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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/18882-h.zip b/18882-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..898d009 --- /dev/null +++ b/18882-h.zip diff --git a/18882-h/18882-h.htm b/18882-h/18882-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2d7d903 --- /dev/null +++ b/18882-h/18882-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4927 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Isles of Sunset, by Arthur Christopher Benson</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */ + .sidenote {width: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; margin-left: 1em; + float: right; clear: right; margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; background: #eeeeee; border: dashed 1px;} + + .bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + .bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + .bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + .br {border-right: solid 2px;} + .bbox {border: solid 2px;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .u {text-decoration: underline;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + .footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + .footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + .fnanchor {vertical-align: super; font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;} + hr.full { width: 100%; } + pre {font-size: 75%;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Isles of Sunset, by Arthur Christopher +Benson</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: The Isles of Sunset</p> +<p>Author: Arthur Christopher Benson</p> +<p>Release Date: July 21, 2006 [eBook #18882]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ISLES OF SUNSET***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by Inka Weide, Mary Meehan,<br /> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (http://www.pgdp.net/)</h3> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h1>The Isles of Sunset</h1> + +<h2>By Arthur Christopher Benson</h2> + +<h3><i>Author of</i> "The Hill of Trouble," &c. &c.</h3> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h4>LONDON: SIR ISAAC PITMAN & SONS, LTD.<br /> +NO. 1 AMEN CORNER, E.C. 1908</h4> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Printed by</span><br /> +Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd.,<br /> +Bath.<br /> +(2074)</h4> + + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<h4>TO HUGH MACNAGHTEN</h4> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0"><i>The milkie way, the bird of Paradise,</i><br /></span> +<span class="i0"><i>Church-bels beyond the starres heard, the souls bloud,</i><br /></span> +<span class="i0"><i>The land of spices; something understood.</i><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Geo. Herbert</span><br /></span> +</div></div> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0"><i>Let those whose Hearts and Hands are strong</i><br /></span> +<span class="i2"><i>Tell eager Tales of mighty Deeds;</i><br /></span> +<span class="i0"><i>Enough if my sequestered song</i><br /></span> +<span class="i2"><i>To hush'd and twilight Gardens leads!</i><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0"><i>Clear Waters, drawn from secret Wells</i><br /></span> +<span class="i2"><i>Perchance may fevered Lips assuage;</i><br /></span> +<span class="i0"><i>The Tales an elder Pilgrim tells</i><br /></span> +<span class="i2"><i>To such as go on Pilgrimage.</i><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0"><i>I wander by the waterside,</i><br /></span> +<span class="i2"><i>In that cool Hour my Soul loves best,</i><br /></span> +<span class="i0"><i>When trembles o'er the rippling Tide</i><br /></span> +<span class="i2"><i>A golden Stairway to the West.</i><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0"><i>Such the soft Path my Words would trace,</i><br /></span> +<span class="i2"><i>Thus with the moving Waters move;</i><br /></span> +<span class="i0"><i>So leave, across the Ocean's Face,</i><br /></span> +<span class="i2"><i>A glimmering Stair to Hope and Love.</i><br /></span> +</div></div> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + + + +<h3>Contents</h3> + +<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. --> +<p> +<a href="#The_Isles_of_Sunset">The Isles of Sunset</a><br /> +<a href="#The_Waving_of_the_Sword">The Waving of the Sword</a><br /> +<a href="#Renatus">Renatus</a><br /> +<a href="#The_Slype_House">The Slype House</a><br /> +<a href="#Out_of_the_Sea">Out of the Sea</a><br /> +<a href="#Paul_the_Minstrel">Paul the Minstrel</a><br /> +</p> +<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. --> + + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + + +<h2></h2> + + +<h2><a name="The_Isles_of_Sunset" id="The_Isles_of_Sunset"></a>The Isles of Sunset</h2> + + +<p>About midway between the two horns of the bay, the Isles of Sunset +pierced the sea. There was deep blue water all around them, and the +sharp and fretted pinnacles of rock rose steeply up to heaven. The top +of the largest was blunt, and covered with a little carpet of grass and +sea-herbs. The rest were nought but cruel spires, on which no foot but +that of sea-birds could go. At one place there was a small creek, into +which a boat might be thrust, but only when the sea was calm; and near +the top of the rock, just over this, was the dark mouth of a little +cave.</p> + +<p>The bay in which the Isles lay was quite deserted; the moorland came to +the edge of the cliffs, and through a steep and rocky ravine, the sides +of which were overgrown with ferns and low trees, all brushed landward +by the fierce winds, a stream fell hoarsely to the sea, through deep +rockpools. The only living things there were the wild birds, the +moorfowl in the heather, hawks that built in the rock face, and pigeons +that made their nest in hollow places. Sometimes a stag pacing slowly on +the cliff-top would look over, but that was seldom.</p> + +<p>Yet on these desolate and fearful rocks there dwelt a man, a hermit +named David. He had grown up as a fisher-boy in the neighbouring +village—an awkward silent boy with large eyes which looked as though +they were full of inward dreams. The people of the place were Christians +after a sort, though it was but seldom that a priest came near them; and +then only by sea, for there was no road to the place. But David as a boy +had heard a little of the Lord Christ, and of the bitter sacrifice he +made for men; and there grew up in his heart a great desire to serve +Him, and he prayed much in his heart to the Lord, that he would show him +what he might do. He had no parents living. His mother was long dead, +and his father had been drowned at sea. He lived in the house of his +uncle, a poor fisherman with an angry temper, where he fared very +hardly; for there were many mouths to feed, and the worst fell to the +least akin. But he grew up handy and active, with strong limbs and a +sure head; and he was well worth his victual, for he was a good +fisherman, patient of wind and rain; and he could scale the cliff in +places where none other dared go, and bring down the eggs and feathers +of the sea-birds. So they had much use of him, and gave him but little +love in return. When he was free of work, the boy loved to wander alone, +and he would lie on the heather in the warm sun, with his face to the +ground, drinking in the fragrant breath of the earth, and praying +earnestly in his heart to the Lord, who had made the earth so fair and +the sea so terrible. When he came to man's estate, he had thoughts of +making a home of his own, but his uncle seemed to need him—so he +lingered on, doing as he was bid, very silent, but full of his own +thoughts, and sure that the Lord would call him when he had need of him; +one by one the children of the family grew up and went their ways; then +his uncle's wife died, and then at last one day, when he was out fishing +with his uncle, there came a squall and they beat for home. But the boat +was overset and his uncle was drowned; and David himself was cast ashore +in a wonderful manner, and found himself all alone.