They thundered into the open stretch of grass with a clangorous rattle13 of steel. Flavian, bare-headed, for his salade hung at his saddle-bow and he wore no camail, scanned the glade14 with a keen stare. Seeing Fra Balthasar seated under a tree, he turned his horse towards him, and smiled as the churchman put his tools aside and gave him a benediction15. The man made a fine figure; judged by the flesh, Balthasar might have stood for an Ambrose or a Leo.
"What have you there, a woman's head, some rare Madonna?"
Balthasar showed his white teeth.
"A pretty pastoral, messire. The study of a lady who had lost her way hunting, and craved18 my guidance this morning. A woman with the face and figure of a Dian."
Balthasar passed the parchment into the other's hand. Flavian stared at it, flushed to the temples, rapped out an ejaculation in ecclesiastic20 Latin. His eyes devoured21 the sketch22 with the insatiable enthusiasm of a lover; words came hot off his tongue.
"Quick, man, quick, is this true to life?"
"None of your idealisations?"
"Messire, but an hour ago that girl was sitting her horse where your destrier now stands."
"At my own, sire; it was courtesy for courtesy: I had shown her our handiwork here."
"Certainly, sire."
"She seemed sad?"
"This is romance!" He lifted the little picture at arm's length to the sun, kissed it, and put it in his bosom27. His face was radiant; he laughed as though some golden joy rang and resounded28 in his heart.
"A hundred golden angels for this face!"
Fra Balthasar was in great measure mystified. The Lord of Avalon seemed an inflammable gentleman.
"Messire, you are ever generous."
"Man, man, you have caught the one woman in the world."
"Sire----"
"The Madonna of the Pine Forest, the Madonna of Mercy; she whose kinsfolk were put to the sword by my men; even the daughter of Rual whose tower stands yonder."
The priest comprehended the whole in a moment. The dramatic quaintness29 of the adventure had made him echo Flavian's humour. He laughed and shrugged30 his shoulders.
"Romance, romance! By all the lovers who ever loved, by Tristan and the dark Iseult, by Launcelot and Guinivere, follow that picture."
"Which way went she?"
"By the southern ride, towards Gilderoy."
The man was in heroic humour; his sword flashed out and shook in the sun.
"By God, I'll see her face again, and yet again, though I burn in hell for it. Roland, Godamar, come, men, come, throw away your spears. Ride, ride, we chase the sunset. Life and desire!"
He sprang away on his great bay horse, a shimmering31 shaft32 of youth--youth that flashed forth33 chivalry into the burgeoning34 green of Spring. The sunlight webbed his hair with gold; his face glowed like a martyr's. Balthasar watched him with much poetic35 zest36, as he swept away with his thundering knights37 into the woods.
The friar settled to his work again, but it was fated that he was to have no lasting38 peace that morning. He was painting in a background, a landscape, to a small Crucifixion. His hand was out of touch, however; the subject was not congenial. A pale face and a pair of dusky eyes had deepened a different stream of thought in the man. Themes hypersensuous held his allegiance; from prim39 catholic ethics40, he reverted41 to his glorious paganism with an ever-broadening sense of satisfaction.
He was interrupted once more, and not unpleasantly, by a lady, with two armed servants at her back, riding in from the forest by the northern ride. The woman was clad in a cloak of damask red, and a jupon of dark green, broidered with azure scroll42 work. Her hood43, fallen back, showed her purple black hair bound up in a net of gold. Her large dark eyes flashed and smouldered under their long lashes44. She had high cheek-bones, a big nose, lips full as an over-ripe rose. She was big of body, voluptuous45 to look upon, as an Eastern odalisque, a woman of great passions, great appetites.
Fra Balthasar tumbled his brushes and paints aside, and went to meet her as she rode over the grass. There was a smile on the man's lips, a flush upon his sleek46 face, as he walked with a courtly and debonair47 vanity. The woman caught sight of him and wheeled her horse in his direction. The autumn splendour of her cheeks told of hard riding, and her horse dropped foam48 from his black muzzle49.
"Good greeting, Madame Duessa," were his words, as he kept his eyes on the ground.
"My Lord Flavian?"
"Madame?"
"He has been here."
"But is here no longer."
"These buildings?"
