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the story of the glittering plain-第20部分

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so that Hallblithe saw them not after he had gone to bed; but as for

him he slept and forgot that aught was。



In the morning when he awoke he felt very strong and well…liking; and

he beheld his limbs that they were clear of skin and sleek and fair;

and he heard one hard by in the hall carolling and singing joyously。

So he sprang from his bed with the wonder of sleep yet in him; and

drew the curtains of the shut…bed and looked forth into the hall; and

lo on the high…seat a man of thirty winters by seeming; tall; fair of

fashion; with golden hair and eyes as grey as glass; proud and noble

of aspect; and anigh him sat another man of like age to look on; a

man strong and burly; with short curling brown hair and a red beard;

and ruddy countenance; and the mien of a warrior。  Also; up and down

the hall; paced a man younger of aspect than these two; tall and

slender; black…haired and dark…eyed; amorous of countenance; he it

was who was singing a snatch of song as he went lightly on the hall

pavement:  a snatch like to this





Fair is the world; now autumn's wearing;

And the sluggard sun lies long abed;

Sweet are the days; now winter's nearing;

And all winds feign that the wind is dead。



Dumb is the hedge where the crabs hang yellow;

Bright as the blossoms of the spring;

Dumb is the close where the pears grow mellow;

And none but the dauntless redbreasts sing。



Fair was the spring; but amidst his greening

Grey were the days of the hidden sun;

Fair was the summer; but overweening;

So soon his o'er…sweet days were done。



Come then; love; for peace is upon us;

Far off is failing; and far is fear;

Here where the rest in the end hath won us;

In the garnering tide of the happy year。



Come from the grey old house by the water;

Where; far from the lips of the hungry sea;

Green groweth the grass o'er the field of the slaughter;

And all is a tale for thee and me。





So Hallblithe did on his raiment and went into the hall; and when

those three saw him they smiled upon him kindly and greeted him; and

the noble man at the board said:  〃Thanks have thou; O Warrior of the

Raven; for thy help in our need:  thy reward from us shall not be

lacking。〃



Then the brown…haired man came up to him; and clapped him on the back

and said to him:  〃Brisk man of the Raven; good is thy help at need;

even so shall be mine to thee henceforward。〃



But the young man stepped up to him lightly; and cast his arms about

him; and kissed him; and said:  〃O friend and fellow; who knoweth but

I may one day help thee as thou hast holpen me? though thou art one

who by seeming mayst well help thyself。  And now mayst thou be as

merry as I am to…day!〃



Then they all three cried out joyously:  〃It is the Land!  It is the

Land!〃



So Hallblithe knew that these men were the two elders and the sad man

of yesterday; and that they had renewed their youth。



Joyously now did those men break their fast:  nor did Hallblithe make

any grim countenance; for he thought:  〃That which these dotards and

drivellers have been mighty enough to find; shall I not be mighty

enough to flee from?〃  Breakfast done; the seekers made little delay;

so eager as they were to behold the King; and to have handsel of

their new sweet life。  So they got them ready to depart; and the

once…captain said:  〃Art thou able to lead us to the King; O Raven…

son; or must we seek another man to do so much for us?〃



Said Hallblithe:  〃I am able to lead you so nigh unto Wood…end

(where; as I deem; the King abideth) that ye shall not miss him。〃



Therewith they went to the door; and the Warden unlocked to them; and

spake no word to them when they departed; though they thanked him

kindly for the guesting。



When they were without the garth; the young man fell to running about

the meadow plucking great handfuls of the rich flowers that grew

about; singing and carolling the while。  But he who had been king

looked up and down and round about; and said at last:  〃Where be the

horses and the men?〃



But his fellow with the red beard said:  〃Raven…son; in this land

when they journey; what do they as to riding or going afoot?〃



Said Hallblithe:  〃Fair fellows; ye shall wot that in this land folk

go afoot for the most part; both men and women; whereas they weary

but little; and are in no haste。〃



Then the once…captain clapped the once…king on the shoulder; and

said:  〃Hearken; lord; and delay no longer; but gird up thy gown;

since here is no mare's son to help thee:  for fair is to…day that

lies before us; with many a new fair day beyond it。〃



So Hallblithe led the way inward; thinking of many things; yet but

little of his fellows。  Albeit they; and the younger man especially;

were of many words; for this black…haired man had many questions to

ask; chiefly concerning the women; what they were like to look on;

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
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