CHAPTER VIII—CONCLUSION

 About nine in the morning, Lord Foxham was leading his ward¹, once more dressed as befitted her sex, and followed by Alicia Risingham, to the church of Holywood, when Richard Crookback, his brow already heavy with cares, crossed their path and paused.

 

“Is this the maid?” he asked; and when Lord Foxham had replied in the affirmative, “Minion,” he added, “hold up your face until I see its favour.”

 

He looked upon her sourly for a little.

 

“Ye are fair,” he said at last, “and, as they tell me, dowered.  How if I offered you a brave marriage, as became your face and parentage?”

 

“My lord duke,” replied Joanna, “may it please your grace, I had rather wed² with Sir Richard.”

 

“How so?” he asked, harshly.  “Marry but the man I name to you, and he shall be my lord, and you my lady, before night.  For Sir Richard, let me tell you plainly, he will die Sir Richard.”

 

“I ask no more of Heaven, my lord, than but to die Sir Richard’s wife,” returned Joanna.

 

“Look ye at that, my lord,” said Gloucester, turning to Lord Foxham.  “Here be a pair for you.  The lad, when for good services I gave him his choice of my favour, chose but the grace of an old, drunken shipman.  I did warn him freely, but he was stout³ in his besottedness.  ‘Here dieth your favour,’ said I; and he, my lord, with a most assured impertinence, ‘Mine be the loss,’ quoth he.  It shall be so, by the rood!”

 

“Said he so?” cried Alicia.  “Then well said, lion-driver!”

 

“Who is this?” asked the duke.

 

“A prisoner of Sir Richard’s,” answered Lord Foxham; “Mistress Alicia Risingham.”

 

“See that she be married to a sure man,” said the duke.

 

“I had thought of my kinsman⁴, Hamley, an it like your grace,” returned Lord Foxham.  “He hath well served the cause.”

 

“It likes me well,” said Richard.  “Let them be wedded⁵ speedily.  Say, fair maid, will you wed?”

 

“My lord duke,” said Alicia, “so as the man is straight”—And there, in a perfect consternation⁶, the voice died on her tongue.

 

“He is straight, my mistress,” replied Richard, calmly.  “I am the only crookback of my party; we are else passably well shapen.  Ladies, and you, my lord,” he added, with a sudden change to grave courtesy, “judge me not too churlish if I leave you.  A captain, in the time of war, hath not the ordering of his hours.”

 

And with a very handsome salutation he passed on, followed by his officers.

 

“Alack,” cried Alicia, “I am shent!”

 

“Ye know him not,” replied Lord Foxham.  “It is but a trifle; he hath already clean forgot your words.”

 

“He is, then, the very flower of knighthood,” said Alicia.

 

“Nay, he but mindeth other things,” returned Lord Foxham.  “Tarry we no more.”

 

In the chancel they found Dick waiting, attended by a few young men; and there were he and Joan united.  When they came forth⁷ again, happy and yet serious, into the frosty air and sunlight, the long files of the army were already winding⁸ forward up the road; already the Duke of Gloucester’s banner was unfolded and began to move from before the abbey in a clump⁹ of spears; and behind it, girt by steel-clad knights¹⁰, the bold, black-hearted, and ambitious hunchback moved on towards his brief kingdom and his lasting¹¹ infamy¹².  But the wedding party turned upon the other side, and sat down, with sober merriment, to breakfast.  The father cellarer attended on their wants, and sat with them at table.  Hamley, all jealousy¹³ forgotten, began to ply¹⁴ the nowise loth Alicia with courtship.  And there, amid the sounding of tuckets and the clash of armoured soldiery and horses continually moving forth, Dick and Joan sat side by side, tenderly held hands, and looked, with ever growing affection, in each other’s eyes.

 

Thenceforth the dust and blood of that unruly epoch¹⁵ passed them by.  They dwelt apart from alarms in the green forest where their love began.

 

Two old men in the meanwhile enjoyed pensions in great prosperity and peace, and with perhaps a superfluity of ale and wine, in Tunstall hamlet.  One had been all his life a shipman, and continued to the last to lament¹⁶ his man Tom.  The other, who had been a bit of everything, turned in the end towards piety¹⁷, and made a most religious death under the name of Brother Honestus in the neighbouring abbey.  So Lawless had his will, and died a friar.

The End

1 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

2 wed   

v.娶，嫁，与…结婚

参考例句：

• The couple eventually wed after three year engagement.这对夫妇在订婚三年后终于结婚了。
• The prince was very determined to wed one of the king's daughters.王子下定决心要娶国王的其中一位女儿。

4 kinsman   

n.男亲属

参考例句：

• Tracing back our genealogies,I found he was a kinsman of mine.转弯抹角算起来他算是我的一个亲戚。
• A near friend is better than a far dwelling kinsman.近友胜过远亲。

5 wedded   

adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She's wedded to her job. 她专心致志于工作。
• I was invited over by the newly wedded couple for a meal. 我被那对新婚夫妇请去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 consternation   

n.大为吃惊，惊骇

参考例句：

• He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
• Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

8 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

9 clump   

n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走

参考例句：

• A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。
• It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。

10 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

11 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

12 infamy   

n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行

参考例句：

• They may grant you power,honour,and riches but afflict you with servitude,infamy,and poverty.他们可以给你权力、荣誉和财富，但却用奴役、耻辱和贫穷来折磨你。
• Traitors are held in infamy.叛徒为人所不齿。

13 jealousy   

n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌

参考例句：

• Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
• I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。

14 ply   

v.(搬运工等)等候顾客，弯曲

参考例句：

• Taxis licensed to ply for hire at the railway station.许可计程车在火车站候客。
• Ferryboats ply across the English Channel.渡船定期往返于英吉利海峡。

15 epoch   

n.(新)时代；历元

参考例句：

• The epoch of revolution creates great figures.革命时代造就伟大的人物。
• We're at the end of the historical epoch,and at the dawn of another.我们正处在一个历史时代的末期，另一个历史时代的开端。

16 lament   

n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹

参考例句：

• Her face showed lament.她的脸上露出悲伤的样子。
• We lament the dead.我们哀悼死者。

17 piety   

n.虔诚，虔敬

参考例句：

• They were drawn to the church not by piety but by curiosity.他们去教堂不是出于虔诚而是出于好奇。
• Experience makes us see an enormous difference between piety and goodness.经验使我们看到虔诚与善意之间有着巨大的区别。