At Cameliard the young Duke of Logreus spent most of his time in the company of Guenevere, whose father made no objection overtly1. Gogyrvan had his promised talk with Jurgen.
"I lament2 that Dame3 Yolande dealt over-thriftily with you," the King said, first of all: "for I estimated you two would be as spark and tinder, kindling5 between you an amorous6 conflagration7 to burn up all this nonsense about my daughter."
"Thrift4, sir," said Jurgen, discreetly8, "is a proverbial virtue9, and fires may not consume true love."
"That is the truth," Gogyrvan admitted, "whoever says it." And he sighed.
Then for a while he sat in nodding meditation10. Tonight the old King wore a disreputably rusty11 gown of black stuff, with fur about the neck and sleeves of it, and his scant12 white hair was covered by a very shabby black cap. So he huddled13 over a small fire in a large stone fireplace carved with shields; beside him was white wine and red, which stayed untasted while Gogyrvan meditated14 upon things that fretted15 him.
"Now, then!" says Gogyrvan Gawr: "this marriage with the high King of the Britons must go forward, of course. That was settled last year, when Arthur and his devil-mongers, the Lady of the Lake and Merlin Ambrosius, were at some pains to rescue me at Carohaise. I estimate that Arthur's ambassadors, probably the devil-mongers themselves, will come for my daughter before June is out. Meanwhile, you two have youth and love for playthings, and it is spring."
"What is the season of the year to me," groaned16 Jurgen, "when I reflect that within a week or so the lady of my heart will be borne away from me forever? How can I be happy, when all the while I know the long years of misery17 and vain regret are near at hand?"
"You are saying that," observed the King, "in part because you drank too much last night, and in part because you think it is expected of you. For in point of fact, you are as happy as anyone is permitted to be in this world, through the simple reason that you are young. Misery, as you employ the word, I consider to be a poetical18 trophe: but I can assure you that the moment you are no longer young the years of vain regret will begin, either way."
"How do you know? Now then, put it I were insane enough to marry my daughter to a mere20 duke, you would grow damnably tired of her: I can assure you of that also, for in disposition21 Guenevere is her sainted mother all over again. She is nice looking, of course, because in that she takes after my side of the family: but, between ourselves, she is not particularly intelligent, and she will always be making eyes at some man or another. To-day it appears to be your turn to serve as her target, in a fine glittering shirt of which the like was never seen in Glathion. I deplore22, but even so I cannot deny, your rights as the champion who rescued her: and I must bid you make the most of that turn."
"Meanwhile, it occurs to me, sir, that it is unusual to betroth23 your daughter to one man, and permit her to go freely with another."
"If you insist upon it," said Gogyrvan Gawr, "I can of course lock up the pair of you, in separate dungeons24, until the wedding day. Meanwhile, it occurs to me you should be the last commentator25 to grumble26."
"Why, I tell you plainly, sir, that critical persons would say you are taking very small care of your daughter's honor."
"To that there are several answers," replied the King. "One is that I remember my late wife as tenderly as possible, and I reflect I have only her word for it as to Guenevere's being my daughter. Another is that, though my daughter is a quiet and well-conducted young woman, I never heard King Thragnar was anything of this sort."
"All sorts of things, however, happen in caves, things which it is wiser to ignore in sunlight. So I ignore: I ask no questions: my business is to marry my daughter acceptably, and that only. Such discoveries as may be made by her husband afterward28 are his affair, not mine. This much I might tell you, Messire de Logreus, by way of answer. But the real answer is to bid you consider this: that a woman's honor is concerned with one thing only, and it is a thing with which the honor of a man is not concerned at all."
Gogyrvan grinned. "Obviously, I advise you to give thanks you were born a man, because that sturdier sex has so much less need to bother over breakage."
"What sort of breakage, sir?" says Jurgen.
Gogyrvan told him.
Duke Jurgen for the second time looked properly horrified. "Your aphorisms30, King, are abominable31, and of a sort unlikely to quiet my misery. However, we were speaking of your daughter, and it is she who must be considered rather than I."
"Now I perceive that you take my meaning perfectly32. Yes, in all matters which concern my daughter I would have you lie like a gentleman."
"Well, I am afraid, sir," said Jurgen, after a pause, "that you are a person of somewhat degraded ideals."
"Ah, but you are young. Youth can afford ideals, being vigorous enough to stand the hard knocks they earn their possessor. But I am an old fellow cursed with a tender heart and tolerably keen eyes. That combination, Messire de Logreus, is one which very often forces me to jeer33 out of season, simply because I know myself to be upon the verge34 of far more untimely tears."
