and she took his hand and said: Thou
mightest deem my chamber in the
Golden House of the Wood over-queenly, since thou art no masterful man. So now
hast thou chosen well the place wherein to meet me to-day, for hard by on the
Page 36
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
making somewhat of a compass. And when she was gone, Walter knelt down and
kissed the place where her feet had been, and arose thereafter, and made his
way toward the house, he also, but slowly, and staying oft on his way.
CHAPTER XVII
OF THE HOUSE
AND THE PLEASANCE IN THE WOOD
On the morrow morning Walter loitered a while about the house till the morn
was grown old, and then about noon he took his bow and arrows and went into
the woods to the northward, to get him some venison. He went somewhat far ere
he shot him a fawn, and then he sat him down to rest under the shade of a
great chestnut-tree, for it was not far past the hottest of the day. He looked
around thence and saw below him a little dale with a pleasant stream running
through it, and he bethought him of bathing therein, so he went down and had
his pleasure of the water and the willowy banks; for he lay naked a while on
the grass by the lip of the water, for joy of the flickering shade, and the
little breeze that ran over the down-long ripples of the stream.
64
Then he did on his raiment, and began to come his ways up the bent, but had
scarce gone three steps ere he saw a woman coming towards him from downstream.
His heart came into his mouth when he saw her, for she stooped and reached
down her arm, as if she would lay her hand on her ankle, so that at first he
deemed it had been the Maid, but at the second eye-shot he saw that it was the
Mistress. She stood still and looked on him, so that he deemed she would have
him come to her. So he went to meet her, and grew somewhat shamefaced as he
drew nigher, and wondered at her, for now was she clad but in one garment of
some dark grey silky stuff, embroidered with, as it were, a garland of flowers
about the middle, but which was so thin that, as the wind drifted it from side
and limb, it hid her no more, but for the said garland, than if water were
running over her: her face was full of smiling joy and content as she spake to
him in a kind, caressing voice, and said: I give thee good day, good Squire,
Page 35
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
and well art thou met. And she held out her hand to him. He knelt down before
her and kissed it, and abode still upon his knees, and hanging down his head.
But she laughed outright, and stooped down to him, and put her hand to his
arms, and raised him up, and said to him: What is this, my Squire, that thou
kneelest to me as to an idol?
He said faltering: I wot not; but perchance thou art an idol; and I fear
thee.
What! she said, more than yesterday, whenas thou sawest me afraid?
Said he: Yea, for that now I see thee unhidden, and meseemeth there hath been
none such since the old days of the Gentiles.
She said: Hast thou not yet bethought thee of a gift to crave of me, a reward
for the slaying of mine enemy, and the saving of me from death?
O my Lady, he said, even so much would I have done for any other lady, or,
forsooth, for any poor man; for so my manhood would have bidden me. Speak not
of gifts to me then. Moreover
(and he reddened therewith, and his voice faltered), didst thou not give me
my sweet reward yesterday? What more durst I ask?
65
She held her peace awhile, and looked on him keenly; and he reddened under her
gaze. Then wrath came into her face, and she reddened and knit her brows, and
spake to him in a voice of anger, and said: Nay, what is this? It is growing
in my mind that thou deemest the gift of me unworthy! Thou, an alien, an
outcast; one endowed with the little wisdom of the World without the Wood! And
here I stand before thee, all glorious in my nakedness, and so fulfilled of
wisdom, that I can make this wilderness to any whom I love more full of joy
than the kingdoms and cities of the world and thou! Ah, but it is the Enemy
that hath done this, and made the guileless guileful! Yet will I have the
upper hand at least, though thou suffer for it, and I suffer for thee.
Walter stood before her with hanging head, and he put forth his hands as if
praying off her anger, and pondered what answer he should make; for now he
feared for himself and the Maid; so at last he looked up to her, and said
boldly: Nay, Lady, I know what thy words mean, whereas I
remember thy first welcome of me. I wot, forsooth, that thou wouldst call me
base-born, and of no account, and unworthy to touch the hem of thy raiment;
and that I have been over-bold, and guilty towards thee; and doubtless this is
sooth, and I have deserved thine anger: but I will not ask thee to pardon me,
for I have done but what I must needs.
She looked on him calmly now, and without any wrath, but rather as if she
would read what was written in his inmost heart. Then her face changed into
joyousness again, and she smote her palms together, and cried out: This is
but foolish talk; for yesterday did I see thy valiancy, and to-day I have seen
thy goodliness; and I say, that though thou mightest not be good enough for a
fool woman of the earthly baronage, yet art thou good enough for me, the wise
and the mighty, and the lovely. And whereas thou sayest that I gave thee but
disdain when first thou camest to us, grudge not against me therefor, because
it was done but to prove thee; and now thou art proven.
Then again he knelt down before her, and embraced her knees, and again she
raised him up, and let her arm hang down over his shoulder, and her cheek
brush his cheek; and she kissed his mouth and said: Hereby is all forgiven,
both thine offence and mine; and now cometh joy and merry days.
66
Therewith her smiling face grew grave, and she stood before him looking
stately and gracious and kind at once, and she took his hand and said: Thou
mightest deem my chamber in the
Golden House of the Wood over-queenly, since thou art no masterful man. So now
hast thou chosen well the place wherein to meet me to-day, for hard by on the
Page 36
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]