登陆注册
5253600000206

第206章

"Lord, wouldst thou not light down and enter thy Castle; for none hath more right there now than thou.

The Prior of the Thorn hath told us that there is no lineage of the Lady left to claim it; and none other might ever have claimed it save the Baron of Sunway, whom thou hast slain.

And else would we have slain him, since he slew our Lady."

Ralph shook his head and said: "Nay, old friend, and new vassal, this we may not do: we must on speedily, for belike there is work for us to do nearer home."

"Yea, Lord," said the carle, "but at least light down and sit for a while under this fair oak-tree in the heat of the day, and eat a morsel with us, and drink a cup, that thy luck may abide with us when thou art gone."

Ralph would not naysay him; so he and all of them got off their horses, and sat down on the green grass under the oak: and that people gathered about and sat down by them, save that a many of the women went to their houses to fetch out the victual.

Meanwhile the carles fell to speech freely with the wayfarers, and told them much concerning their little land, were it hearsay, or stark sooth: such as tales of the wights that dwelt in the wood, wodehouses, and elf-women, and dwarfs, and such like, and how fearful it were to deal with such creatures.

Amongst other matters they told how a hermit, a holy man, had come to dwell in the wood, in a clearing but a little way thence toward the north-west. But when Ralph asked if he dwelt on the way to the ford of the Swelling Flood, they knew not what he meant; for the wood was to them as a wall.

Hereon the Sage held one of the younger men in talk, and taught him what he might of the way to the Burg of the Four Friths, so that they might verily send a messenger to Upmeads if need were.

But the country youth said there was no need to think thereof, as no man of theirs would dare the journey through the wood, and that if they had need of a messenger, one of the Fathers of the Thorn would do their errand, whereas they were holy men, and knew the face of the world full well.

Now in this while the folk seemed to have gotten their courage again, and to be cheery, and to have lost their grief for the Lady: and of the maidens left about the oak were more than two or three very fair, who stood gazing at Ralph as if they were exceeding fain of him.

But amidst these things came back the women with the victual; to wit bread in baskets, and cheeses both fresh and old, and honey, and wood-strawberries, and eggs cooked diversely, and skewers of white wood with gobbets of roasted lamb's flesh, and salad good plenty. All these they bore first to Ralph and Ursula, and their two fellows, and then dealt them to their own folk: and they feasted and were merry in despite of that tale of evil tidings.

They brought also bowls and pitchers of wine that was good and strong, and cider of their orchards, and called many a health to the new Lord and his kindred.

Thus then they abode a-feasting till the sun was westering and the shadows waxed about them, and then at last Ralph rose up and called to horse, and the other wayfarers arose also, and the horses were led up to them. Then the maidens, made bold by the joy of the feast, and being stirred to the heart by much beholding of this beloved Lord, cast off their shamefacedness and crowded about him, and kissed his raiment and his hands: some even, though trembling, and more for love than fear, prayed him for kisses, and he, nothing loath, laughed merrily and laid his hands on their shoulders or took them by the chins, and set his lips to the sweetness of their cheeks and their lips, of those that asked and those that refrained; so that their hearts failed them for love of him, and when he was gone, they knew not how to go back to their houses, or the places that were familiar to them.

Therewith he and his got into their saddles and rode away slowly, because of the thronging about them of that folk, who followed them to the edge of the wood, and even entered a little thereinto; and then stood gazing on Ralph and his fellows after they had spurred on and were riding down a glade of the woodland.

同类推荐
  • The Foreigner

    The Foreigner

    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。
  • The Gold Bag

    The Gold Bag

    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。
  • 周易参同契注·阴长生

    周易参同契注·阴长生

    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。
  • 游称心寺

    游称心寺

    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。
  • 象山语要

    象山语要

    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。
热门推荐
  • 医生,其实我有病

    医生,其实我有病

    水晨曦作为一个小时候怕爸爸,上学了怕老师,长大了怕医生的姑娘,她不仅喜欢上了一个医生,而且那个医生还是心理医生。水晨曦某日一本正经的对他说:“医生,其实我一直没告诉你,我有病。”闻沉疴抬头看了她一眼,柔声道:“知道你有病,看病请先挂号。”
  • 牛奶与巧克力

    牛奶与巧克力

    热情而敏感的程妙心,冷静慢热的程可,不见踪影的父母,疑点重重的人生。美术、音乐、计算机、物理、数学轮番出场,是用知识改变命运?或者只是在宿命前面无力的挣扎。
  • Miss Civilization

    Miss Civilization

    "Miss Civilization" is founded on a story by the late James Harvey Smith. All professional rights in this play belong to Richard Harding Davis.汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 禽难自禁