</p> + +<p>Now while he doubted what he should do, he dreamed a dream that wrought +powerfully in his mind. He thought that he was walking in the dusk +beside the sea, which was running very high, when he saw a light drawing +near to him over the waves. It was not like the light of a lantern, but +a diffused and pale light, like the moon labouring in a cloud. The sea +began to abate its violence, and then David saw a figure coming to him, +walking, it seemed, upon the water as upon dry land, sometimes lower, +sometimes higher, as the waves ran high or low. He stopped in a great +wonder to watch the approach of the figure, and he saw that it was that +of a young man, going very slowly and tranquilly, and looking about him +with a gentle and smiling air of command. All about him was a light, the +source of which David could not see, but he seemed like a man walking in +the light of an open window, when all around is dark. As he came near, +David saw that he was clad in a rough tunic of some dark stuff, which +was girt up with a girdle at the waist. His head and his feet were bare. +Yet though he seemed but poorly clad, he had the carriage of a great +prince, whose power none would willingly question. But the strangest +thing was that the sea grew calm before his feet, and though the wind +was blowing fiercely, yet it did not stir the hair, which fell somewhat +long on his shoulders, or so much as ruffle his robe. And then there +came into David's head a verse of Scripture where it says, "<i>What manner +of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him?</i>" And then the +answer came suddenly into David's mind, and he knelt down where he was +upon the beach, and waited in a great and silent awe; and presently that +One drew near, and in some way that David did not understand, for he +used no form of speech, his eyes made question of David's soul, and +seemed to read its depths. And then at last He spoke in words that He +had before used to a fisherman beside another sea, and said very softly, +"Follow Me." But He said not how He should be followed; and presently He +seemed to depart in a shining track across the sea, till the light that +went with Him sank like a star upon the verge. Then in his dream David +was troubled, and knew not how to follow; till he thought that it might +be given him, as it was given once to Peter, to walk dry-shod over the +depth; but when he set foot upon the water there broke so furious a wave +at him, that he knew not how to follow. So he went back and kneeled upon +the sand, and said aloud in his doubt, "What shall I do, Lord?" and as +the words sounded on his tongue he awoke.</p> + +<p>Then all that day he pondered how he should find the Lord; for he knew +that though he had a hope in his heart, and though he leaned much upon +God, yet he had not wholly found him yet. God was sometimes with him and +near to him, but sometimes far withdrawn; and then, for he was a very +simple man, he said in himself, "I will give myself wholly to the search +for my Lord. I will live solitary, and I will fix my mind upon Him"; for +he thought within himself that his hard life, and the cares of the +household in which he had dwelt, had been what had perhaps kept him +outside; and therefore he thought that God had taken these cares away +from him. And so he made up his mind.</p> + +<p>Then he cast about where he had best dwell; and he thought of the Isles +of Sunset as a lonely place, where he might live and not be disturbed. +There was the little cave high up in the rock-face, looking towards the +land, to which he had once scrambled up. This would give him shelter; +and there were moreover some small patches of earth, near the base of +the rock, where he could grow a few herbs and a little corn. He had some +money of his own, which would keep him until his garden was grown up; +and he could fish, he thought, from the rocks, and find shell-fish and +other creatures of the sea, which would give him meat.</p> + +<p>So the next day he bought a few tools that he thought he would need, and +rowed all over when it was dusk. He put his small stores in a cave by +the water's edge. The day after, he went and made a few farewells; he +told no one where he was going; but it pleased him to find a little love +for him in the hearts of some. One parting was a strangely sore one: +there was an old and poor woman that lived very meanly in the place, who +had an only granddaughter, a little maid. These two he loved very much, +and had often done them small kindnesses. He kept this good-bye to the +last, and went to the house after sundown. The old woman bade him sit +down, and asked him what he meant to do, now that he was alone. "I am +going away, mother," he said gently. The child, hearing this, came over +the room from where she sate, and said to him, "No, David, do not go +away." "Yes, dear child," he said, "I must even go." Then she said, "But +where will you go? May I not come to see you sometimes?" and she put her +small arms round his neck, and laid her cheek to his. Then David's heart +was very full of love, and he said smiling, and with his arm round the +child, "Dear one, I must not say where I am going—and it is a rough +place, too, not fit for such tender little folk as you; but, if I can, I +will come again and see you." Then the old grandmother, looking upon him +very gravely, said, "Tell me what is in your mind." But he said, "Nay, +mother, do not ask me; I am going to a place that is near and yet far; +and I am going to seek for one whom I know not and yet know; and the way +is long and dark." Then she forbore to ask him more, and fell to +pondering sadly; so after they had sate awhile, he rose up and loosed +the child's arms from him, kissing her; and the tears stood in his eyes; +and he thought in himself that God was very wise; for if he had had a +home of his own, and children whom he loved, he could never have found +it in his heart to leave them. So he went out.</p> + +<p>Then he climbed up the steep path that led to the downs, and so to the +bay where the Isles lay. And just as he reached the top, the moon ran +out from a long bank of cloud; and he saw the village lie beneath him, +very peaceful in the moonlight; there were lights in some of the +windows; the roofs were silvered in the clear radiance of the moon, and +the shadows lay dark between. He could see the little streets, every +inch of which he knew, and the port below. He could see the coast +stretch away to the east, headland after headland, growing fainter; and +the great spaces of the sea, with the moon glittering on the waves. +There was a holy and solemn peace about it all; and though his life had +not been a happy one there, he knew in a flash that the place was very +dear to his heart, and he said a prayer to God, that he would guard and +cherish the village and those that dwelt there. Then he turned, and went +on to the downs; and presently descended by a steep path to the sea, +through the thickets. He took off his clothes, and tied them in a pack +on his back; and then he stepped quietly into the bright water, which +lapped very softly against the shore, a little wave every now and then +falling gently, followed by a long rustling of the water on the sand, +and a silence till the next wave fell. He waded on till he could swim, +and then struck out to where the Isles stood, all sharp and bright in +the moon. He swam with long quiet strokes, hearing the water ripple +past; and soon the great crags loomed out above him, and he heard the +waves fall among their rocky coves. At last he felt the ground beneath +his feet; and coming out of the water he dressed himself, and then—for +he would not venture on the cliffs in the uncertain light—gathering up +some dried weeds of the sea, he made a pillow for his head and slept, in +a wonderful peace of mind, until the moon set; and not long after there +came a pale light over the sea in the east, brightening slowly, until at +last the sun, like a fiery ball, broke upwards from the sea; and it was +day.</p> + +<p>Now when David awoke in the broad daylight, he found himself full of a +great joy and peace. He seemed, as it were, to have leaped over a wide +ditch, and to see the world across it. Now he was alone with God, and he +had put all the old, mean, hateful life away from him. It did not even +so much as peep into his mind that he would have to endure many +hardships of body, rain, and chilly winds, a bed of rock, and fare both +hard and scanty. This was not what had troubled him in the old days. +What had vexed his heart had been unclean words and deeds, greediness, +hardness, cruel taunts, the lack of love, and the meanness and baseness +of the petty life. All that was behind him now; he felt free and strong, +and while he moved about to spy out his new kingdom, he sang loudly to +himself a song of praise. The place pleased him mightily; over his head +ran up the cliff with its stony precipices and dizzy ledges. The lower +rocks all fringed with weeds, like sea-beasts with rough hair, stood out +black from the deep blue water that lay round the rocks. He loved to +hear the heavy plunge of the great waves around his bastions, the thin +cries of the sea-birds that sailed about the precipice, or that lit on +their airy perches. Everywhere was a brisk sharp scent of the sea, and +the fresh breeze, most unlike the close sour smell of the little houses. +He felt himself free and strong and clean, and he thought of all the +things he would say to God in the pleasant solitude, and how he would +hear the low and far-off voice of the Father speaking gently with his +soul.