the story of the glittering plain-第10章

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woman：　　is　it　not　so？〃



Then　Hallblithe　reddened　at　first；　as　though　he　were　angry；　then　he

said：　　〃Yea；　it　is　so。〃



Said　the　Grandfather　in　a　musing　way：　　〃I　wonder　if　before　long　I

shall　think　of　it　as　thou　dost。〃



Then　Hallblithe　gazed　at　him　marvelling；　and　studied　to　see　wherein

lay　the　gibe　against　himself；　and　the　Grandfather　beheld　him；　and

laughed　as　well　as　he　might；　and　said：　　〃Son；　son；　didst　thou　not

wish　me　youth？〃



〃Yea；〃　said　Hallblithe；　〃but　what　ails　thee　to　laugh　so？　　What　is　it

I　have　said　or　done？〃



〃Nought；　nought；〃　said　the　elder；　laughing　still　more；　〃only　thou

lookest　so　mazed。　　And　who　knoweth　what　thy　wish　may　bring　forth？〃



Thereat　was　Hallblithe　sore　puzzled；　but　while　he　set　himself　to

consider　what　the　old　carle　might　mean；　uprose　the　hale　and　how　of

the　mariners；　they　cast　off　the　hawsers　from　the　shore；　ran　out　the

sweeps；　and　drave　the　ship　through　the　haven…gates。　　It　was　a　bright

sunny　day；　within；　the　green　water　was　oily…smooth；　without　the

rippling　waves　danced　merrily　under　a　light　breeze；　and　Hallblithe

deemed　the　wind　to　be　fair；　for　the　mariners　shouted　joyously　and

made　all　sail　on　the　ship；　and　she　lay　over　and　sped　through　the

waves；　casting　off　the　seas　from　her　black　bows。　　Soon　were　they

clear　of　those　swart　cliffs；　and　it　was　but　a　little　afterwards　that

the　Isle　of　Ransom　was　grown　deep　blue　behind　them　and　far　away。







CHAPTER　IX：　　THEY　COME　TO　THE　LAND　OF　THE　GLITTERING　PLAIN







As　in　the　hall；　so　in　the　ship；　Hallblithe　noted　that　the　folk　were

merry　and　of　many　words　one　with　another；　while　to　him　no　man　cast　a

word　save　the　Grandfather。　　As　to　Hallblithe；　though　he　wondered　much

what　all　this　betokened；　and　what　the　land　was　whereto　he　was

wending；　he　was　no　man　to　fear　an　unboded　peril；　and　he　said　to

himself　that　whatever　else　betid；　he　should　meet　the　Hostage　on　the

Glittering　Plain；　so　his　heart　rose　and　he　was　of　good　cheer；　and　as

the　Grandfather　had　foretold；　he　was　a　merry　faring…fellow　to　him。

Many　a　gibe　the　old　man　cast　at　him；　and　whiles　Hallblithe　gave　him

back　as　good　as　he　took；　and　whiles　he　laughed　as　the　stroke　went

home　and　silenced　him；　and　whiles　he　understood　nought　of　what　the

elder　said。　　So　wore　the　day　and　still　the　wind　held　fair；　though　it

was　light；　and　the　sun　set　in　a　sky　nigh　cloudless；　and　there　was

nowhere　any　forecast　of　peril。　　But　when　night　was　come；　Hallblithe

lay　down　on　a　fair　bed；　which　was　dight　for　him　in　the　poop；　and　he

soon　fell　asleep　and　dreamed　not　save　such　dreams　as　are　but　made　up

of　bygone　memories；　and　betoken　nought；　and　are　not　remembered。



When　he　awoke；　day　lay　broad　on　the　sea；　and　the　waves　were　little；

the　sky　had　but　few　clouds；　the　sun　shone　bright；　and　the　air　was

warm　and　sweet…breathed。



He　looked　aside　and　saw　the　old　man　sitting　up　in　his　bed；　as　ghastly

as　a　dead　man　dug　up　again：　　his　bushy　eyebrows　were　wrinkled　over

his　bleared　old　eyes；　the　long　white　hair　dangled　forlorn　from　his

gaunt　head：　　yet　was　his　face　smiling　and　he　looked　as　happy　as　the

soul　within　him　could　make　the　half…dead　body。　　He　turned　now　to

Hallblithe　and　said：



〃Thou　art　late　awake：　　hadst　thou　been　waking　earlier；　the　sooner　had

thine　heart　been　gladdened。　　Go　forward　now；　and　gaze　thy　fill　and

come　and　tell　me　thereof。〃



〃Thou　art　happy；　Grandfather；〃　said　Hallblithe；　〃what　good　tidings

hath　morn　brought　us？〃



〃The　Land！　the　Land！〃　said　the　Long…hoary；　〃there　are　no　longer　tears

in　this　old　body；　else　should　I　be　weeping　for　joy。〃



Said　Hallblithe：　　〃Art　thou　going　to　meet　some　one　who　shall　make

thee　glad　before　thou　diest；　old　man？〃



〃Some　one？〃　said　the　elder；　〃what　one？　　Are　they　not　all　gone？

burned；　and　drowned；　and　slain　and　died　abed？　　Some　one；　young　man？

Yea；　forsooth　some　one　indeed！　　Yea；　the　great　warrior　of　the　Wasters

of　the　Shore；　the　Sea…eagle　who　bore　the　sword　and　the　torch　and　the