"Are the Lord Flavian's."
"And you?"
"I am his architect."
"Madame, I do not edificate souls."
The woman stared him over with a critical comprehensiveness.
"Balthasar."
The man half glanced at her.
"Look me in the face."
He gave a sigh, made a gesture with his hands, looked melancholy53 and over-ecstasied to the point of despair.
"Madame, there are thoughts beyond one's liberty."
"Well?"
"There are women, a woman, one dares not look upon. There are eyes, well--well, that are too bright. Pardon me, I would serve you."
She took a deep breath, held out her hand to him, a big, warm hand, soft and white. The man's lips burnt upon it. She touched his cheek and saw him colour.
"Well?"
"My Lord Flavian is not here."
"But has been. Where now?"
"Away hunting."
"Ha, what?"
"Madame, what do men hunt and burn for?"
"Sometimes a stag, a hare, a standard, a woman."
"Sometimes--a woman."
"Which way?"
"The southern ride, towards Gilderoy."
"Remember," she said, "remember, a woman loves a friend, a true friend, who can tell a lie, or keep a secret."
Balthasar watched her ride away. He stood and smiled to himself, while his long fingers played with the folds of his mantle56. Red wine was bounding in his blood, and his imagination revelled57. He was a poetic person, and a poet's soul is often like tinder, safe enough till the spark falls.
"Gloria," he said to himself with a smirk58, "here's hunting with a vengeance59. Two women and a man! The devil is loose. Soul of Masaccio, that woman has fine eyes."
That day, when the sky was growing red over the woods, Flavian and his troop drew close on the heels of Yeoland and the harper. The man, for all his heat, had kept his horse-flesh well in hand. Once out of Cambremont wood, they had met a charcoal-burner, who had seen Yeoland and her follower60 pass towards the west. They had hunted fast over fell and moor61. While not two miles behind came Duessa of the Black Hair, biting her lips and giving her brute62 lash2 and spur with a woman's viciousness.
Yeoland, halting on a slope above the pine woods, looked back and saw something that made her crane her neck and wax vigilant63. Out of the wine-red east and the twilight64 gloom came the lightning of harness, the galloping65 gleam of armed men. Jaspar's blear eyes were unequal to the girl's. The men below were riding hard, half under the lea of the midnight pines, whose tops touched the sunset. A half-moon of steel, their crescent closed wood and moor. They had the lead in the west; they were mounting the slope behind.
Jaspar saw them at last. He was for galloping. Yeoland held him in.
"Fool, we are caught. Sit still. We shall gain nothing by bolting."
A knight was coming up the slope at a canter. Yeoland saw his shield, read it and his name. She went red under her hood, felt her heart beating, wondered at its noise.
Youth, aglitter in arms, splendid, triumphant66! A face bare to the west, eyes radiant and tender, a great horse reined67 in on its haunches, a mailed hand that made the sign of the cross!
"Madame, your pardon."
He drew Balthasar's picture from his bosom and held it before her eyes.
"My torch," he said, "that led me to see your face again."
The girl was silent. Her head was thrown back, her slim throat showing, her face turned heavenwards like the face of a woman who is kissed upon the lips.
"You have seen your home?"
"Yes, messire."
"Yes, messire."
"Madame, let me be forgiven; you have trusted one man, trust another."
She turned her horse suddenly and began to ride towards the black maw of the forest. Her lips were tightly closed, and she looked neither to the right nor the left. Flavian, a tower of steel, was at her side. Armed men ranged in a circle about them. They opened ranks at a sign from their lord, and gave the woman passage.
"Madame----"
"Messire----"
"Am I to be forgiven?"
"Tell it me."
"If you will never see my face again."
He looked at her with a great smile, drew his sword, and held the point towards her.
"Then give me hate."
"Messire!"
"Hate, not forgiveness, hate, utter and divine, that I may fight and travail71, labour and despair."
"Messire!"
"Hate me, hate me, with all the unreason of your heart. Hate me a hundred times, that I may but leap a hundred times into your life. Bar me out that I may storm your battlements again and again."
"Are you a fool?"
"A glorious, mad, inspired fool."
They were quite near the trees. Their black masses threw a great shadow over the pair. Higher still the sky burnt.