</p> + +<p>His first care was to find the cave that was to shelter him. He spent +the day in climbing very carefully and lightly all over the face of the +rock. Never had he known his hand so strong, or his head so sure. He +sate for a time on a little ledge, to which he had climbed on the crag +face, and he feasted his eyes upon the sight of the great cliffs of the +mainland that ran opposite him, to left and right, in a wide +half-circle. His eyes dwelt with pleasure upon the high sloping +shoulders of rock, on which the sun now shone very peacefully, the strip +of moorland at the top, the brushwood growing in the sloping coves, the +clean shingle at the base of the rocks, and the blue sky over all. That +was the world as God had made it, and as He intended it to be; it was +only men who made it evil, huddling together in their small and filthy +dens, so intent on their little ugly lives, their food and drink and +wicked ways.</p> + +<p>Presently he found the cave-mouth, and noted in his mind the best way +thither. The cave seemed to him a very sweet place; the mouth was all +fringed with little ferns; inside it was dry and clean; and in a few +hours he had disposed all his small goods within it. There was a low +slope, on one side of the rocks, where the fern grew plentifully. He +gathered great armfuls of the dry red stalks, and made himself a +rustling bed. So the day wore pleasantly away. One of his cares was to +find water; but here it seemed that God blessed him very instantly, for +he found a place near the sea, where a little spring soaked cool out of +the rock, with a pleasant carpet of moss and yellow flowers. He found, +too, some beds of shell-fish, which he saw would give him food and bait +for his fishing. So about sundown he cast a line from the end of the +rocks and presently caught a fish, a ling, which lives round rocky +shores. This he broiled at a small fire of driftwood, for he had brought +tinder with him; and it pleased him to think of the meal that the +Apostles took with the risen Christ, a meal which He had made for them, +and to which He Himself called them; for that, too, was a broiled fish, +and eaten by the edge of the sea. Also he ate a little of the bread he +had brought with him; and with it some of a brisk juicy herb, called +samphire, that sprouted richly in the cliff, which gave his meat an +aromatic savour; and with a drink of fresh spring water he dined well, +and was content; then he climbed within the cave, and fell asleep to the +sound of the wind buffeting in the cliff, and the fall of great waves on +the sea beaches.</p> + +<p>Now I might make a book of all the things that David saw and did on the +islands, but they were mostly simple and humble things. He fared very +hard, but though he often wondered how he would find food for the next +day, it always came to him; and he kept his health in a way which seemed +to him to be marvellous; indeed he seemed to himself to be both stronger +in body and lighter in spirit than he had even been before. He both saw +and heard things that he could not explain. There were sounds the nature +of which he could not divine; on certain days there was a far-off +booming, even when the waves seemed still; at times, too, there was a +low musical note in the air, like the throbbing of a tense string of +metal; once or twice he heard a sound like soft singing, and wondered in +his heart what creature of the sea it might be that uttered it. On +stormy nights there were sad moans and cries, and he often thought that +there were strange and unseen creatures about him, who hid themselves +from sight, but whose voices he certainly heard; but he was never +afraid. One night he saw a very beautiful thing; it had been a still +day, but there was an anxious sound in the wind which he knew portended +a storm; he was strangely restless on such days, and woke many times in +the night: at last he could bear the silence of the cave no more, and +went out, descending swiftly by the rocks, the path over which he could +have now followed blindfold, down to the edge of the sea. Then he saw +that the waves that beat against the rock were all luminous, as though +lit with an inner light; suddenly, far below, how deep he knew not, he +saw a great shoal of fish, some of them very large, coming softly round +the rocks; the water, as it touched their blunt snouts, burst as it were +into soft flame, and showed every twinkle of their fins and every beat +of their tails. The shoal came swiftly round the rocks, swimming +intently, and it seemed as though there was no end of them. But at last +the crowd grew thinner and then ceased; but he could still see the water +rippling all radiant in the great sea-pools, showing the motion of broad +ribbons of seaweed that swayed to and fro, and lighting up odd horned +beasts that stirred upon the ledges. From that day forth he was often +filled with a silent wonder at all the sleepless life that moved beneath +the vast waters, and that knew nothing of the little human lives that +fretted themselves out in the thin air above. That day was to him like +the opening of a door into the vast heart of God.</p> + +<p>But for all his happiness, the thought weighed upon him, day after day, +of all the grief and unhappiness that there was about him. A dying bird +that he found in a pool, and that rolled its filmy eye upon him in fear, +as if to ask why he must disturb it in its last sad languid hour, the +terror in which so many of the small fish abode—he saw once, when the +sea was clear, a big fish dart like a dark shadow, with open mouth and +gleaming eye, on a little shoal of fishes that sported joyfully in the +sun; they scattered in haste, but they had lost their fellows—all this +made him ponder; but most of all there weighed on his heart the thought +of the world he had left, of how men spoke evil of each other, and did +each other hurt; of children whose lot was to be beaten and cursed for +no fault, but to please the cruel temper of a master; of patient women, +who had so much to bear—so that sometimes he had dark thoughts of why +God made the world so fair, and then left so much that was amiss, like a +foul stream that makes a clear pool turbid. And there came into his head +a horror of taking the lives of creatures for his own use—the +shell-worm that writhed as he pulled it from the shell; the bright fish +that came up struggling and gasping from the water, and that fought +under his hand—and at last he made up his mind that he would take no +more life, though how he would live he knew not; and as for the world of +men, he became very desirous to help a little as best he could; and +there being at this time a wreck in the bay, when a boat and all on +board were lost, he thought that he would wish, if he could, to keep a +fire lit on dark nights, so that ships that passed should see that there +was a dwelling there, and so keep farther away from the dangerous rocks.</p> + +<p>By this time it had become known in the country where he was—his figure +had been seen several times from the cliffs; and one day there had come +a boat, with some of those that knew him, to the island. He had no wish +to mix again with men; but neither did he desire to avoid them, if it +was God's will that they should come. So he came down courteously, and +spoke with the master of the boat, who asked him very curiously of his +life and all that he did. David told him all; and when the master asked +him why he had thus fled away from the world, David said simply that he +had done so that he might pray to God in peace. Then the master said +that there were many waking hours in the day, and he knew not what there +might be to say prayers about, "for," he said, "you have no book to make +prayers out of, like the priests, and you have no store of good-sounding +words with which to catch the ear of God." Then David said that he +prayed to God to guard all things great and small, and to help himself +along the steep road to heaven. Then the master wondered very much, and +said that a man must please himself, and no doubt it was a holy work. +Then he asked a little shamefacedly for David to pray for him, that he +might be kept safe from shipwreck, and have good fortune for fishing, to +which David replied, "Oh, I do that already."