    禽难自禁

    某只对她说:我不介意你喜欢他,因为我终会让他成为过去时!醉酒那夜,她以为自己和乔二,最后却发现,居然是乔大。这可怎么是好!?--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 第一佣兵女王:斗破姻缘

    第一佣兵女王:斗破姻缘

    “师父,您是喜欢徒儿的柔情似水,还是迷恋徒儿的性感身材呢?”洛倾城嗲嗲的问道,眼神含情脉脉的。“为师喜欢扑倒你!”“.......”某人黑线,无语,风中继续凌乱去了!她本是现代一绝世高手,杀人如麻,素有玉罗刹之称。一朝穿越不但沦为他人解蛊的肉鼎,被人骗身又骗情。遭人陷害,被人拍卖也罢了全拿当她废物?修魂废材?爹爹要杀她?族人鄙视她?狠好!一鞭挥出,气势如虹,打尿你们这群狗眼看人低的废物们!天不容她,好,那她就逆之。人要杀她,行,那她便诛之。既然非要逼她走上一条绝境,不让她安生的过日子,那她便——翻手为天,覆手为雨。笑看苍生,割地为王。成为一代绝世女奴王吧!
  • 006号追夫计划(完)

    006号追夫计划(完)

    当古代超前妖孽男遇上穿越而来的女主,那是什么样的情景,是天雷勾地火,是冰与火的碰撞,是干柴加烈火,亦或是老鹰抓小鸡的游戏?女追男隔层纱,男追女隔层山。这句话怎么就应验不到她身上。因他一句:“唯潇唯潇,为笑而活,倾尽天下只唯笑。”而动情。追他的过程艰辛无比:十八般搞笑追夫计划层层叠出,情书,偶遇,表白……终极目标是:把凤唯潇追到手。他不屑,哼!她要移情别恋,她要跟魔教教主走,他却:“你敢不爱我试试,嗯?”一个极度腹黑的古代男人,一个温文尔雅的魔教教主,一个厚脸皮搞怪却不白痴的现代女……正在更的文:《相公懒洋洋》《妃乱天下:休夫皇妃http://m.wkkk.net/a/113576/好友文:但愿君心似我心http://m.wkkk.net/a/217109/
  • 腹黑首席的天价宝贝

    腹黑首席的天价宝贝

    他是万众瞩目的姜氏集团总裁,却偏偏爱上了平凡的她。她以为他们会幸福一辈子,却在父母离异那天,他牵着怀孕的小三出现在她的面前,居高临下的看着她。她以为他在玩她,他却对她温柔有加。“你能不能,不和她订婚?”她满心期待的祈求他。“不能。”两个字,凉彻心扉。“何时艾,你竟然想忘记我?”他朝她怒吼。“对。”她淡笑。不是说好了再见面是陌人吗?为何又穷追不舍?
  • 冥想的力量

    冥想的力量

    冥想,是人们普遍感兴趣的主题。所有传统的灵性探索者,为了宁静、和平和幸福都以某种方式实践冥想。因古老而受仰的冥想教导,就像体现在瑜伽和吠檀多中的那样,充当了全界灵性探索者的灵感之源。在印度教众多冥想传统中,瑜伽传和吠檀多传统普遍被视为两个主流的教导。瑜伽和吠檀多都力争达到同样的目标,它们的区别在于抵达目标的方法。本书将随这两个体系的方法和教导,研究冥想及其实践。 瑜伽和吠檀多有四个普遍的原则,即:个体灵魂的神性、生存的统一性、终极实在的单一性和诸宗教的和谐。灵魂的神性自由和自我实现不可动摇的灵性基础。生存的统一性是所有伦理美德的基础。
  • 左手日记

    左手日记

    《左手日记》本书收录了宗利华的小小说作品,分为作品荟萃、作品评论、创作心得和创作年表四部分。作品立意深刻,构思巧妙,情节曲折,于质朴中见幽默,于调侃中见温情,于娓娓叙述中蕴含人生哲理,展现了作者对生活的深厚体验和独特思考,对广大读者和写作者有着极其特殊的启悟意义。
  • 莲

    N年前,水镇发生大旱,半年没下一滴雨了,村民死的死,逃的逃,等到我出生的那一天,天空突然下起了瓢泼大雨。我出生之前,大地一片灼热,天空中的暴君——太阳肆意烘烤大地,所有的河都已干涸,大地裂开了一道道口子,人们在大地上垂死挣扎,他们能做的,唯有祈祷,等待神灵的保佑。父亲跪在地上说,神呀,下雨吧,救救我老婆,救救我儿。整个水镇响起了人们泣血般的呼声,神呀,下雨吧,救救我们……救救我们……但那些声音,越来越小,最后隐入了尘土。