登陆注册
5390600000023

第23章 CHAPTER XIV: (2)

A while they sat there together after they had done their meat, and the Lady fell a-talking with Walter concerning the parts of the earth, and the manners of men, and of his journeyings to and fro.

At last she said: "Thou hast told me much and answered all my questions wisely, and as my good Squire should, and that pleaseth me. But now tell me of the city wherein thou wert born and bred; a city whereof thou hast hitherto told me nought."

"Lady," he said, "it is a fair and a great city, and to many it seemeth lovely. But I have left it, and now it is nothing to me."

"Hast thou not kindred there?" said she.

"Yea," said he, "and foemen withal; and a false woman waylayeth my life there."

"And what was she?" said the Lady.

Said Walter: "She was but my wife."

"Was she fair?" said the Lady.

Walter looked on her a while, and then said: "I was going to say that she was wellnigh as fair as thou; but that may scarce be. Yet was she very fair. But now, kind and gracious Lady, I will say this word to thee: I marvel that thou askest so many things concerning the city of Langton on Holm, where I was born, and where are my kindred yet; for meseemeth that thou knowest it thyself."

"I know it, I?" said the Lady.

"What, then! thou knowest it not?" said Walter.

Spake the Lady, and some of her old disdain was in her words: "Dost thou deem that I wander about the world and its cheaping-steads like one of the chap-men? Nay, I dwell in the Wood beyond the World, and nowhere else. What hath put this word into thy mouth?"

He said: "Pardon me, Lady, if I have misdone; but thus it was:

Mine own eyes beheld thee going down the quays of our city, and thence a ship-board, and the ship sailed out of the haven. And first of all went a strange dwarf, whom I have seen here, and then thy Maid; and then went thy gracious and lovely body."

The Lady's face changed as he spoke, and she turned red and then pale, and set her teeth; but she refrained her, and said: "Squire, I see of thee that thou art no liar, nor light of wit, therefore I suppose that thou hast verily seen some appearance of me; but never have I been in Langton, nor thought thereof, nor known that such a stead there was until thou namedst it e'en now. Wherefore, I deem that an enemy hath cast the shadow of me on the air of that land."

"Yea, my Lady," said Walter; "and what enemy mightest thou have to have done this?"

She was slow of answer, but spake at last from a quivering mouth of anger: "Knowest thou not the saw, that a man's foes are they of his own house? If I find out for a truth who hath done this, the said enemy shall have an evil hour with me."

Again she was silent, and she clenched her hands and strained her limbs in the heat of her anger; so that Walter was afraid of her, and all his misgivings came back to his heart again, and he repented that he had told her so much. But in a little while all that trouble and wrath seemed to flow off her, and again was she of good cheer, and kind and sweet to him and she said: "But in sooth, however it may be, I thank thee, my Squire and friend, for telling me hereof. And surely no wyte do I lay on thee. And, moreover, is it not this vision which hath brought thee hither?"

"So it is, Lady," said he.

"Then have we to thank it," said the Lady, "and thou art welcome to our land."

And therewith she held out her hand to him, and he took it on his knees and kissed it: and then it was as if a red-hot iron had run through his heart, and he felt faint, and bowed down his head. But he held her hand yet, and kissed it many times, and the wrist and the arm, and knew not where he was.

But she drew a little away from him, and arose and said: "Now is the day wearing, and if we are to bear back any venison we must buckle to the work. So arise, Squire, and take the hounds and come with me; for not far off is a little thicket which mostly harbours foison of deer, great and small. Let us come our ways."

同类推荐
  • 画品

    画品

    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。
  • 北山录

    北山录

    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。
  • 无所有菩萨经

    无所有菩萨经

    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 PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS

    THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS

    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。
  • 佛说老母经

    佛说老母经

    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
  • 空之壁垒

    空之壁垒

    掠夺,是人类的本质。有的人服从它,从而得到想得到的一切。有的人反抗它,用掠夺战胜掠夺。而我,将走在他们的前面,探寻一切事物之本质,掌控一切事物之演变。你好,我就是林希。始于轮回,超脱轮回。
  • 青崖白鹿记(十周年纪念版)

    青崖白鹿记(十周年纪念版)

    沈瑄合拢书卷,敛衣起身,擎着灯台默默踱开。时近子夜,三醉宫中再无人语,洞庭湖上风涛喑哑。长夜如海,浩渺得没有尽头。无边黑沉之上,只得这一室如舟,一灯如豆,载沉载浮,照亮壁间小小一方雪白。那是一轴小像,画中女郎拈花回首,自在宛若飞仙。“阿兄,你别胡思乱想。”瑛娘劝道,“也许哪天她病好了,就回来了。你要等着她呀。”沈瑄居然笑了笑,道:“当然会等着,我答应过她的。”瑛娘哑然。沈瑄举高灯台,照亮画像上方,道:“当年她的那支竹箫刻的有字,字迹模糊,我们都猜不出是什么。
  • 总裁老公,我们隐婚吧