</p> + +<p>Before the master went away, and he stayed not long, he asked David how +he lived, and offered him food. And David being then in a strait—for he +had lately vowed to take no life, said gladly that he would have +anything they could give him. So the master gave him some victual. And +it happened, just at this time, that some of the boats from the village +had a wonderful escape from a storm, and through that season they caught +fish in abundance; so it was soon noised abroad that this was all +because of David's prayers; and after that he never had need of food, +for they brought him many little presents, such as eggs, fruit, and +bread—for he would take no meat—giving them into his hands when he was +on the lower rocks, or leaving them on a ledge in the cove when he was +aloft. And as, when the fish were plenteous, they gave him food in +gratitude, and when fish were scarce, they gave it him even more +abundantly that they might have his prayers, David was never in lack; in +all of which he saw the wonderful hand of God working for him.</p> + +<p>Now David pondered very much how he might keep a light aloft on +dangerous nights.</p> + +<p>His first thought was to find a sheltered place among the rocks to +seaward, where his fire could burn and not be extinguished by the wind; +but, though he climbed all about the rocks, he could find no place to +his mind. One day, however, he was in the furthest recess of his cave, +when he felt that among the rocks a little thin wind blew constantly +from one corner; and feeling about with his hands, he found that it came +out of a small crack in the rocks. The stone above it seemed to be +loose; and he perceived after a while that the end of the cave must be +very near to the seaward face of the crag, and that the cave ran right +through the rock, and was only kept from opening on the outer side by a +thin barrier of stone; so after several attempts, using all his +strength, he worked the stone loose; and then with a great effort, he +thrust the stone out; it fell with a great noise, leaping among the +crags, and at last plunging into the sea. The wind rushed in through the +gap; then he saw that he had, as it were, a small window looking out to +sea, so small that he could not pass through it, but large enough to let +a light shine forth, if there were a light set there; but though it +seemed again to him like the guiding hand of God, he could not devise +how he should shelter the light within from the wind. Indeed the hole +made the cave a far less habitable place for himself, for the wind +whistled very shrewdly through; he found it easy enough to stop the gap +with an old fisherman's coat—but then the light was hidden from view. +So he tried a further plan; he dug a hole in the earth at the top of the +cliff, and then made a bed of dry sand at the bottom of it; and he piled +up dry seaweed and wood within, thinking that if he lit his beacon +there, it might be sheltered from the wind, and would burn fiercely +enough to throw up the flame above the top of the pit. He saw that heavy +rain would extinguish his fire; but the nights were most dangerous when +it blew too strongly for rain to fall. So one night, when the wind blew +strongly from the sea, he laid wood in order, which he had gathered on +the land, and conveyed with many toilsome journeys over to the island. +Then he lighted the pile, but it was as he feared; the wind blew +fiercely over the top, and drove the flames downward, so that the pit +glowed with a fierce heat; and sometimes a lighted brand was caught up +and whirled over the cliffs; but he saw plainly enough that the light +would not show out at sea. He was very sad at this, and at last went +heavily down to his cave, not knowing what he should do; and pondering +long before he slept, he could see no way out.</p> + +<p>In the morning he went up to the cliff-top again, and turned his steps +to the pit. The fire had burned itself out, but the sides were still +warm to the touch; all the ashes had been blown by the force of the wind +out of the hole; but he saw some bright things lie in the sand, which he +could not wholly understand, till he pulled them out and examined them +carefully. They were like smooth tubes and lumps of a clear stuff, like +molten crystal or frozen honey, full of bubbles and stains, but still +strangely transparent; and then, though he saw that these must in some +way have proceeded from the burning of the fire, he felt as though they +must have been sent to him for some wise reason. He turned them over and +over, and held them up to the light. It came suddenly into his mind how +he would use these heavenly crystals; he would make, he thought, a frame +of wood, and set these jewels in the frame. Then he would set this in +the hole of his cave, and burn a light behind; and the light would thus +show over the sea, and not be extinguished.</p> + +<p>So this after much labour he did; he fitted all the clear pieces into +the frame, and he fixed the frame very firm in the hole with wooden +wedges. Then he pushed clay into the cracks between the edges of the +frame and the stone. Then he told some of those who came to him that he +had need of oil for a purpose, and they brought it him in abundance, and +wicks for a lamp; and these he set in an earthen bowl filled with oil, +and on a dark night, when all was finished, he lit his lamp; and then +clambered out on the furthest rocks of the island, and saw his light +burn in the rocks, not clearly, indeed, but like an eye of glimmering +fire. Then he was very glad at heart, and he told the fishermen how he +had found means to set a light among the cliffs, and that he would burn +it on dark and stormy nights, so that they might see the light and avoid +the danger. The tidings soon spread, and they thought it a very magical +and holy device; but did not doubt that the knowledge of it was given to +David by God.</p> + +<p>So David was in great happiness. For he knew that the Father had +answered his prayer, and allowed him, however little, to help the +seafaring folk.</p> + +<p>He made other things after that; he put up a doorway with a door of wood +in the entering of the cave; he made, too, a little boat that he might +go to and fro to the land without swimming. And now, having no care to +provide food, for they brought it him in abundance, he turned his mind +to many small things. He made a holy carving in the cave, of Christ upon +the cross—and he carved around it a number of creatures, not men only +but birds and beasts, looking to the Cross, for he thought that the +beasts also should have their joy in the great offering. His fame spread +abroad; and there came a priest to see him, who abode with him for some +days, prayed with him, and taught him much of the faith. The priest gave +him a book, and showed him the letters; but David, though he longed to +read what was within, could not hold the letters in his head.</p> + +<p>He tamed, too, the wild birds of the rock, so that they came to his +call; one was a gull, which became so fearless that it would come to his +cave, and sit silent on a rock, watching him while he worked. He kept a +fish, too, in a pool of the rocks, that would rise to the edge when he +approached.</p> + +<p>But all this time he went not near to the village; for his solitude had +become very dear to him, and he prayed continually; and at evening and +morning and midday he would sing praises to God, simple words that he +had made.