white lies-第7章

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t　hour；　and　his　fancy　spread　its　pinions　to　the　sun　of　love。　　Ah！　generous　Youth；　let　who　will　betray　thee；　let　who　will　sneer　at　thee；　let　me；　though　young　no　longer；　smile　on　thee　and　joy　in　thee！　　She　he　loved　was　sad；　was　poor；　was　menaced　by　many　ills；　then　she　needed　a　champion。　　He　would　be　her　unseen　friend；　her　guardian　angel。　　A　hundred　wild　schemes　whirled　in　his　beating　heart　and　brain。　　He　could　not　go　in…　doors；　indeed；　no　room　could　contain　him：　he　made　for　a　green　lane　he　knew　at　the　back　of　the　village；　and　there　he　walked　up　and　down　for　hours。　　The　sun　set；　and　the　night　came；　and　the　stars　glittered；　but　still　he　walked　alone；　inspired；　exalted；　full　of　generous　and　loving　schemes：　of　sweet　and　tender　fancies：　a　heart　on　fire；　and　youth　the　fuel；　and　the　flame　vestal。


CHAPTER　III。


This　very　day　was　the　anniversary　of　the　baron's　death。

The　baroness　kept　her　room　all　the　morning；　and　took　no　nourishment　but　one　cup　of　spurious　coffee　Rose　brought　her。　　Towards　evening　she　came　down…stairs。　　In　the　hall　she　found　two　chaplets　of　flowers；　they　were　always　placed　there　for　her　on　this　sad　day。　　She　took　them　in　her　hand；　and　went　into　the　little　oratory　that　was　in　the　park；　there　she　found　two　wax　candles　burning；　and　two　fresh　chaplets　hung　up。　　Her　daughters　had　been　there　before　her。

She　knelt　and　prayed　many　hours　for　her　husband's　soul；　then　she　rose　and　hung　up　one　chaplet　and　came　slowly　away　with　the　other　in　her　hand。　　At　the　gate　of　the　park；　Josephine　met　her　with　tender　anxiety　in　her　sapphire　eyes；　and　wreathed　her　arms　round　her；　and　whispered；　〃But　you　have　your　children　still。〃

The　baroness　kissed　her　and　they　came　towards　the　house　together；　the　baroness　leaning　gently　on　her　daughter's　elbow。

Between　the　park　and　the　angle　of　the　chateau　was　a　small　plot　of　turf　called　at　Beaurepaire　the　Pleasance；　a　name　that　had　descended　along　with　other　traditions；　and　in　the　centre　of　this　Pleasance；　or　Pleasaunce；　stood　a　wonderful　oak…tree。　　Its　circumference　was　thirty…four　feet。　　The　baroness　came　to　this　ancient　tree；　and　hung　her　chaplet　on　a　mutilated　limb　called　the　〃knights'　bough。〃

The　sun　was　setting　tranquil　and　red；　a　broad　ruby　streak　lingered　on　the　deep　green　leaves　of　the　prodigious　oak。　　The　baroness　looked　at　it　awhile　in　silence。

Then　she　spoke　slowly　to　it　and　said；　〃You　were　here　before　us：　you　will　be　here　when　we　are　gone。〃

A　spasm　crossed　Josephine's　face；　but　she　said　nothing　at　the　time。　And　so　they　went　in　together。

Now　as　this　tree　was　a　feat　of　nature；　and；　above　all；　played　a　curious　part　in　our　story；　I　will　ask　you　to　stay　a　few　minutes　and　look　at　it；　while　I　say　what　was　known　about　it；　not　the　thousandth　part　of　what　it　could　have　told；　if　trees　could　speak　as　well　as　breathe。

The　baroness　did　not　exaggerate；　the　tree　was　far　older　than　even　this　ancient　family。　　They　possessed　among　other　archives　a　manuscript　written　by　a　monk；　a　son　of　the　house；　about　four　hundred　years　before　our　story；　and　containing　many　of　the　oral　traditions　about　this　tree　that　had　come　down　to　him　from　remote　antiquity。　According　to　this　authority；　the　first　Baron　of　Beaurepaire　had　pitched　his　tent　under　a　fair　oak…tree　that　stood　prope　rivum；　near　a　brook。　　His　grandson　built　a　square　tower　hard　by；　and　dug　a　moat　that　enclosed　both　tree　and　tower；　and　received　the　waters　of　the　brook　aforesaid。

At　this　time　the　tree　seems　only　to　have　been　remarked　for　its　height。　　But；　a　century　and　a　half　before　the　monk　wrote；　it　had　become　famous　in　all　the　district　for　its　girth；　and　in　the　monk's　own　day　had　ceased　to　grow；　but　not　begun　to　decay。　　The　mutilated　arm　I　have　mentioned　was　once　a　long　sturdy　bough；　worn　smooth　as　velvet　in　one　part　from　a　curious　cause：　it　ran　about　as　high　above　the　ground　as　a　full…sized　horse；　and　the　knights　and　squires　used　to　be　forever　vaulting　upon　it；　the　former　in　armor；　the　monk；　when　a　boy；　had　seen　them　do　it　a　thousand　times。　　This　bough　broke　in　two；　A。D。　1617：　but　the　mutilated　limb　was　still　called　the　knights'　bough；　nobody　knew　why。　　So　do　names　survive　their　ideas。

