the story of the glittering plain-第23章

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and　of　what　mood　they　were。　　Hallblithe　answered　thereto　as　long　as

he　might；　but　at　last　he　laughed　and　said：　　〃Friend；　forbear　thy

questions　now；　for　meseemeth　in　a　few　hours　thou　shalt　be　as　wise

hereon　as　is　the　God　of　Love　himself。〃



So　they　made　diligence　along　the　road；　and　all　was　tidingless　till　on

the　second　day　at　even　they　came　to　the　first　house　off　the　waste。

There　had　they　good　welcome；　and　slept。　　But　on　the　morrow　when　they

arose；　Hallblithe　spake　to　the　Seekers；　and　said：　　〃Now　are　things

much　changed　betwixt　us　since　the　time　when　we　first　met：　　for　then　I

had　all　my　desire；　as　I　thought；　and　ye　had　but　one　desire；　and　well

nigh　lacked　hope　of　its　fulfilment。　　Whereas　now　the　lack　hath　left

you　and　come　to　me。　　Wherefore　even　as　time　agone　ye　might　not　abide

even　one　night　at　the　House　of　the　Raven；　so　hard　as　your　desire　lay

on　you；　even　so　it　fareth　with　me　to…day；　that　I　am　consumed　with　my

desire；　and　I　may　not　abide　with　you；　lest　that　befall　which

befalleth　betwixt　the　full　man　and　the　fasting。　　Wherefore　now　I

bless　you　and　depart。〃



They　abounded　in　words　of　good…will　to　him；　and　the　once…king　said：

〃Abide　with　us；　and　we　shall　see　to　it　that　thou　have　all　the

dignities　that　a　man　may　think　of。〃



And　the　once…captain　said：　　〃Lo；　here　is　mine　hand　that　hath　been

mighty；　never　shalt　thou　lack　it　for　the　accomplishment　of　thine

uttermost　desire。　　Abide　with　us。〃



Lastly　said　the　young　man：　　〃Abide　with　us；　Son　of　the　Raven！　　Set

thine　heart　on　a　fair　woman；　yea　even　were　it　the　fairest；　and　I　will

get　her　for　thee；　even　were　my　desire　set　on　her。〃



But　he　smiled　on　them；　and　shook　his　head；　and　said：　　〃All　hail　to

you！　but　mine　errand　is　yet　undone。〃　　And　therewith　he　departed。



He　skirted　Wood…end　and　came　not　to　it；　but　got　him　down　to　the　side

of　the　sea；　not　far　from　where　he　first　came　aland；　but　somewhat

south　of　it。　　A　fair　oak…wood　came　down　close　to　the　beach　of　the

sea；　it　was　some　four　miles　end…long　and　over…thwart。　　Thither

Hallblithe　betook　him；　and　in　a　day　or　two　got　him　wood…wright's

tools　from　a　house　of　men　a　little　outside　the　wood；　three　miles　from

the　sea…shore。　　Then　he　set　to　work　and　built　him　a　little　frame…

house　on　a　lawn　of　the　wood　beside　a　clear　stream；　for　he　was　a　very

deft　wood…wright。　　Withal　he　made　him　a　bow　and　arrows；　and　shot　what

he　would　of　the　fowl　and　the　deer　for　his　livelihood；　and　folk　from

that　house　and　otherwhence　came　to　see　him；　and　brought　him　bread　and

wine　and　spicery　and　other　matters　which　he　needed。　　And　the　days

wore；　and　men　got　used　to　him；　and　loved　him　as　if　he　had　been　a　rare

image　which　had　been　brought　to　that　land　for　its　adornment；　and　now

they　no　longer　called　him　the　Spearman；　but　the　Wood…lover。　　And　as

for　him；　he　took　all　in　patience；　abiding　what　the　lapse　of　days

should　bring　forth。







CHAPTER　XIX：　　HALLBLITHE　BUILDS　HIM　A　SKIFF







After　Hallblithe　had　been　housed　a　little　while；　and　the　time　was

again　drawing　nigh　to　the　twelfth　moon　since　he　had　come　to　the

Glittering　Plain；　he　went　in　the　wood　one　day；　and；　pondering　many

things　without　fixing　on　any　one；　he　stood　before　a　very　great　oak…

tree　and　looked　at　the　tall　straight　bole　thereof；　and　there　came

into　his　head　the　words　of　an　old　song　which　was　written　round　a

scroll　of　the　carving　over　the　shut…bed；　wherein　he　was　wont　to　lie

when　he　was　at　home　in　the　House　of　the　Raven：　　and　thus　it　said：





I　am　the　oak…tree；　and　forsooth

Men　deal　by　me　with　little　ruth；

My　boughs　they　shred；　my　life　they　slay；

And　speed　me　o'er　the　watery　way。





He　looked　up　into　that　leafy　world　for　a　little　and　then　turned　back

toward　his　house；　but　all　day　long；　whether　he　were　at　work　or　at

rest；　that　posy　ran　in　his　head；　and　he　kept　on　saying　it　over；　aloud

or　not　aloud；　till　the　day　was　done　and　he　went　to　sleep。



Then　in　his　sleep　he　dreamed　that　an　exceeding　fair　woman　stood　by