</p> + +<p>One morning he awoke in the cave, and as he bestirred himself he thought +in his heart of all his happiness. It was a still morning, but the sky +was overcast. Suddenly he heard voices below him; and thinking that he +was needed, he descended the rocks quickly, and came down a little way +from a group of sailors who were standing on the shore; there was a boat +drawn up on the sand, and near at hand there lay at anchor a small ship, +that seemed to be of a foreign gear, and larger than he was wont to see. +He came somewhat suddenly upon the group, and they seemed, as it were, +to be amazed to see a man there. He went smilingly towards them, but as +he did so there came into his heart a feeling of danger, he knew not +what; and he thought that it would be better to retire up the rocks to +his cave, and wait till the men had withdrawn—for it was not likely +that they would visit him there, or that even if they saw the way +thither, they would adventure it, as it was steep and dangerous. But he +put the thought away and came up to them. They seemed to be conferring +together in low voices, and the nearer that he drew, the less he liked +their look. He spoke to them, but they seemed not to understand, and +answered him back very roughly in a tongue he did not understand. But +presently they put one forward, an old man, who had some words of +English, who asked him what he did there. He tried to explain that he +lived on the island, but the old man shook his head, evidently not +believing that there could be one living in so bare a place. Then the +men conferred again together, and presently the old man asked him, in +his broken speech, whether he would take service on the ship with them. +David said, smiling, that he would not, for he had other work to do; and +the old man seemed to try and persuade him, saying that it was a good +service; that they lived a free life, wandering where they would; but +that they had lost men lately, and were hardly enough to sail the ship.</p> + +<p>Then it came into David's mind that he had fallen in with pirates. They +were not often seen in these parts, for there was little enough that +they could get, the folk being all poor, and small traffic passing that +way. And then, for he saw the group beginning to gather round him, he +made a prayer in his heart that he should be delivered from the evil, +and made proffer to the men of the little stores that he had. The old +man shook his head, and spoke with the others, who now seemed to be +growing angry and impatient; and then he said to David that they had +need of him to help to sail the ship, and that he must come whether he +would or no. David cast a glance round to see if he could escape up the +rocks; but the men were all about him, and seeing in his eye that he +thought of flight, they laid hands upon him. David resisted with all his +might, but they overpowered him in a moment, bound his hands and feet, +and cast him with much force into their boat. Then David was sorely +disheartened; but he waited, committing his soul to God. While he +waited, he saw a strange thing; on the beach there lay a box, tightly +corded; the men raised this up very gently, and with difficulty, as it +seemed to be heavy. Then they carried it up above the tide-mark; and, +making a hole among the loose stones, they buried it very carefully, +casting stones over it. Then one of them with a chisel made a mark on +the cliff behind, to show where the box lay—and then, first looking +carefully out to sea, they came into the boat, and rowed off to the +ship, which seemed almost deserted; paying no more heed to David than if +he had been a log of wood.</p> + +<p>The old man who understood English steered the boat; and David tried to +say some words to him, to ask that he should be released; but the old +man only shook his head; and at last bade David be silent with great +anger. They rowed slowly out, and David could see the great rocks, that +had now been his home so long, rising, still and peaceful, in the +morning light. Every rock and cranny was known to him. There was the +place where, when he first came, he was used to fish. There was the +cliff-top where he had made his fire; he could even see his little +window in the front of the rocks, and he thought with grief that it +would be dark and silent henceforth. But he thought that he was somehow +in the hand of God; and that though to be dragged away from his home +seemed grievous, there must be some task to which the Father would +presently set him, even if it were to go down to death; and though the +cords that bound him were now very painful, and his heart was full of +sorrow, yet David felt a kind of peace in his spirit which showed him +that God was still with him.</p> + +<p>When they got to the ship, there arose a dispute among the men as to +whether they should run out to sea before it was dark, or whether they +should lie where they were; there was but little wind, so they made up +their minds to stay. David himself thought from the look of the sky that +there was strong weather brewing. The old man who spoke English asked +him what he thought, and he told him that there would be wind. He seemed +to be disposed to believe David; but the men were tired, and it was +decided to stay.</p> + +<p>They had unbound David that he might go on board; and the pain in his +hands and feet was very great when the bonds were unloosed; and when he +was on board they bound him again, but not so tightly, and led him down +into a cabin, close and dirty, where a foul and smoky lamp burnt. They +bade him sit in a corner. The low ill-smelling place was very grievous +to David, and he thought with a sore heart of his clean cold cave, and +his bed of fern. The men seemed to take no further heed of him, and went +about preparing a meal. There seemed to be little friendliness among +them; they spoke shortly and scowled upon each other; and David divined +that there had been some dispute aboard, and that they were ill-content. +There was little discipline, the men going and coming when they would.</p> + +<p>Before long a meal was prepared; some sort of a stew with a rich strong +smell, that seemed very gross and foul to David, who had been used so +long to his simple fare. The men came in and took from the dish what +they desired; and a large jar was opened, which from its fierce smell +seemed to contain a hot and fiery spirit; and that it was so David could +easily discern, from the flushed faces and louder talk of the men, which +soon became mingled with a gross merriment. The old man brought a mess +of the food to David, who shook his head smiling. Then the other, with +more kindness than David had expected, asked if he would have bread; and +fetched him a large piece, unbinding his hands for a little, that he +might eat. Then he offered him some of the spirit; but David asked for +water, which the old man gave him, binding his hands after he had drunk, +with a certain gentleness.</p> + +<p>Presently the old man, after he too had eaten, came and sate down beside +David; and in his broken talk seemed to wish to win him, if he could, to +join them more willingly. He spoke of the pleasant life they lived, and +of the wealth that they made, though he said not how they came by it. He +told him that he had seen some of it hidden that day, which they had +done for greater security, so that, if the ship should be cast away, the +men might have some of their spoil waiting for them; and David +understood from him, though he had but few words to explain it, that it +had been that which had caused a strife among them. For they had come by +the treasure very hardly, and they had lost some of the crew in so doing +it—and some of the men had desired to share it, and have done with the +sea for ever; but that it had been decided to make another voyage first.</p> + +<p>Then David said very gently that he did not desire to join them, for he +was a man of peace; and he told him of his lonely life, and how he made +a light to keep ships off the dangerous coast; and at that the old man +looked at him with a fixed air, and nodded his head as though he had +himself heard of the matter, or at least seen the light—all this David +told him, speaking slowly as to a child; but it seemed as though every +minute the remembrance of the language came more and more back to the +old man.</p> + +<p>But at last the man shook his head, and said that he was sorry so +peaceful a life must come to an end. But, indeed, David must go with +them whether he would or no; and that they would be good comrades yet; +and he should have his share of whatever they got. And then he left +David and went on to the deck.