What　had　not　this　tree　seen　since　first　it　came　green　and　tender　as　a　cabbage　above　the　soil；　and　stood　at　the　mercy　of　the　first　hare　or　rabbit　that　should　choose　to　cut　short　its　frail　existence！

Since　then　eagles　had　perched　on　its　crown；　and　wild　boars　fed　without　fear　of　man　upon　its　acorns。　　Troubadours　had　sung　beneath　it　to　lords　and　ladies　seated　round；　or　walking　on　the　grass　and　commenting　the　minstrel's　tales　of　love　by　exchange　of　amorous　glances。　　Mediaeval　sculptors　had　taken　its　leaves；　and　wisely　trusting　to　nature；　had　adorned　churches　with　those　leaves　cut　in　stone。

It　had　seen　a　Norman　duke　conquer　England；　and　English　kings　invade　France　and　be　crowned　at　Paris。　　It　had　seen　a　girl　put　knights　to　the　rout；　and　seen　the　warrior　virgin　burned　by　envious　priests　with　common　consent　both　of　the　curs　she　had　defended　and　the　curs　she　had　defeated。

Why；　in　its　old　age　it　had　seen　the　rise　of　printing；　and　the　first　dawn　of　national　civilization　in　Europe。　　It　flourished　and　decayed　in　France；　but　it　sprung　in　Gaul。　　And　more　remarkable　still；　though　by　all　accounts　it　may　see　the　world　to　an　end；　it　was　a　tree　in　ancient　history：　its　old　age　awaits　the　millennium；　its　first　youth　belonged　to　that　great　tract　of　time　which　includes　the　birth　of　Christ；　the　building　of　Rome；　and　the　siege　of　Troy。

The　tree　had；　ere　this；　mingled　in　the　fortunes　of　the　family。　　It　had　saved　their　lives　and　taken　their　lives。　　One　lord　of　Beaurepaire；　hotly　pursued　by　his　feudal　enemies；　made　for　the　tree；　and　hid　himself　partly　by　a　great　bough；　partly　by　the　thick　screen　of　leaves。　　The　foe　darted　in；　made　sure　he　had　taken　to　the　house；　ransacked　it；　and　got　into　the　cellar；　where　by　good…luck　was　a　store　of　Malvoisie：　and　so　the　oak　and　the　vine　saved　the　quaking　baron。　　Another　lord　of　Beaurepaire；　besieged　in　his　castle；　was　shot　dead　on　the　ramparts　by　a　cross…bowman　who　had　secreted　himself　unobserved　in　this　tree　a　little　before　the　dawn。

A　young　heir　of　Beaurepaire；　climbing　for　a　raven's　nest　to　the　top　of　this　tree；　lost　his　footing　and　fell；　and　died　at　its　foot：　and　his　mother　in　her　anguish　bade　them　cut　down　the　tree　that　had　killed　her　boy。　　But　the　baron　her　husband　refused；　and　spake　in　this　wise：　〃ytte　ys　eneugh　that　I　lose　mine　sonne；　I　will　nat　alsoe　lose　mine　Tre。〃　　In　the　male　you　see　the　sober　sentiment　of　the　proprietor　outweighed　the　temporary　irritation　of　the　parent。　　Then　the　mother　bought　fifteen　ells　of　black　velvet；　and　stretched　a　pall　from　the　knights'　bough　across　the　west　side　to　another　branch；　and　cursed　the　hand　that　should　remove　it；　and　she　herself　〃wolde　never　passe　the　Tre　neither　going　nor　coming；　but　went　still　about。〃　　And　when　she　died　and　should　have　been　carried　past　the　tree　to　the　park；　her　dochter　did　cry　from　a　window　to　the　bearers；　〃Goe　about！　goe　about！〃　and　they　went　about；　and　all　the　company。　　And　in　time　the　velvet　pall　rotted；　and　was　torn　and　driven　away　by　the　winds：　and　when　the　hand　of　Nature；　and　no　human　hand；　had　thus　flouted　and　dispersed　the　trappings　of　the　mother's　grief；　two　pieces　were　picked　up　and　preserved　among　the　family　relics：　but　the　black　velvet　had　turned　a　rusty　red。

So　the　baroness　did　nothing　new　in　this　family　when　she　hung　her　chaplet　on　the　knights'　bough；　and；　in　fact；　on　the　west　side；　about　eighteen　feet　from　the　ground；　there　still　mouldered　one　corner　of　an　Atchievement　an　heir　of　Beaurepaire　had　nailed　there　two　centuries　before；　when　his　predecessor　died：　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃the　chateau　is　of　yesterday；　but　the　tree　has　seen　us　all　come　and　go。〃　The　inside　of　the　oak　was　hollow　as　a　drum；　and　on　its　east　side　yawned　a　fissure　as　high　as　a　man　and　as　broad　as　a　street…door。　Dard　used　to　wheel　his　wheelbarrow　into　the　tree　at　a　trot；　and　there　leave　it。

Yet　in　spite　of　excavation　and　mutilation　not　life　only　but　vigor　dwelt　in　this　wooden　shell。　　The　extreme　ends　of　the　longer　boughs　were　firewood；　touchwood；　and　the　crown　was　gone　this　many　a　year：　but　narrow　the　circle　a　very　little　to　where　the　indomitable　trunk　could　still　shoot　sap　from　its　cr