She was very fair to look upon, slim, yet spirited as a band of steel. Her ears shone out from her dusky hair like apple blossoms in a mist of leaves. Her lips were blood-red, sensitive, clean as the petals3 of a rose. Her great grief had chastened her. From the curve of her neck to the delicate strength of her white hands, she was as rich an idyll as a man could desire.
Fulviac considered her with a thought that leant philosophically4 towards her beauty. He had grown weary of love in his time; the passions of youth had burnt to dry ashes; possibly he had been luckless in his knowledge of the sex. He had married a wife of irreproachable5 birth, a lady with a sharp nose and a lipless mouth, eyes of green, and a most unholy temper. She was dead, had been dead many years. The man had no delirious6 desire to meet her again in heaven. As for this girl, he had need of her for revolutionary reasons, and his mood to her was more that of a father. Her spirit pleased him. Moreover, he knew what he knew.
Gazing at the flames, he spread his hands to them, and entered again on the confines of debate. His voice had the steady, rhythmic7 insistence8 of a bell pealing9 a curfew. Its tone was that of a man not willing to be gainsaid10.
"Therefore, madame, I would have you understand that I desire in some measure to be a benefactor11 to the human race."
"I take your word for it," she answered him.
"That I am an ambitious man, somewhat vain towards fame, one that can glow in soul."
"A human sun."
"So."
"That loves to be thought great through warming the universe."
"Madame, you are epigrammatic."
"Or enigmatic, messire."
"As you will," he answered her; "your womanhood makes you an enigma12; it is your birthright. Understand that I possess power."
"Fifty cut-throats tied to a purse."
"Consider me a serious figure in the world's sum."
"As you will, messire. You are an outlaw13, a leader of fifty vagabonds, a man with ideals as to the establishing of justice. You are going to subvert14 the country. Very good. I have learnt my lesson. But how is all this going to help me out of the wood?"
Fulviac took his sword, and balanced it upon his wrist. The red light from the fire flashed on the swaying steel.
"Well?"
"Flavian of Gambrevault's raiders burnt your home, slew16 your father, exterminated17 your brethren. This happened but a day ago. You do not love this Flavian of Gambrevault."
Her whole figure stiffened18 spasmodically as at the prick19 of a sword. Her eyes, with widely open pupils, flashed up to Fulviac's face. She questioned him through her set teeth with a passionate20 whisper of desire.
"How do you know this?"
"I am wiser in many ways than you imagine," he said. "Look at me, I am no longer young; I hate women; I patronise God. You are a mere22 child; to you life is dark and perilous23 as this wilderness24 of pines. Your trouble is known to me, because it is my business to know of such things. It was my deliberate intent that you should fall into my hands to-day."
The girl was still rigidly25 astonied. She stared at him mutely with dubious26 eyes. The man and his philosophy were beyond her for the moment.
"First, you will honour me by saying that I have your trust."
"How may I promise you that?"
"Because I am surety for my own honour."
She smiled in his face despite the occasion.
"You seem very sure of your own soul," she said.
"Madame, it has taken me ten years to come by so admirable a state. Self-knowledge carried to the depths, builds up self-trust. I may take it for granted that you hate the Lord Flavian of Gambrevault?"
"Need you ask that!"
Her eyes echoed the mood of the flame. Fulviac, watching her, saw the strong wrack28 of wrath29 twisting her delicate features for the moment into pathetic ugliness.
"You have courage," he said to her.
"Ample, messire."
"Flavian of Gambrevault is the greatest lord in the south."
"I am as wise."
"On that score, this Flavian and Fulviac of the Forest are irreconcilable30 as day and night."
"Some day I shall slay32 this same Flavian of Gambrevault. His blood will expiate33 the blood of these your kinsfolk. Therefore, madame, you will be my debtor34."
"That is all?" she asked him with a wistfulness in her voice that was even piteous.
Fulviac looked long into the fire like a man whose thoughts channel under the crust of years. Pity for the girl had gone to the heart under the steel cuirass, a pity that was not the pander35 of desire. His eyes took a new meaning into their keen depths; he looked to have grown suddenly younger by some years. When he spoke36 again, his voice had lost its half-mocking and grandiose37 confidence. It was the voice of a man who strides generous and eager into the breach38 of fate.
"Listen," he said to her, "I may tell you that your sorrow has armed my manhood. Give me my due; I am more than a mere vagabond. You have been cruelly dealt with; I take your cause upon the cross of my sword."
"You, messire?"
"Even so. I need a good woman, a brave woman. You please me."
"Well?"
"You are a necessity to me."
"And why, messire?"
"For a matter of religion and of justice. Trust to my honour. You shall learn more in due season."
Yeoland, smitten39 with incredulity, stared at the man in mute surmise40. Here was an amazing circumstance--robbery idealised, soul, body, purse, at one bold swoop41. In her mystification, she could find nothing to say to the man for the moment, even though he had promised her a refuge.
"You are very sure of yourself," she said at length.
"I am a man."
"Yet you leave me in ignorance."
"Madame, we are to undertake great deeds together, great perils42. I could hold up an astonishing future to your eyes, but for the present I keep silence. Rest assured that you shall be accorded such honour as the Virgin43 herself could desire. Remember that I give you promise of vengeance44, and a home."
"If I refuse?" she said to him.
"You cannot refuse," came the level retort.
"And why, messire?"
"Your consent, though pleasant, is not necessary in the matter. I have long ago determined46 to appropriate you to my ambition."
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1
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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2
flare
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| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
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3
petals
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| n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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philosophically
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| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
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5
irreproachable
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| adj.不可指责的，无过失的 | |
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delirious
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| adj.不省人事的，神智昏迷的 | |
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7
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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insistence
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| n.坚持；强调；坚决主张 | |
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9
pealing
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| v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的现在分词 ) | |
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10
gainsaid
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| v.否认，反驳( gainsay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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13
outlaw
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| n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法 | |
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14
subvert
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| v.推翻；暗中破坏；搅乱 | |
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15
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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16
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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exterminated
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| v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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prick
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| v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛 | |
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20
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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21
mellowed
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| （使）成熟( mellow的过去式和过去分词 )； 使色彩更加柔和，使酒更加醇香 | |
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22
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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24
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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25
rigidly
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| adv.刻板地，僵化地 | |
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dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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28
wrack
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| v.折磨；n.海草 | |
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29
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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30
irreconcilable
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| adj.（指人）难和解的，势不两立的 | |
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31
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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32
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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33
expiate
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| v.抵补，赎罪 | |
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debtor
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| n.借方，债务人 | |
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35
pander
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| v.迎合；n.拉皮条者，勾引者；帮人做坏事的人 | |
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36
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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37
grandiose
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| adj.宏伟的，宏大的，堂皇的，铺张的 | |
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38
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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39
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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40
surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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41
swoop
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| n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击 | |
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42
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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43
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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44
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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45
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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46
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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