</p> + +<p>Then there fell a great despair upon David; and at the same time the +crew, excited by the drink they had taken, for they drained the jar, +began to dispute among themselves, and to struggle and fight; and one of +them espied David, and they gathered round and mocked him. They mocked +at his dress, his face, his hair, which had grown somewhat long. And one +of them in particular seemed most urgent, speaking long to the others, +and pointing at David from time to time, while the others fell into a +great laughter. Then they fell to plucking his hair, and even to beating +him—and they tried to force the spirit into his mouth, but he kept his +teeth clenched; and the very smell of the fiery stuff made his brain +sick. But he could nor stir hand or foot; and presently there came into +his mind a great blackness of anger, so that he seemed to be in the very +grip of the evil one; and he knew in his heart that if he had been +unbound, he would have slain one or more of them; for his heart beat +thick, and there came a strange redness into his sight, and he gnashed +his teeth for rage; at which they mocked him the more. But at last the +old man came down into the cabin, and when he saw what they were at, he +spoke very angrily to them, stamping his foot; and it seemed as though +he alone had any authority, for they left off ill-using David, and went +from him one by one.</p> + +<p>Then, after a while they began to nod in their places; one or two of +them cast themselves into beds made in the wall; others fell on the +floor, and slept like beasts; and at last they all slept; and last of +all the old man came in again, bearing a lamp, and looked round the room +in a sort of angry disgust. Then he said a word to David, and opening a +door went on into a cabin beyond, closing the door behind him.</p> + +<p>Then, in the low light of the smoking lamp, and in the hot and reeking +room, with the foul breathing of the sleepers round him, David spent a +very dreadful hour. He had never in the old days seen so ill a scene; +and it was to him, exhausted by pain and by rage, as if a dark thing +came behind him, and whispered in his secret ear that God regarded not +men at all, and that the evil was stronger than the good, and prevailed. +He tried to put the thought away; but it came all the more instantly, +that what he had seen could not be, if God had indeed power to rule. It +was not only the scene itself, but the thought of what these men were, +and the black things they had doubtless done, the deeds of murder, +cruelty, and lust that were written plainly on all their faces; all +these came like dark shadows and gathered about him.</p> + +<p>David stirred a little to ease himself of his pain and stiffness; and +his foot struck against a thing. He looked down, and saw in the shadow +of the table a knife lying, which had fallen from some man's belt. A +thought of desperate joy came into his mind. He bent himself down with +his bound hands, and he contrived to gather up the knife. Then, very +swiftly and deftly, he thrust the haft between his knees; then he worked +the rope that bound his hands to and fro over the blade; the rope +parted, and the blood came back into his numbed fingers with a terrible +pain. But David heeded it not, and stooping down, he cut the cord that +bound his feet; then he rose softly, and sate down again; for the blood, +returning to his limbs, made him feel he could not stand yet awhile. All +was still in the cabin, except for the slow breathing of those that +slept; save that every now and then one of the sleepers broke into a +stifled cry, and muttered words, or stirred in his sleep.</p> + +<p>Presently David felt that he could walk. He pondered for a moment +whether he should take the knife, if he were suddenly attacked; but he +resisted the thought, and left the knife lying on the ground.</p> + +<p>Then stepping lightly among the sleepers, he moved like a shadow to the +door; very carefully he stepped; and at each movement or muttered word +he stopped and caught his breath. Suddenly one of the men rose up, +leaning on his arm, and looked at him with a stupid stare; but David +stood still, waiting, with his heart fit to break within his breast, +till the man lay down again. Then David was at the door. The cabin +occupied half the ship to the bows; the rest was undecked, with high +bulwarks; a rough ladder of steps led to the gangway. David stood for a +moment in the shadow of the door; but there seemed no one on the watch +without. The pure air and the fresh smell of the sea came to his senses +like a breath of heaven. He stepped swiftly over a coil of rope; then up +the ladder, and plunged noiselessly into the sea.</p> + +<p>He swam a few strokes very strongly; and then he looked about him. The +night was as dark as pitch. He could see a dim light from the ship +behind him; the water rose and fell in a slow heavy swell; but which way +the land lay he could not tell. But he said to himself that it was +better to drown and be certainly with God, than in the den of robbers he +had left. So he turned himself round in the water, trying to remember +where the shore lay, but it was all dark, both the sky and sea, with a +pitchy blackness; only the lights of the ship glimmered towards him like +little bright paths across the heaving tide.</p> + +<p>Suddenly there came a thing so wonderful that David could hardly believe +he saw truly; a bright eye of light, as it were, opened upon him in the +dark, far off, and hung high in the heavens, like a quiet star. The +radiance of it was like the moon, cold and clear. And though David could +not at first divine whence it came, he did not doubt in his heart that +it was there to guide him; so he struck out towards it, with long silent +strokes. He swam for a long time, the light shining softly over the +water, and seeming to rise higher over his head, while the glimmering of +the ship's lights grew fainter and more murky behind him. Then he became +aware that he was drawing near to the land; great dark shapes loomed up +over his head, and he heard the soft beating of waves before him. Then +he could see too, as he looked upon the light, that there was a glimmer +around it; and he saw that it came from the edges and faces of rocks +that were lit up by the radiance. So he swam more softly; and presently +his foot struck a rock covered with weed; so he put his feet down, waded +in cautiously, and pulling himself up by the hands found himself on a +rocky shore, and knew that it was his own island.</p> + +<p>Then the light above him, as though it had but waited for his safety to +be secured, died softly away, like the moon gliding into a cloud. David +wondered very much at this, and cast about in his mind how it might be; +but his heart seemed to tell him that there was some holy and beautiful +thing on the island very near to him. He could hardly contain himself +for gladness; and he thought that God had doubtless given him this day +of misery and terror, partly that he might value his peace truly, and +partly that he might feel that he had it not of right, but by the +gracious disposition of the Father.</p> + +<p>So he climbed very softly and swiftly to the cave; and entered it with a +great gladness; and then he became aware of a great awe in his mind. +There was somewhat there, that he could not see with his eyes, but which +was more real and present than anything he had ever known; the cave +seemed to shine with a faint and tender gleam that was dying away by +slow degrees; as though the roof and walls had been charged with a +peaceful light, which still rayed about them, though the radiance that +had fed it was withdrawn. He took off his dripping clothes, and wrapped +himself in his old sea-cloak. But he did not think of sleep, or even of +prayer; he only sate still on his bed of fern, with his eyes open in the +darkness, drinking in the strong and solemn peace which seemed to abide +there. David never had known such a feeling, and he was never to know it +again so fully; but for the time he seemed to sit at the foot of God, +satisfied. While he thus sate, a great wind sprang up outside and +thundered in the rocks; fiercer and fiercer it blew, and soon there +followed it the loud crying of the sea, as the great waters began to +heave and rage. Then David bestirred himself to light and trim his lamp, +and set it in the window as a warning to ships. And when he had done +this he felt a great and sudden weariness, and he laid himself down; and +sleep closed over him at once, as the sea closes over a stone that is +flung into it.</p> + +<p>Once in the night he woke, with the roar of the storm in his ears, and +wondered that he had slept through it. He had been through many stormy +nights, but he had never heard the like of this. The wind blew with a +steady roar, like a flood of thunder outpoured; in the midst of if, the +great waves, hurled upon the rocks, uttered their voices; and between he +heard the hiss of the water, as it rushed downwards from the cliff face. +In the midst of all came a sharp and sudden wailing cry; and then he +began to wonder what the poor ship was doing, which he thought of as +riding furiously at her anchor, with the drunken crew, and the old man +with his sad and solemn face, who seemed so different from his unruly +followers, and yet was not ashamed to rule over them and draw profit +from their evil deeds. In spite of the ill they had tried to do him, he +felt a great pity for them in his heart; but this was but for a moment, +for sleep closed over him again, and drew him down into forgetfulness.