his　bedside；　and　at　first　she　seemed　to　him　to　be　an　image　of　the

Hostage。　　But　presently　her　face　changed；　and　her　body　and　her

raiment；　and；　lo！　it　was　the　lovely　woman；　the　King's　daughter　whom

he　had　seen　wasting　her　heart　for　the　love　of　him。　　Then　even　in　his

dream　shame　thereof　overtook　him；　and　because　of　that　shame　he　awoke；

and　lay　awake　a　little；　hearkening　the　wind　going　through　the

woodland　boughs；　and　the　singing　of　the　owl　who　had　her　dwelling　in

the　hollow　oak　nigh　to　his　house。　　Slumber　overcame　him　in　a　little

while；　and　again　the　image　of　the　King's　daughter　came　to　him　in　his

dream；　and　again　when　he　looked　upon　her；　shame　and　pity　rose　so

hotly　in　his　heart　that　he　awoke　weeping；　and　lay　a　while　hearkening

to　the　noises　of　the　night。　　The　third　time　he　slept　and　dreamed；　and

once　more　that　image　came　to　him。　　And　now　he　looked；　and　saw　that

she　had　in　her　hand　a　book　covered　outside　with　gold　and　gems；　even

as　he　saw　it　in　the　orchard…close　aforetime：　　and　he　beheld　her　face

that　it　was　no　longer　the　face　of　one　sick　with　sorrow；　but　glad　and

clear；　and　most　beauteous。



Now　she　opened　the　book　and　held　it　before　Hallblithe　and　turned　the

leaves　so　that　he　might　see　them　clearly；　and　therein　were　woods　and

castles　painted；　and　burning　mountains；　and　the　wall　of　the　world；

and　kings　upon　their　thrones；　and　fair　women　and　warriors；　all　most

lovely　to　behold；　even　as　he　had　seen　it　aforetime　in　the　orchard

when　he　lay　lurking　amidst　the　leaves　of　the　bay…tree。



So　at　last　she　came　to　the　place　in　the　book　wherein　was　painted

Hallblithe's　own　image　over　against　the　image　of　the　Hostage；　and　he

looked　thereon　and　longed。　　But　she　turned　the　leaf；　and；　lo！　on　one

side　the　Hostage　again；　standing　in　a　fair　garden　of　the　spring　with

the　lilies　all　about　her　feet；　and　behind　her　the　walls　of　a　house；

grey；　ancient；　and　lovely：　　and　on　the　other　leaf　over　against　her

was　painted　a　sea　rippled　by　a　little　wind　and　a　boat　thereon　sailing

swiftly；　and　one　man　alone　in　the　boat　sitting　and　steering　with　a

cheerful　countenance；　and　he；　who　but　Hallblithe　himself。　　Hallblithe

looked　thereon　for　a　while　and　then　the　King's　daughter　shut　the

book；　and　the　dream　flowed　into　other　imaginings　of　no　import。



In　the　grey　dawn　Hallblithe　awoke；　and　called　to　mind　his　dream；　and

he　leapt　from　his　bed　and　washed　the　night　from　off　him　in　the

stream；　and　clad　himself　and　went　the　shortest　way　through　the　wood

to　that　House　of　folk　aforesaid：　　and　as　he　went　his　face　was　bright

and　he　sang　the　second　part　of　the　carven　posy；　to　wit：





Along　the　grass　I　lie　forlorn

That　when　a　while　of　time　is　worn；

I　may　be　filled　with　war　and　peace

And　bridge　the　sundering　of　the　seas。





He　came　out　of　the　wood　and　hastened　over　the　flowery　meads　of　the

Glittering　Plain；　and　came　to　that　same　house　when　it　was　yet　very

early。　　At　the　door　he　came　across　a　damsel　bearing　water　from　the

well；　and　she　spake　to　him　and　said：　　〃Welcome；　Wood…lover！　　Seldom

art　thou　seen　in　our　garth；　and　that　is　a　pity　of　thee。　　And　now　I

look　on　thy　face　I　see　that　gladness　hath　come　into　thine　heart；　and

that　thou　art　most　fair　and　lovely。　　Here　then　is　a　token　for　thee　of

the　increase　of　gladness。〃　　Therewith　she　set　her　buckets　on　the

earth；　and　stood　before　him；　and　took　him　by　the　ears；　and　drew　down

his　face　to　hers　and　kissed　him　sweetly。　　He　smiled　on　her　and　said：

〃I　thank　thee；　sister；　for　the　kiss　and　the　greeting；　but　I　come　here

having　a　lack。〃



〃Tell　us；〃　she　said；　〃that　we　may　do　thee　a　pleasure。〃



He　said：　　〃I　would　ask　the　folk　to　give　me　timber；　both　beams　and

battens　and　boards；　for　if　I　hew　in　the　wood　it　will　take　long　to

season。〃



〃All　this　is　free　for　thee　to　take　from　our　wood…store　when　thou　hast

broken　thy　fast　with　us；〃　said　the　damsel。　　〃Come　thou　in　and　rest

thee。〃



She　took　him　by　the　hand　and　they　went　in　together；　and　she　gave　him

to　eat　and　drink；　and　went　up　and　down　the　house；　sa