So the month passed prosperously and uneventfully, while the servitors of Queen Freydis behaved in every respect as if they were human beings: and at the end of the month the stork1 came.
Manuel and Niafer, it happened, were fishing on the river bank rather late that evening, when they saw the great bird approaching, high overhead, all glistening2 white in the sunset, except for his thin scarlet3 legs and the blue shadowings in the hollows of his wings. From his beak4 depended a largish bundle, in pale blue wrappings, so that at a glance they knew the stork was bringing a girl.
Statelily the bird lighted on the window sill, as though he were quite familiar with this way of entering Manuel's bedroom, and the bird went in, carrying the child. This was a high and happy moment for the fond parents as they watched him, and they kissed each other rather solemnly.
Then Niafer left Manuel to get together the fishing tackle, and she hastened into the house to return to the stork the first of his promissory notes in exchange for the baby. And as Manuel was winding5 up the lines, Queen Freydis came to him, for she too had seen the stork's approach; and was, she said, with a grave smile, well pleased that the affair was settled.
"For now the stork has come, yet others may come," says Freydis, "and we shall celebrate the happy event with a gay feast this night in honor of your child."
"That is very kind and characteristic of you," said Manuel, "but I suppose you will be wanting me to make a speech, and I am quite unprepared."
"No, we will have none of your high-minded and devastating6 speeches at our banquet. No, for your place is with your wife. No, Manuel, you are not bidden to this feast, for all that it is to do honor to your child. No, no, gray Manuel, you must remain upstairs this evening and throughout the night, because this feast is for them that serve me: and you do not serve me any longer, and the ways of them that serve me are not your ways."
"Ah!" says Manuel, "so there is sorcery afoot! Yes, Freydis, I have quite given over that sort of thing. And while not for a moment would I seem to be criticizing anybody, I hope before long to see you settling down, with some fine solid fellow, and forsaking7 these empty frivolities for the higher and real pleasures of life."
"And what are these delights, gray Manuel?"
"The joy that is in the sight of your children playing happily about your hearth8, and developing into honorable men and gracious women, and bringing their children in turn to cluster about your tired old knees, as the winter evenings draw in, and in the cosy9 fire-light you smile across the curly heads of these children's children at the dear wrinkled white-haired face of your beloved and time-tested helpmate, and are satisfied, all in all, with your life, and know that, by and large, Heaven has been rather undeservedly kind to you," says Manuel, sighing. "Yes, Freydis, yes, you may believe me that such are the real joys of life; and that such pleasures are more profitably pursued than are the idle gaieties of sorcery and witchcraft10, which indeed at our age, if you will permit me to speak thus frankly11, dear friend, are hardly dignified12."
Freydis shook her proud dark head. Her smiling was grim.
"Decidedly, I shall not ever understand you. Doddering patriarch, do you not comprehend you are already discoursing13 about a score or two of grandchildren on the ground of having a five-minute-old daughter, whom you have not yet seen? Nor is that child's future, it may be, yours to settle—But go to your wife, for this is Niafer's man who is talking, and not mine. Go up, Methuselah, and behold14 the new life which you have created and cannot control!"
Manuel went to Niafer, and found her sewing. "My dear, this will not do at all, for you ought to be in bed with the newborn child, as is the custom with the mothers of Philistia."
"What nonsense!" says Niafer, "when I have to be changing every one of the pink bows on Melicent's caps for blue bows."
"Still, Niafer, it is eminently15 necessary for us to be placating16 the Philistines17 in all respects, in this delicate matter of your having a baby."
Niafer grumbled18, but obeyed. She presently lay in the golden bed of Freydis: then Manuel duly looked at the contents of the small heaving bundle at Niafer's side: and whether or no he scaled the conventional peaks of emotion was nobody's concern save Manuel's. He began, in any event, to talk in the vein19 which fathers ordinarily feel such high occasions to demand. But Niafer, who was never romantic nowadays, merely said that, anyhow, it was a blessing20 it was all over, and that she hoped, now, they would soon be leaving Sargyll.
"But Freydis is so kind, my dear," said Manuel, "and so fond of you!"
"I never in my life," declared Niafer, "knew anybody to go off so terribly in their looks as that two-faced cat has done since the first time I saw her prancing21 on her tall horse and rolling her snake eyes at you. As for being fond of me, I trust her exactly as far as I can see her."
"Yet, Niafer, I have heard you declare, time and again—"
"But if you did, Manuel, one has to be civil."
"—As if it were not as plain as the nose on her face—and I do not suppose that even you, Manuel, will be contending she has a really good nose,—that the woman is simply itching24 to make a fool of you, and to have everybody laughing at you, again! Manuel, I declare I have no patience with you when you keep arguing about such unarguable facts!"