</p> + +<p>When David woke in the morning, the gale had died away, but the sky wept +from low and ragged clouds, as if ashamed and sullen at the wrath of the +day before. Water trickled in the cracks of the rock; and when David +peered abroad, he looked into the thin drifting clouds. He had a great +content in his heart, but the awe and the strange peace of the night had +somehow diminished.</p> + +<p>He began to reflect upon the light that he had seen from the sea. It was +not his lamp that had given out such light, for it was clear and thin, +while the light his own lamp gave was angry and red. Moreover, when he +had lighted the lamp before the storm, it was standing idle, not in the +window-place, but on the rock-shelf where he had set it. Then he knew +that some great and holy mystery had been wrought for him that night, +and that he had been very tenderly used.</p> + +<p>Presently he descended the cliff, and went out upon the seaward side. +The waves still rose angrily under the grey sky, but were fast abating. +He saw in a moment that the shore was full of wreckage: there were spars +and timbers everywhere, and all the litter of a ship. Some of the +timbers were flung so high upon the rocks that he saw how great the +violence of the storm had been. He walked along, and in a minute he came +upon the body of a man lying on his face, strangely battered.</p> + +<p>Then he saw another body, and yet another. He lifted them up, but there +was no sign of life in them; and he recognised with a great sadness that +they were the pirates who had dragged him from his home. He had for a +moment one evil thought in his mind, a kind of triumph in his heart that +God had saved him from his enemies, and delivered them over to death; +but he knew that it was a wicked thought, and thrust it from him; at +last at the end of the rocks he found the old captain himself. There was +a kind of majesty about him, even in death, as he lay looking up at the +sky, with one arm flung across his breast, and the other arm +outstretched beside him. Then he saw the ribs of the ship itself stick +up among the rocks, and he wondered to find the hull so broken and +ruinous.</p> + +<p>His next care was that the poor bodies should have burial. So about +midday he took his boat from its shelter, and rowed across to the land; +and then, with a strange fear of the heart, he climbed the cliff, and +walked down slowly to the village, which he had thought in his heart he +would never have seen again.</p> + +<p>The wind had now driven the clouds out of the sky, and the sun came out +with a strong white light, the light that shines from the sky when the +earth has been washed clean by rain. It sparkled brightly in the little +drops that hung like jewels in the grass and bushes. It was with a great +throb of the heart that David came out upon the end of the down, and saw +the village beneath him. It looked as though no change had passed over +it, but as though its life must have stood still, since he left it; then +there came tears into David's eyes at the thought of the old hard life +he had lived there, and how God had since filled his cup so full of +peace; so with many thoughts in his heart he came slowly down the path +to the town. He first met two children whom he did not know; he spoke to +them, but they looked for a moment in terror at his face; his hair and +beard were long, and he was all tanned by the sun; but he spoke softly +to them, and presently they came to him and were persuaded to tell their +names. They were the children, David thought, of a young lad whom he had +known as a boy; and presently, as the manner of children is when they +have laid aside fear, they told him many small things, their ages and +their doings, and other little affairs which seem so big to a child; and +then they would take his hands and lead him to the village, while David +smiled to be so lovingly attended. He was surprised, when he entered the +street, to see how curiously he was regarded. Even men and women, that +he had known, would hardly speak with him, but did him reverence. The +children would lead him to their house first; and so he went thither, +not unwilling. When they were at the place, he found with a gentle +wonder that it was even the house where he had himself dwelt. He went +in, and found the mother of the children within, one whom he had known +as a girl. She greeted him with the same reverence as the rest; so that +he at last took courage, and asked her why it should not be as it had +been before. And then he learned from her talk, with a strange surprise, +that it was thought that he was a very holy man, much visited by God, +who not only had been shown how, by a kind of magical secret, to save +ships from falling on that deadly coast, but as one whose prayers +availed to guard and keep the whole place safe. He tried to show her +that this was not so, and that he was a simple person in great need of +holiness; but he saw that she only thought him the holier for his +humility, so he was ashamed to say more.</p> + +<p>Then he went to the chief man in the village, and told him wherefore he +had come—that there was a wreck on the shore of the islands, and that +there were bodies that must be buried. One more visit he paid, and that +was to the little maiden whom he had seen the last when he went away. +She was now nearly grown to a woman, and her grandmother was very old +and weak, and near her end. David went there alone, and said that he had +returned as he had promised; but he found that the child had much lost +her remembrance of him, and could hardly see the friend she had known in +the strong and wild-looking figure that he had become. He talked a +little quietly; the old grandmother, who could not move from her chair, +was easier with him, and asked him, looking curiously upon him, whether +he had found that of which he went in search. "Nay, mother," he said, +"not found; but I am like a man whose feet are set in the way, and who +sees the city gate across the fields." Then she smiled at him and said, +"But I am near the gate." Then he told her that he often thought of her, +and made mention of her in his prayers; and so rose to go; but she asked +him to bless her, which David did very tenderly, and kissed her and +departed; but he went heavily; because he feared to be regarded as he +was now regarded; and he thought in his heart that he would never return +again, but dwell alone in his cave with God. For the world troubled him; +and the voices of the children, and the looks of those that he had known +before seemed to lay soft hands about his heart, and draw him back into +the world.</p> + +<p>The same day he returned to the cave; and the boats came out and took +the bodies away, and they were laid in the burying-ground.</p> + +<p>Then the next day many returned to clear away the wreck; and David came +not out of his cave while they did this; for it went to his heart to see +the joy with which they gathered what had meant the death of so many +men. They asked him what they should leave for him, and he answered, +"Nothing—only a piece of plain wood, for a purpose." So when evening +came they had removed all; and the island, that had rung all day with +shouts and talk and the feet of men, was silent again; but before they +went, David said that he had a great desire to see a priest, if a +message could be sent; and this they undertook to do. But David was very +heavy-hearted for many days, for it seemed to him that the sight of the +world had put all the peace out of his heart; and his prayers came +hollow and dry.</p> + +<p>A few days after there came a boat to the rock; the sea was running +somewhat high, and they had much ado to make a landing. David went down +to the water's edge, and saw that besides the fishermen, whom he knew, +there was a little wizened man in a priest's dress, that seemed +bewildered by the moving of the boat and the tossing of the big waves +with their heaving crests, that broke upon the rocks with a heavy sound. +At last they got the boat into the creek, and the little priest came +nimbly ashore, but not without a wetting. The fishermen said that they +would return in the evening, and fetch the priest away.