登陆注册
5188000000280

第280章

Yet not unhappily.Clement it may be remembered, was fond of children, and true monastic life fosters this sentiment.The innocent distress on the cherubic face, the tears that ran so smoothly from those transparent violets, his eyes, and his pretty, dismal cry for his only friend, his mother, went through the hermit's heart.He employed all his gentleness and all his art to soothe him; and as the little soul was wonderfully intelligent for his age, presently succeeded so far that he ceased to cry out, and wonder took the place of fear; while, in silence, broken only in little gulps, he scanned, with great tearful eyes, this strange figure that looked so wild, but spoke so kindly, and wore armour, yet did not kill little boys, but coaxed them.Clement was equally perplexed to know how this little human flower came to lie sparkling and blooming in his gloomy cave.But he remembered he had left the door wide open, and he was driven to conclude that, owing to this negligence, some unfortunate creature of high or low degree had seized this opportunity to get rid of her child for ever.[1].At this his bowels yearned so over the poor deserted cherub, that the tears of pure tenderness stood in his eyes, and still, beneath the crime of the mother, he saw the divine goodness, which had so directed her heartlessness as to comfort His servant's breaking heart.

"Now bless thee, bless thee, bless thee, sweet innocent, I would not change thee for e'en a cherub in heaven.""At's pooty," replied the infant, ignoring contemptuously, after the manner of infants, all remarks that did not interest him.

"What is pretty here, my love, besides thee?""Ookum-gars,[2] said the boy, pointing to the hermit's breastplate.

"Quot liberi, tot sententiunculae!" Hector's child screamed at his father's glittering casque and nodding crest; and here was a mediaeval babe charmed with a polished cuirass, and his griefs assuaged.

"There are prettier things here than that," said Clement, "there are little birds; lovest thou birds?""Nay.Ay.En um ittle, ery ittle? Not ike torks.Hate torks um bigger an baby."He then confided, in very broken language, that the storks with their great flapping wings.scared him, and were a great trouble and worry to him, darkening his existence more or less.

"Ay, but my birds are very little, and good, and oh, so pretty!""Den I ikes 'm," said the child authoritatively, "I ont my mammy.""Alas, sweet dove! I doubt I shall have to fill her place as best I may.Hast thou no daddy as well as mammy, sweet one?"Now not only was this conversation from first to last, the relative ages, situations, and all circumstances of the parties considered, as strange a one as ever took place between two mortal creatures, but at or within a second or two of the hermit's last question, to turn the strange into the marvellous, came an unseen witness, to whom every word that passed carried ten times the force it did to either of the speakers.

Since, therefore, it is with her eyes you must now see, and hear with her ears, I go back a step for her.

Margaret, when she ran past Gerard, was almost mad.She was in that state of mind in which affectionate mothers have been known to kill their children, sometimes along with themselves, sometimes alone, which last is certainly maniacal, She ran to Reicht Heynes pale and trembling, and clasped her round the neck, "Oh, Reicht!

oh, Reicht!" and could say no more.

Reicht kissed her, and began to whimper; and would you believe it, the great mastiff uttered one long whine: even his glimmer of sense taught him grief was afoot.

"Oh, Reicht!" moaned the despised beauty, as soon as she could utter a word for choking, "see how he has served me!" and she showed her hands, that were bleeding with falling on the stony ground."He threw me down, he was so eager to fly from me, He took me for a devil; he said I came to tempt him.Am I the woman to tempt a man? you know me, Reicht.""Nay, in sooth, sweet Mistress Margaret, the last i' the world.""And he would not look at my child.I'll fling myself and him into the Rotter this night.""Oh, fie! fie! eh, my sweet woman, speak not so.Is any man that breathes worth your child's life?""My child! where is he? Why, Reicht, I have left him behind.Oh, shame! is it possible I can love him to that degree as to forget my child? Ah! I am rightly served for it."And she sat down, and faithful Reicht beside her, and they sobbed in one another's arms.

After a while Margaret left off sobbing.and said doggedly, "let us go home.""Ay, but the bairn?"

"Oh! he is well where he is.My heart is turned against my very child, He cares nought for him; wouldn't see him, nor hear speak of him; and I took him there so proud, and made his hair so nice, I did, and put his new frock and cowl on him.Nay, turn about:

it's his child as well as mine; let him keep it awhile: mayhap that will learn him to think more of its mother and his own.""High words off an empty stomach," said Reicht.

"Time will show.Come you home."

They departed, and Time did show quicker than he levels abbeys, for at the second step Margaret stopped, and could neither go one way nor the other, but stood stock still.

"Reicht," said she piteously, "what else have I on earth? Icannot."

"Whoever said you could? Think you I paid attention? Words are woman's breath.Come back for him without more ado; 'tis time we were in our beds, much more he."Reicht led the way, and Margaret followed readily enough in that direction; but as they drew near the cell, she stopped again.