Thus Gogyrvan replied. He was silent for a while, and he contemplated35 the fire. Then he waved a shriveled hand toward the window, and Gogyrvan began to speak, meditatively36:
"Messire de Logreus, it is night in my city of Cameliard. And somewhere one of those roofs harbors a girl whom we will call Lynette. She has a lover—we will say he is called Sagramor. The names do not matter. Tonight, as I speak with you, Lynette lies motionless in the carved wide bed that formerly37 was her mother's. She is thinking of Sagramor. The room is dark save where moonlight silvers the diamond-shaped panes38 of ancient windows. In every corner of the room mysterious quivering suggestions lurk39."
"Ah, sire," says Jurgen, "you also are a poet!"
"Do not interrupt me, then! Lynette, I repeat, is thinking of Sagramor. Again they sit near the lake, under an apple-tree older than Rome. The knotted branches of the tree are upraised as in benediction40: and petals41—petals, fluttering, drifting, turning,—interminable white petals fall silently in the stillness. Neither speaks: for there is no need. Silently he brushes a petal42 from the blackness of her hair, and silently he kisses her. The lake is dusky and hard-seeming as jade43. Two lonely stars hang low in the green sky. It is droll44 that the chest of a man is hairy, oh, very droll! And a bird is singing, a silvery needle of sound moves fitfully in the stillness. Surely high Heaven is thus quietly colored and thus strangely lovely. So at least thinks little Lynette, lying motionless like a little mouse, in the carved wide bed wherein Lynette was born."
"A very moving touch, that," Jurgen interpolated.
"Now, there is another sort of singing: for now the pot-house closes, big shutters45 bang, feet shuffle46, a drunken man hiccoughs in his singing. It is a love-song he is murdering. He sheds inexplicable47 tears as he lurches nearer and nearer to Lynette's window, and his heart is all magnanimity, for Sagramor is celebrating his latest conquest. Do you not think that this or something very like this is happening to-night in my city of Cameliard, Messire de Logreus?".
"It happens momently," said Jurgen, "everywhere. For thus is every woman for a little while, and thus is every man for all time."
"That being a dreadful truth," continued Gogyrvan, "you may take it as one of the many reasons why I jeer out of season in order to stave off far more untimely tears. For this thing happens: in my city it happens, and in my castle it happens. King or no, I am powerless to prevent its happening. So I can but shrug48 and hearten my old blood with a fresh bottle. No less, I regard the young woman, who is quite possibly my daughter, with considerable affection: and it would be salutary for you to remember that circumstance, Messire de Logreus, if ever you are tempted49 to be candid50."
Jurgen was horrified. "But with the Princess, sir, it is unthinkable that I should not deal fairly."
King Gogyrvan continued to look at Jurgen. Gogyrvan Gawr said nothing, and not a muscle of him moved.
"Although of course," said Jurgen, "I would, in simple justice to her, not ever consider volunteering any information likely to cause pain."
"Again I perceive," said Gogyrvan, "that you understand me. Yet I did not speak of my daughter only, but of everybody."
"How then, sir, would you have me deal with everybody?"
"Why, I can but repeat my words," says Gogyrvan, very patiently: "I would have you lie like a gentleman. And now be off with you, for I am going to sleep. I shall not be wide awake again until my daughter is safely married. And that is absolutely all I can do for you."
"Do you think this is reputable conduct, King?"
"Oh, no!" says Gogyrvan, surprised. "It is what we call philanthropy."
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1
overtly
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| ad.公开地 | |
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lament
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| n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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thrift
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| adj.节约，节俭；n.节俭，节约 | |
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kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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amorous
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| adj.多情的；有关爱情的 | |
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conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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poetical
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| adj.似诗人的；诗一般的；韵文的；富有诗意的 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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deplore
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| vt.哀叹，对...深感遗憾 | |
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betroth
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| v.订婚 | |
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dungeons
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| n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 ) | |
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commentator
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| n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员 | |
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grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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riddles
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| n.谜（语）( riddle的名词复数 )；猜不透的难题，难解之谜 | |
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aphorisms
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| 格言，警句( aphorism的名词复数 ) | |
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abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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32
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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33
jeer
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| vi.嘲弄，揶揄；vt.奚落；n.嘲笑，讥评 | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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meditatively
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| adv.冥想地 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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panes
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| 窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 ) | |
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lurk
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| n.潜伏，潜行；v.潜藏，潜伏，埋伏 | |
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benediction
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| n.祝福；恩赐 | |
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petals
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| n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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petal
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| n.花瓣 | |
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43
jade
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| n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠 | |
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droll
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| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
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shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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shuffle
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| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
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47
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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48
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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49
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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