"Madame, whither do you go?"
"Where you may not venture, messire."
"God, I know no such region."
She flashed round on him with sudden bitterness.
"Go back to your wife. Go back to your wife, messire; remember her honour."
It was a home-thrust, but it did not shame or weaken him. He sheathed72 his sword, and looked at her sadly out of his grey eyes.
"What a world is this," he said, "when heaven comes at last, hell yawns across the path. When summer burns, winter lifts its head. Even as a man would grow strong and pure, his own cursed shackles73 cumber74 him. To-night I say no more to you. Go, madame, pray for me. You shall see my face again."
He let life vanish under the pines, and rode back with the sunset on his armour, his face staring into the rising night. His men came round him, silent statues of steel. He rode slowly, and met his wife.
"Ha, sire, I have found you."
"Madame, I trust you are well?"
They looked at each other askance like angry dogs, as they rode side by side, and the night came down. The men left them to themselves, and went on ahead. A wind grew gusty76 over the moor.
"Messire, I have borne enough from you."
"Madame, is it fault of mine?"
His whole soul revolted from her with an immensity of hate. She cumbered, clogged77, crushed him. Mad brutality78 leapt in his heart towards her. He could have smitten79 the woman through with his sword.
"Five years ago----" she said.
"You did the wooing. Damnation, we have been marvellously happy."
She bit her lip and was white as the moon.
"Have a care, messire, have a care."
"Threats, threats."
"Have a care----"
"Look at my shield. Have I quartered your arms with mine? God's blood, there is nothing to erase80."
"Ha!"
"We have no children."
"Go on."
"I shall send gold and an embassage to the Pope."
"You dare do this?"
"I dare ten thousand greater things than this."
"By God, messire."
"By God, woman, am I going down to hell because you are my wife!"
She grew quiet very suddenly, a dangerous move in a woman.
"Very well," she said, "try it, dear lord. I am no fool. Try it, I am as strong as you."
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1
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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4
burnished
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| adj.抛光的，光亮的v.擦亮（金属等），磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 )；被擦亮，磨光 | |
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5
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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7
blazoned
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| v.广布( blazon的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布；夸示；装饰 | |
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8
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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9
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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10
slashed
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| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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11
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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demesne
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| n.领域，私有土地 | |
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13
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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14
glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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15
benediction
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| n.祝福；恩赐 | |
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herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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17
emulate
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| v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿 | |
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18
craved
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| 渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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19
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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20
ecclesiastic
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| n.教士，基督教会；adj.神职者的，牧师的，教会的 | |
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21
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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22
sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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23
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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24
sketched
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| v.草拟（sketch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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25
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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26
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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27
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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28
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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29
quaintness
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| n.离奇有趣，古怪的事物 | |
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30
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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31
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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32
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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33
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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34
burgeoning
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| adj.迅速成长的，迅速发展的v.发芽，抽枝( burgeon的现在分词 )；迅速发展；发（芽），抽（枝） | |
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35
poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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36
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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37
knights
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| 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 | |
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38
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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prim
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| adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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40
ethics
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| n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准 | |
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41
reverted
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| 恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
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42
scroll
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| n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡 | |
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43
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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44
lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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45
voluptuous
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| adj.肉欲的，骄奢淫逸的 | |
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46
sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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debonair
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| adj.殷勤的，快乐的 | |
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48
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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49
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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50
meekness
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| n.温顺，柔和 | |
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51
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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52
monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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53
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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54
tighten
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| v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧 | |
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55
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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56
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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57
revelled
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| v.作乐( revel的过去式和过去分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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58
smirk
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| n.得意地笑；v.傻笑；假笑着说 | |
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59
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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60
follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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61
moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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62
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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63
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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64
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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65
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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66
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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67
reined
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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68
vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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69
vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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70
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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71
travail
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| n.阵痛；努力 | |
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72
sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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73
shackles
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| 手铐( shackle的名词复数 )； 脚镣； 束缚； 羁绊 | |
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74
cumber
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| v.拖累，妨碍；n.妨害；拖累 | |
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75
streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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76
gusty
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| adj.起大风的 | |
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77
clogged
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| （使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞 | |
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78
brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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79
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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80
erase
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| v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹 | |
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81
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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