الفصل الفصل 25 · OF THE TRIUMPHANT SUMMER ARRAY OF THE MAID

. OF THE TRIUMPHANT SUMMER ARRAY OF THE MAID

When the day was bright Walter arose, and met the Maid coming from the

river-bank, fresh and rosy from the water. She paled a little when they

met face to face, and she shrank from him shyly. But he took her hand

and kissed her frankly; and the two were glad, and had no need to tell

each other of their joy, though much else they deemed they had to say,

could they have found words thereto.

So they came to their fire and sat down, and fell to breakfast; and ere

they were done, the Maid said: "My Master, thou seest we be come nigh

unto the hill-country, and to-day about sunset, belike, we shall come

into the Land of the Bear-folk; and both it is, that there is peril if we

fall into their hands, and that we may scarce escape them. Yet I deem

that we may deal with the peril by wisdom."

"What is the peril?" said Walter; "I mean, what is the worst of it?"

Said the Maid: "To be offered up in sacrifice to their God."

"But if we escape death at their hands, what then?" said Walter.

"One of two things," said she; "the first that they shall take us into

their tribe."

"And will they sunder us in that case?" said Walter.

"Nay," said she.

Walter laughed and said: "Therein is little harm then. But what is the

other chance?"

Said she: "That we leave them with their goodwill, and come back to one

of the lands of Christendom."

Said Walter: "I am not all so sure that this is the better of the two

choices, though, forsooth, thou seemest to think so. But tell me now,

what like is their God, that they should offer up new-comers to him?"

"Their God is a woman," she said, "and the Mother of their nation and

tribes (or so they deem) before the days when they had chieftains and

Lords of Battle."

"That will be long ago," said he; "how then may she be living now?"

Said the Maid: "Doubtless that woman of yore agone is dead this many and

many a year; but they take to them still a new woman, one after other, as

they may happen on them, to be in the stead of the Ancient Mother. And

to tell thee the very truth right out, she that lieth dead in the

Pillared Hall was even the last of these; and now, if they knew it, they

lack a God. This shall we tell them."

"Yea, yea!" said Walter, "a goodly welcome shall we have of them then, if

we come amongst them with our hands red with the blood of their God!"

She smiled on him and said: "If I come amongst them with the tidings that

I have slain her, and they trow therein, without doubt they shall make me

Lady and Goddess in her stead."

"This is a strange word," said Walter "but if so they do, how shall that

further us in reaching the kindreds of the world, and the folk of Holy

Church?"

She laughed outright, so joyous was she grown, now that she knew that his

life was yet to be a part of hers. "Sweetheart," she said, "now I see

that thou desirest wholly what I desire; yet in any case, abiding with

them would be living and not dying, even as thou hadst it e'en now. But,

forsooth, they will not hinder our departure if they deem me their God;

they do not look for it, nor desire it, that their God should dwell with

them daily. Have no fear." Then she laughed again, and said: "What!

thou lookest on me and deemest me to be but a sorry image of a goddess;

and me with my scanty coat and bare arms and naked feet! But wait! I

know well how to array me when the time cometh. Thou shalt see it! And

now, my Master, were it not meet that we took to the road?"

So they arose, and found a ford of the river that took the Maid but to

the knee, and so set forth up the greensward of the slopes whereas there

were but few trees; so went they faring toward the hill-country.

At the last they were come to the feet of the very hills, and in the

hollows betwixt the buttresses of them grew nut and berry trees, and the

greensward round about them was both thick and much flowery. There they

stayed them and dined, whereas Walter had shot a hare by the way, and

they had found a bubbling spring under a grey stone in a bight of the

coppice, wherein now the birds were singing their best.

When they had eaten and had rested somewhat, the Maid arose and said:

"Now shall the Queen array herself, and seem like a very goddess."

Then she fell to work, while Walter looked on; and she made a garland for

her head of eglantine where the roses were the fairest; and with mingled

flowers of the summer she wreathed her middle about, and let the garland

of them hang down to below her knees; and knots of the flowers she made

fast to the skirts of her coat, and did them for arm-rings about her

arms, and for anklets and sandals for her feet. Then she set a garland

about Walter's head, and then stood a little off from him and set her

feet together, and lifted up her arms, and said: "Lo now! am I not as

like to the Mother of Summer as if I were clad in silk and gold? and even

so shall I be deemed by the folk of the Bear. Come now, thou shalt see

how all shall be well."

She laughed joyously; but he might scarce laugh for pity of his love.

Then they set forth again, and began to climb the hills, and the hours

wore as they went in sweet converse; till at last Walter looked on the

Maid, and smiled on her, and said: "One thing I would say to thee, lovely

friend, to wit: wert thou clad in silk and gold, thy stately raiment

might well suffer a few stains, or here and there a rent maybe; but

stately would it be still when the folk of the Bear should come up

against thee. But as to this flowery array of thine, in a few hours it

shall be all faded and nought. Nay, even now, as I look on thee, the

meadow-sweet that hangeth from thy girdle-stead has waxen dull, and

welted; and the blossoming eyebright that is for a hem to the little

white coat of thee is already forgetting how to be bright and blue. What

sayest thou then?"

She laughed at his word, and stood still, and looked back over her

shoulder, while with her fingers she dealt with the flowers about her

side like to a bird preening his feathers. Then she said: "Is it verily

so as thou sayest? Look again!"

So he looked, and wondered; for lo! beneath his eyes the spires of the

meadow-sweet grew crisp and clear again, the eyebright blossoms shone

once more over the whiteness of her legs; the eglantine roses opened, and

all was as fresh and bright as if it were still growing on its own roots.

He wondered, and was even somedeal aghast; but she said: "Dear friend, be

not troubled! did I not tell thee that I am wise in hidden lore? But in

my wisdom shall be no longer any scathe to any man. And again, this my

wisdom, as I told thee erst, shall end on the day whereon I am made all

happy. And it is thou that shall wield it all, my Master. Yet must my

wisdom needs endure for a little season yet. Let us on then, boldly and

happily."