登陆注册
5253600000014

第14章

Ralph Goeth His Ways From the Abbey of St. Mary at Higham It was the monk who had been his guide the day before who had now waked him, and he stood by the bedside holding a great bowl of milk in his hand, and as Ralph sat up, and rubbed his eyes, with all his youthful sloth upon him, the monk laughed and said:

"That is well, lord, that is well! I love to see a young man so sleepy in the morning; it is a sign of thriving; and I see thou art thriving heartily for the time when thou shalt come back to us to lead my lord's host in battle."

"Where be the bale-fires?" said Ralph, not yet fully awake.

"Where be they!" said the brother, "where be they! They be sunken to cold coals long ago, like many a man's desires and hopes, who hath not yet laid his head on the bosom of the mother, that is Holy Church. Come, my lord, arise, and drink the monk's wine of morning, and then if ye must need ride, ride betimes, and ride hard; for the Wood Perilous beginneth presently as ye wend your ways; and it were well for thee to reach the Burg of the Four Friths ere thou be benighted.

For, son, there be untoward things in the wood; and though some of them be of those for whom Christ's Cross was shapen, yet have they forgotten hell, and hope not for heaven, and their by-word is, 'Thou shalt lack ere I lack.'

Furthermore there are worse wights in the wood than they be--God save us!--but against them have I a good hauberk, a neck-guard which I will give thee, son, in token that I look to see thee again at the lovely house of Mary our Mother."

Ralph had taken the bowl and was drinking, but he looked over the brim, and saw how the monk drew from his frock a pair of beads, as like to Dame Katherine's gift as one pea to another, save that at the end thereof was a little box shapen crosswise.

Ralph emptied the bowl hastily, got out of bed, and sat on the bed naked, save that on his neck was Dame Katherine's gift.

He reached out his hand and took the beads from the monk and reddened therewith, as was his wont when he had to begin a contest in words: but he said:

"I thank thee, father; yet God wot if these beads will lie sweetly alongside the collar which I bear on my neck as now, which is the gift of a dear friend."

The monk made up a solemn countenance and said:

"Thou sayest sooth, my son; it is most like that my chaplet, which hath been blessed time was by the holy Richard, is no meet fellow for the gift of some light love of thine: or even," quoth he, noting Ralph's flush deepen, and his brow knit, "or even if it were the gift of a well-willer, yet belike it is a worldly gift; therefore, since thy journey is with peril, thou wert best do it off and let me keep it for thee till thou comest again."

Now as he spake he looked anxiously, nay, it may be said greedily, at the young man. But Ralph said nought; for in his heart he was determined not to chaffer away his gossip's gift for any shaveling's token.

Yet he knew not how to set his youthful words against the father's wisdom; so he stood up, and got his shirt into his hand, and as he did it over his head he fell to singing to himself a song of eventide of the High House of Upmeads, the words whereof were somewhat like to these:

Art thou man, art thou maid, through the long grass a-going?

For short shirt thou bearest, and no beard I see, And the last wind ere moonrise about thee is blowing.

Would'st thou meet with thy maiden or look'st thou for me?

Bright shineth the moon now, I see thy gown longer;And down by the hazels Joan meeteth her lad:

But hard is thy palm, lass, and scarcely were stronger Wat's grip than thine hand-kiss that maketh me glad.

And now as the candles shine on us and over, Full shapely thy feet are, but brown on the floor, As the bare-footed mowers amidst of the clover When the gowk's note is broken and mid-June is o'er.

O hard are mine hand-palms because on the ridges I carried the reap-hook and smote for thy sake;And in the hot noon-tide I beat off the midges As thou slep'st 'neath the linden o'er-loathe to awake.

同类推荐
  • 高上神霄宗师受经式

    高上神霄宗师受经式

    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。
  • 嘉泰普灯录

    嘉泰普灯录

    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。
  • 途中口号

    途中口号

    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。
  • 外治寿世方

    外治寿世方

    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。
  • Treatise on Taxes and Contributions

    Treatise on Taxes and Contributions

    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
  • 快穿攻略:这只反派有点撩

    快穿攻略:这只反派有点撩

    当凉挽醒来的时候,她就被一个莫名其妙的系统绑定了,从来开启了异世界的无节操之旅。血统高贵的吸血鬼,占有欲极强的少爷,病娇,纯情的太监,冷血的杀手,人人得而诛之的罪犯……美男应接不暇,但是某天,某挽才发现,她进了一个巨大的坑。 某挽:罢工,这活没法干了!!! (1v1,男女主身心干净)(作者是个简介废)
  • 斗转星移