    总裁老公,我们隐婚吧

    男,方寒诺。欧洲黑白两道让人闻风丧胆的凯撒,方氏财阀的掌权人。女,末轻言。方末两家的心肝宝贝,紫泉组织的一姐辛西娅,末氏集团的千金。他们就是天生一对的“诺言”。方妈妈说,臭小子,你媳妇刚刚胚胎的时候,老妈就给你订下来了,到时候再领不回家,你可别怪老妈不认你这儿子。于是,某女二十年来都生活在某男的五指山下。小时候,“言言要去哪儿一定要让哥哥知道哦,不然哥哥就叫坏人把言言抓走。”长大了,“有个好玩的地方,好玩的游戏,言言有没有兴趣。”于是某女就被拐到爱尔兰登记注册结婚了。但是某女就不愿意了,趁着某男去非洲出差,逃了。
  • 胡雪岩传

    胡雪岩传

    铁血宰相拥有何种跌宕起伏的刺激人生!满洲贵族大少为何突然华丽堕落!一介病弱书生缘何横刀立马、杀人如麻!草根枭雄如何主宰朝野、扬威大漠!翰林学士怎样周旋列强、忍辱偷生!一代红顶商圣怎样从帝国银库大掌柜走到凄凉辞世无人问津!
  • 凡尔纳密码:格兰特船长的儿女

    凡尔纳密码:格兰特船长的儿女

    这是一部写苏格兰民族精神的小说。故事发生在1864年,“邓肯”号的船主格里那凡爵士偶然得到两年前因海事遇难失踪的苏格兰航海家格兰特发出的求救漂流瓶,他请求英国政府派遣船队去寻找。可英国政府对苏格兰人一向歧视,拒绝了爵士的请求。爵士感到非常气愤,于是他毅然组织了一支小型救援队,亲自带队去完成寻找格兰特船长的任务。他们穿越了南美洲的高山和草原,横贯了澳大利亚和新西兰,环绕了地球一周。由于对文件的错误解释,他们一路上遇到了无数艰险。但他们以无比的毅力和勇气,终于在太平洋的一个荒岛上找到了格兰特船长。
  • 探索世界:神秘的星空

    探索世界:神秘的星空

    每一个晴朗的夜晚,天空中总是挂满点点繁星,让抬头仰望的人无限神往。无论是中国还是外国,_无论是古代还是现代,人们都会对自己头顶的这片星空浮想联翩。牛郎织女的传说家喻户晓,十二星座的故事风靡全球……还有许多神秘精彩的故事,尽在本书中!
  • 重生国民男神:离爷撩不停

    重生国民男神:离爷撩不停

    【1v1甜宠文】【微虐】一代军营女王,执行任务中光荣牺牲。重生到伪男身上,看她如何在娱乐圈掀起腥风血雨,打脸虐渣。然而,她和某人的牵扯,却是剪不断理还乱。佛曰:放下屠刀,立地成佛。离封:我的手里没有屠刀,执念早已成魔。因为我不知道,下一辈子还是否能遇见你,所以我今生才会,那么努力,把最好的都给你。#紧紧地咬着牙,强忍着疼痛,心痛得却像被千万根尖针扎过:我这样的人,连死都不怕,却害怕着黑夜,怕黑夜过去后,物是人非的一切。#身影渐渐消失在风雪中,心中冰冷得无以复加:下一次可不可以,换你褪去一身骄傲,喜欢我到疯掉?(此文原创,禁止转载,云起书院首发,作者酸奶q,抄袭必究,不喜勿喷。)
  • 亲爱的医生,晚安

    亲爱的医生,晚安

    遗留在世间的眷恋却敌不过死亡的掠夺,这是一家为临终人开设的医院,是生命最后的港湾,作为病人之一的颜雯雯在这里遇见了人世间的至爱纯情,感动、温情、离别与奇迹,是战胜死亡赢得人生,还是温馨离去,获得新生?一切的一切尚未可知,只是当多年后再回首时,颜雯雯站在临终医院前看着过往,突然就找到了答案……
  • 快穿之路人有毒

    快穿之路人有毒

    一颗被三界所厌弃的灵魂碎片,带着空间开启隐藏属性,在三千小世界中穿梭,完善自己的同时,走出一条属于自己的证道之路!其实这就是一个脑回路清奇的胆小鬼,在不断穿越的过程中,成长为让主角们避之不及的大BOSS的故事!PS:本文无男主,路人逆袭类型!!
  • 一流员工找方法,末流员工找借口

    一流员工找方法,末流员工找借口

    所有老板都希望你记住的一句话:不要遇到问题就来找老板,请给我解决方法!打造不找借口找方法的一流员工,方法决定人生,方法决定命运。借口是成功路上的高山险阻,方法则是成功路上的高速通道。在问题面前,“不找方法找借口”还是“不找借口找方法”,相信你已经作出自己的判断和选择了。