"—And you may talk yourself black in the face, Manuel, but nevertheless I am going to name the child Melicent, after my own mother, as soon as a priest can be fetched from the mainland to christen her. No, Manuel, it is all very well for your dear friend to call herself a gray witch, but I do not notice any priests coming to this house unless they are especially sent for, and I draw my own conclusions."
"Well, well, let us not argue about it, my dear."
"Yes, but who started all this arguing and fault-finding, I would like to know!"
"Why, to be sure I did. But I spoke27 without thinking. I was wrong. I admit it. So do not excite yourself, dear snip28."
"—And as if I could help the child's not being a boy!"
"But I never said—"
"No, but you keep thinking it, and sulking is the one thing I cannot stand. No, Manuel, no, I do not complain, but I do think that, after all I have been through with, sleeping around in tents, and running away from Northmen, and never having a moment's comfort, after I had naturally figured on being a real countess—" Niafer whimpered sleepily.
"Yes, yes," says Manuel, stroking her soft crinkly hair.
"—And with that silky hell-cat watching me all the time,—and looking ten years younger than I do, now that you have got my face and legs all wrong,—and planning I do not know what—"
"Yes, to be sure," says Manuel, soothingly29: "you are quite right, my dear."
So a silence fell, and presently Niafer slept. Manuel sat with hunched30 shoulders, watching the wife he had fetched back from paradise at the price of his youth. His face was grave, his lips were puckered31 and protruded32. He smiled by and by, and he shook his head. He sighed, not as one who is grieved, but like a man perplexed33 and a little weary.
Now some while after Niafer was asleep, and when the night was fairly advanced, you could hear a whizzing and a snorting in the air. Manuel went to the window, and lifted the scarlet curtain figured with ramping34 gold dragons, and he looked out, to find a vast number of tiny bluish lights skipping about confusedly and agilely35 in the darkness, like shining fleas36. These approached the river bank, and gathered there. Then the assembled lights began to come toward the house. You could now see these lights were carried by dwarfs37 who had the eyes of owls38 and the long beaks39 of storks40. These dwarfs were jumping and dancing about Freydis like an insane body-guard.
Freydis walked among them very remarkably41 attired42. Upon her head shone the uraeus crown, and she carried a long rod of cedar-wood topped with an apple carved in bluestone, and at her side came the appearance of a tall young man.
So they all approached the house, and the young man looked up fixedly43 at the unlighted window, as though he were looking at Manuel. The young man smiled: his teeth gleamed in the blue glare. Then the whole company entered the house, and from Manuel's station at the window you could see no more, but you could hear small prancing hoof-beats downstairs and the clattering44 of plates and much whinnying laughter. Manuel was plucking irresolutely45 at his grizzled short beard, for there was no doubt as to the strapping46 tall young fellow.
Presently you could hear music: it was the ravishing Nis air, which charms the mind into sweet confusion and oblivion, and Manuel did not make any apparent attempt to withstand its wooing. He hastily undressed, knelt for a decorous interval47, and climbed vexedly into bed.
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1
stork
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| n.鹳 | |
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2
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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4
beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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6
devastating
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| adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的 | |
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7
forsaking
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| 放弃( forsake的现在分词 )； 弃绝； 抛弃； 摒弃 | |
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8
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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9
cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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13
discoursing
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| 演说（discourse的现在分词形式） | |
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14
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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placating
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| v.安抚，抚慰，使平静( placate的现在分词 ) | |
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philistines
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| n.市侩，庸人( philistine的名词复数 )；庸夫俗子 | |
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18
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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19
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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20
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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21
prancing
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| v.（马）腾跃( prance的现在分词 ) | |
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22
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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24
itching
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| adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 ) | |
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Augmented
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| adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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27
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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snip
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| n.便宜货，廉价货，剪，剪断 | |
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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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30
hunched
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| （常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的 | |
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31
puckered
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| v.（使某物）起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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34
ramping
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| 土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯 | |
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agilely
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| adv.敏捷地 | |
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fleas
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| n.跳蚤( flea的名词复数 )；爱财如命；没好气地（拒绝某人的要求） | |
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37
dwarfs
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| n.侏儒，矮子（dwarf的复数形式）vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的第三人称单数形式） | |
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38
owls
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| n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) | |
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39
beaks
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| n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 )；鹰钩嘴；尖鼻子；掌权者 | |
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40
storks
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| n.鹳( stork的名词复数 ) | |
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41
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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42
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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44
clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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45
irresolutely
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| adv.优柔寡断地 | |
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46
strapping
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| adj. 魁伟的, 身材高大健壮的 n. 皮绳或皮带的材料, 裹伤胶带, 皮鞭 动词strap的现在分词形式 | |
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47
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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