    斗转星移

    阴谋,阴谋,还是阴谋!上到朝野纷争,下到江湖武林,无处不透露着各种阴谋与诡计。想要活下去,光靠高强的武艺是不行的,关键还得看人品以及主角光环!你们准备好了吗?现在我们就要进入这奇幻的武林世界中!!!
  • 交口称赞

    交口称赞

    本书是一部荒诞美丽时代的忏悔录,这是一朵影视圈追逐和失落梦想的夜来香。知名影评人石小川厌倦了为影视剧写些交口称赞的稿子的生活,他有自己的追求,他想做制片人,拍一部印着他标签的电影!他磅礴汹涌的自信从来没有失手,他坚信转行制片人做电影是上帝赋予他的使命。他一心为了电影,却从一开始就陷入了“螳螂捕蝉黄雀在后”的连环圈套……他的身边从来不少狡猾毒辣的狐狸,也不乏患难见真情的好兄弟,还有从一而终地帮助他甚至忍辱献身的美女,更有他一直暗中喜欢、却对他若即若离的女子。
  • 嚣张魔妃:杠上邪魅王爷

    嚣张魔妃:杠上邪魅王爷

    一对一宠文无虐,热血爽文,男主遇到女主后身心干净。莫名其妙就成了六皇子冲喜的新娘,苏婉凝盘算着怎样逃出皇宫。六皇子对这新娘子本是不屑一顾,却不料只是一眼,就被她的美貌惊到。“这女人不错。”六皇子暗暗的想。“要尽快拿到休书。”苏婉凝暗暗的筹划。当他恋上她时,她却死命的要逃。终于六皇子怒了,“女人你给我滚回来!”苏婉凝微微挑眉,气势十足:“你给我滚出去!”旧文完结,书名《弃后很嚣张》,书荒的朋友可以看看。
  • 赢在变通

    赢在变通

    学会变通的员工是推动企业发展的核心力量。一个善于变通的人能够主动将变通思维融入工作,以变制变,创造性地完成任务,让变通成为习惯。本书引用大量的企业案例,加上精彩、深刻的哲理评析,为中国企业培养具有变通思维品质的人,提供了可操作的范本和培训方案。
  • 秦约诗文集:外三种

    秦约诗文集:外三种

    本书收入四种崇明地方名人著作。《秦约诗文集》是辑录了秦约的诗文作品;《海运奏疏》收录了沈廷扬关于开海运的多封奏疏;《求己堂诗文集》是清末崇明诗人施彦士的作品,乃合《求己堂诗集》与《求己堂文集》而成;《沈汝梅诗文集》则是辑录了民国著名教育家沈汝梅散见于地方报刊的诗文作品。四种著作并收入了辑录的相关生平传记资料。
  • 喵了个咪

    喵了个咪

    本书把猫写得妙趣横生,引人捧腹,性格呼之欲出,仿佛一篇篇寓言,不仅有猫生活,还有猫社会,说的是猫道理,实际又是人道理。百十篇文字,形成在五六年间。这里面有对猫的细致观察,也有深刻的爱和依赖,有养猫的经验和常识,也有和猫厮混的快乐与幸福。包括夸张的拟人化对话、故事,也有古时猫的典故、小段。通篇诙谐幽默,令人捧腹,抱抱、灰灰、三三等猫咪的形象生动可爱。
  • 温州样本

    温州样本

    这是一本关于温州经济的罕见的大气之作,大量生动的历史细节与人物活动,凸显了温州经济长足发展背后政治、经济与文化的历史互动图景。既是温州人的奋斗史,也是温州的开放史。本书以编年史的形式,全景记录了温州民营企业三十年的发展之路,既有对经济大势宏观把握的大气磅礴,又有对企业个例成长和企业家心路历程微观考察的细致深入。其中诸多知名企业和企业家的生动案例,既是弥足珍贵的历史资料,也是令人感慨的精彩故事。
  • 穿越之爆笑无良女

    穿越之爆笑无良女

    身旁丫鬟看着面前的女子是汗颜不止,从这小姐来这以来可是一刻都没有消停过,都不知道这些奇思妙想的鬼主意是怎么来的。下痒痒粉也就算了,好吧,把人弄粪坑……【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 来不及

    来不及

    沿着濑户内海东侧的海岸线一直向外延伸,临近伊予滩的地方有几个相连的小镇。这几个小镇合称万天,它们虽经济繁荣却相对封闭,类似巫术妖魔一类的东西,还是被大多数人相信着。顺着东万天有一条建到一半废弃的铁路,由于万天四周矗立着险要的高山峻岭,工程不得不被搁置。传说那条铁路的尽头,是取之不尽的黄金珠宝。万天人从来没见过太阳,他们头顶的天空总是阴雨连绵,夏冬两季占据了整年的五分之四。这会儿正值夏季,闷热潮湿的空气里充斥着聒噪的蝉鸣。