"Reicht, go you and ask him, will he give me back my boy; for Icould not bear the sight of him"

同类推荐
  • 杂曲歌辞 盖罗缝

    杂曲歌辞 盖罗缝

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 琅嬛记

    琅嬛记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Aaron Trow

    Aaron Trow

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Child's Garden of Verses

    A Child's Garden of Verses

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 江变纪略

    江变纪略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 左文襄公奏牍

    左文襄公奏牍

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 史上最败家影帝

    史上最败家影帝

    世界上赫赫有名的明星评论家“卡卓赫尔”曾经这样形容他:拥有打破常规的思维和胆魄、不拘一格的行为与举止、超强的演技与歌喉,但……最为重要的是……他是一个完全能够颠覆你世界观的败家子!!!
  • 总裁无心:不爱,请放手

    总裁无心:不爱,请放手

    这一世,叶青柠想着自己必须要和沈初上离婚。于是一纸离婚协议书甩在了他的面前。沈初上看了一眼离婚协议:“这婚结的时候我不乐意,现在要离,我也不乐意。”随手把离婚协议书扔在了垃圾桶内。“.…….”叶青柠很无语,他明明那么讨厌自己,怎么就不同意离婚!
  • 官扎营的孙主任

    官扎营的孙主任

    “洋活(济南方言:臭美)洋活小(济南方言:小男孩),洋活洋活妮儿,撕巴撕巴喂小鸡。”五十多年前,我追着王春丽在官扎营大街上唱着这首济南儿歌,王春丽不躲不闪回身就打,情急中我转身就跑。五十多年后,我在官扎营的大街上看见王春丽,王春丽居然没有认出我来,于是我冲着她的背影喊:“洋活洋活小,洋活洋活妮儿,撕巴撕巴喂小鸡。”王春丽愣了,猛然站住,转过身,冲着我扑了过来……我的这种行为在五十年前得到过惩罚。我冲王春丽喊,王春丽打不着我,就一溜烟跑到我家,拉着我母亲的衣襟说:“孙大姨你不管小胖胖吗?他骂我。”
  • 废柴逆袭:帝尊,咱不熟

    废柴逆袭:帝尊,咱不熟

    她是21世纪的鬼医杀手,却应一场意外穿越,成为天衍大陆云家的嫡女,关键是这原主身性无能,百年难见的废柴体质,胆小懦弱。爹不疼,后娘不爱的,连庶女都要欺负的人,还好祖父喜欢,云念初扶额:这老天是来开玩笑的吧?没关系,看我在这异世大陆怎么活得风生水起,扭转乾坤。左撕渣男,右打白莲花,哦?听说神兽很难得,云念初一手一个,神兽在后头还讨好,求赏。听说丹药稀少?没关系,当糖豆吃,神器木有?人家云念初拿来切菜。真的是人比人气死人,云念初哪想啊:当初掉悬崖,遇到的美男子,要她负责。他,一路叱咤风云,没想到却栽在一个小丫头片子身上。她一路神气洋洋,哪想啊,被他一路纠缠,一路栽进他的陷阱里……于是携手虐渣……
  • 五行龙印

    五行龙印

    刘氏夫妇金盆洗手,却因身怀至宝被江湖高手追杀,襁褓中的少年,父母双亡之际迎接新的人生,得道高僧收留,能否手刃仇人?江湖之大,何为正道?且看少年家破人亡,集百家功力于一身,踏足江湖书写传奇一生.
  • 西点法则

    西点法则

    在西点军校200多年的历程中,她培养了众多的军事人才,其中有3800多人成为将军。仅1915届的164名学员中,就有59名成为准将以上军官,其中3位四星上将,2位五星上将和陆军参谋长,1名当了美国总统。
  • 有个她喜欢我

    有个她喜欢我

    在读大学的王凯异与李氏集团千金李晓菲,相遇同一所大学。因兄弟林浩天喜欢了李晓菲的朋友夏夏净月,而认识彼此。经过“天田游泳池”、“山游”、“生日聚会”、“第二次接吻”、“吃醋”等事件,李晓菲发现自己已经喜欢上王凯异了。从此李晓菲下定决心倒追王凯异,经过她多次精心策划,很成功的失败了。但是她没有放弃,反而更努力。之后他们两个开始了漫长虐情戏,想看看最后的结果吗?快来看吧。
  • 在主神世界找bug

    在主神世界找bug

    写书多年,扑街多年,耳火的号终于还是决定舍弃了,然后新书游戏乐园里的Cosplay,准备从这一本开始,不管成绩如何都每本完本了,虽然说我把同期百分之九十九的作者都熬没了不是什么值得称赞的事情,但是我至少还没有放弃,还能继续开新书,各个地方断断续续了二十几本新书证明太监后继续没用,所以我还有兴趣还有动力,想再试试,在还能写的时候,安下心每本都力求写到完本而不是烂尾。
  • 千金宝要

    千金宝要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。