terror　of　the　Ravagers　over　the　coal…blue　sea。　　It　is　myself；　MYSELF

that　I　shall　find　on　the　Land　of　the　Glittering　Plain；　O　young

lover！〃



Hallblithe　looked　on　him　wondering　as　he　raised　his　wasted　arms

towards　the　bows　of　the　ship　pitching　down　the　slope　of　the　sunlit

sea；　or　climbing　up　it。　　Then　again　the　old　man　fell　back　on　his　bed

and　muttered：　　〃What　fool's　work　is　this！　that　thou　wilt　draw　me　on

to　talk　loud；　and　waste　my　body　with　lack　of　patience。　　I　will　talk

with　thee　no　more；　lest　my　heart　swell　and　break；　and　quench　the

little　spark　of　life　within　me。〃



Then　Hallblithe　arose　to　his　feet；　and　stood　looking　at　him；

wondering　so　much　at　his　words；　that　for　a　while　he　forgat　the　land

which　they　were　nearing；　though　he　had　caught　glimpses　of　it；　as　the

bows　of　the　round…ship　fell　downward　into　the　hollow　of　the　sea。　　The

wind　was　but　light；　as　hath　been　said；　and　the　waves　little　under　it；

but　there　was　still　a　smooth　swell　of　the　sea　which　came　of　breezes

now　dead；　and　the　ship　wallowed　thereon　and　sailed　but　slowly。



In　a　while　the　old　man　opened　his　eyes　again；　and　said　in　a　low

peevish　voice：　　〃Why　standest　thou　staring　at　me？　why　hast　thou　not

gone　forward　to　look　upon　the　land？　　True　it　is　that　ye　Ravens　are

short　of　wits。〃



Said　Hallblithe：　　〃Be　not　wrath；　chieftain；　I　was　wondering　at　thy

words；　which　are　exceeding　marvellous；　tell　me　more　of　this　land　of

the　Glittering　Plain。〃



Said　the　Grandfather：　　〃Why　should　I　tell　it　thee？　ask　of　the

mariners。　　They　all　know　more　than　thou　dost。〃



〃Thou　knowest；〃　said　Hallblithe；　〃that　these　men　speak　not　to　me；　and

take　no　more　heed　of　me　than　if　I　were　an　image　which　they　were

carrying　to　sell　to　the　next　mighty　man　they　may　hap　on。　　Or　tell　me；

thou　old　man；〃　said　he　fiercely；　〃is　it　perchance　a　thrall…market

whereto　they　are　bringing　me？　　Have　they　sold　her　there；　and　will

they　sell　me　also　in　the　same　place；　but　into　other　hands。〃



〃Tush！〃　said　the　Grandfather　somewhat　feebly；　〃this　last　word　of

thine　is　folly；　there　is　no　buying　or　selling　in　the　land　whereto　we

are　bound。　　As　to　thine　other　word；　that　these　men　have　no　fellowship

with　thee；　it　is　true：　　thou　art　my　fellow　and　the　fellow　of　none

else　aboard。　　Therefore　if　I　feel　might　in　me；　maybe　I　will　tell　thee

somewhat。〃



Then　he　raised　his　head　a　little　and　said：　　〃The　sun　grows　hot；　the

wind　faileth　us；　and　slow　and　slow　are　we　sailing。〃



Even　as　he　spoke　there　was　a　stir　amidships；　and　Hallblithe　looked

and　beheld　the　mariners　handling　the　sweeps；　and　settling　themselves

on　the　rowing…benches。　　Said　the　elder：　　〃There　is　noise　amidships；

what　are　they　doing？〃



The　old　man　raised　himself　a　little　again；　and　cried　out　in　his

shrill　voice：　　〃Good　lads！　brave　lads！　　Thus　would　we　do　in　the　old

time　when　we　drew　anear　some　shore；　and　the　beacons　were　sending　up

smoke　by　day；　and　flame　benights；　and　the　shore…abiders　did　on　their

helms　and　trembled。　　Thrust　her　through；　lads！　　Thrust　her　along！〃

Then　he　fell　back　again；　and　said　in　a　weak　voice：　　〃Make　no　more

delay；　guest；　but　go　forward　and　look　upon　the　land；　and　come　back

and　tell　me　thereof；　and　then　the　tale　may　flow　from　me。　　Haste；

haste！〃　　So　Hallblithe　went　down　from　the　poop；　and　in　to　the　waist；

where　now　the　rowers　were　bending　to　their　oars；　and　crying　out

fiercely　as　they　tugged　at　the　quivering　ash；　and　he　clomb　on　to　the

forecastle　and　went　forward　right　to　the　dragon…head；　and　gazed　long

upon　the　land；　while　the　dashing　of　the　oar…blades　made　the　semblance

of　a　gale　about　the　ship's　black　sides。　　Then　he　came　back　again　to

the　Sea…eagle；　who　said　to　him：　　〃Son；　what　hast　thou　seen？〃



〃Right　ahead　lieth　the　land；　and　it　is　still　a　good　way　off。　　High

rise　the　mountains　there；　but　by　seeming　there　is　no　snow　on　them；

and　though　they　be　blue　they　are　not　blue　like　the　mountains　of　the

Isle　of　Ransom。　　Also　it　seemed　to　me　as　if　fair　slopes　of　woodland

and　meadow　come　down　to　the　edge　of　the　sea