</p> + +<p>He looked a frail man, and David could not discern whether he were young +or old; and he felt a pity for a man who was so unhandy, and who seemed +to be so scared of the sea. But the priest came up to him and took his +hand. "I have heard much of you, my brother," he said, "and I have +desired to see you—but this sea of yours is a strange and wild monster, +and I trust it not,—though indeed it is God's handiwork. Yet King +David, your patron, was of the same mind, I think, and wrote in one of +his wise psalms how it made the heart to melt within him." David looked +at him with much attention as he spoke, and there was something in the +priest's eye, a kind of hidden fire, joined with a wise mirth, that made +him, all of a sudden, feel like a child before him. So he said, "Where +will your holiness sit? It is cold here in the wind; I have a dwelling +in the rocks, but it is hard to come by except for winged fowl, and for +men like myself who have been used to the precipices."</p> + +<p>"Well, show the way, brother," said the priest cheerfully, "and I will +adventure my best." So David showed him the way up the crags, and went +slowly in front of him, that he might help him up; but the priest +climbed like a cat, looking blithely about him, and had no need of help, +though he was encumbered with his robe.</p> + +<p>When they were got there, the priest looked curiously about him, and +presently knelt down before the carving, and said a little prayer to +himself.</p> + +<p>Then he questioned David about his life, asking questions briskly, as +though he were accustomed to command; and David felt more and more every +moment that he was as a child before this masterful and wary man. He +told him of his early life, and of his visions, and of his desire to +know God, and of the light that he set in the rocks; and then he told +him of his adventure with the pirates, not forgetting the treasure. The +priest heard him with great attention, and said presently that he had +done well, and that God was with him. Then he asked him how he would +have the treasure bestowed, and David said that he had no design in his +mind. "Then that shall be my care," said the priest, "and I doubt not +that the Lord hath sent it us, that there may be a church in this lonely +place."</p> + +<p>And then, turning to David with a wonderful and piercing look, he said, +"And this peace of spirit that you speak of, that you came here to seek, +tell me truly, brother, have you found it?"</p> + +<p>Then David looked upon the ground a little and said, "Dear sir, I know +not; I am indeed strangely happy in this lonely place; but to speak all +the truth, I feel like a man who lingers at a gate, and who hears the +sound of joy and melody within, which rejoices his heart, but he is not +yet admitted. No," he went on, "I have not found the way. The Father is +indeed very near me, and I am certain of His love—but there is still a +barrier between me and His Heart."</p> + +<p>Then the priest bowed his head awhile in thought, but said nothing for a +long space; and then David said, "Dear sir, advise me." Then the priest +looked at him with a clear gaze, and said, "Shall I advise you, O my +brother?" And David said "Yes, dear sir." Then the priest said, "Indeed, +my brother, I see in your life the gracious hand of God. He did redeem +you, and he planted in your heart a true seed of peace. You have lived +here a holy and an innocent life; but he withholds from you his best +gift, because you are not willing to be utterly led by him. There have +been in ancient days many such souls, who have fled from the wickedness +of the world, and have spent themselves in prayer and penance, and have +done a holy work—for indeed there are many victories that may be won by +prayer. But indeed, dear brother, I think that God's will for you is +that this lonely life of yours should have an end. I think that you have +herein followed your own pleasure overmuch; and I believe that God would +now have you go back to the world, and work for him therein. You have a +great power with this simple folk; but they are as sheep without a +shepherd, and must be fed, and none but you can now feed them. You will +bethink you of the visit that the Lord Christ paid to the Sisters of +Bethany; Martha laboured much to please Him, but she laboured for her +own pleasing too; and Mary it was that had the good part, because she +thought not of herself but of the Lord. And now, dear brother, I would +have you do what will be very grievous to you. I would have you go back +to your native place, and there abide to labour for God; you may come +hither at seasons, and be alone with God, and that will refresh you; but +you are now, methinks, like a man who has found a great treasure, and +who speaks no word of it to others, and neither uses it himself, but +only looks upon it and is glad."</p> + +<p>Then David was very sad at the priest's words, knowing that he spoke the +truth. But the priest said, "Now we will speak no more of this awhile; +and I would not have you do it, unless your heart consents thereto; only +be strong." And then he asked if he might have somewhat to eat; and +David brought him his simple fare; so they ate together, and while they +ate, it came into David's mind that this was certainly the way. All that +afternoon they sate, while the wind rustled without, and the sea made a +noise; and then the priest said they would go and look at the treasure, +because it was near evening, and he must return. So they went down +together, and drew the rocks off from the box. It was a box of wood, +tightly corded, and they undid it, and found within a great store of +gold and silver pieces, which the priest reckoned up, and said that it +would be abundant for a church.</p> + +<p>Then they saw the boat approach; and the priest blessed David, and David +thanked him with tears, for showing him the truth; and the priest said, +"Not so, my brother; I did but show you what is in your own heart, for +God puts such truth in the heart of all of us as we can bear; but +sometimes we keep it like a sword in its scabbard, until the bright and +sharp thing, that might have wrought great deeds, be all rusted and +blunted."</p> + +<p>And then the priest departed, taking with him the box of gold, and David +was left alone.</p> + +<p>David was very heavy-hearted when he was left alone on the island. He +knew that the priest had spoken the truth, but he loved his solitary +life, and the silence of the cave, the free air and the sun, and the +lonely current of his own thoughts. The sun went slowly down over the +waters in a great splendour of light and colour, so that the clouds in +the sky seemed like purple islands floating in a golden sea; David +sitting in his cave thought with a kind of terror of the small and close +houses of the village, the sound of feet, and talk of men and women. At +last he fell asleep; and in his sleep he dreamed that he was in a great +garden. He looked about him with pleasure, and he presently saw a +gardener moving about at his work. He went in that direction, and he saw +that the man, who was old and had a very wise and tender face, was +setting out some young trees in a piece of ground. He planted them +carefully with deft hands, and he smiled to himself as he worked, as +though he was full of joyful thoughts. David wished in his heart to go +and speak with him, but something held him back. Presently the gardener +went away, and while he was absent, another man, of a secret aspect, +came swiftly into the place, peering about him. His glance passed David +by, and David knew that he was in some way unseen. The man looked all +about him in a furtive haste, and then plucked up one of the trees, +which seemed to David to be already growing and shooting out small +leaves and buds. The man smoothed down the ground where he drew it out, +and then went very quickly away. David would have wished to stop him, +but he could not. Then the old gardener came back, and looked long at +the place whence the tree had been drawn. Then he sighed to himself, and +cast a swift look in the direction in which the man had fled. He had +brought other trees with him, but he did not plant one in the empty +space, but left it bare. Then David felt that he must follow the other, +and so he did. He found him very speedily, but it was outside the +garden, in a rough place, where thorny bushes and wild plants grew +thickly. The other had cleared a little space among them, and here he +set the tree; but he planted it ill and hastily, as though he was afraid +of being disturbed; and then he departed secretly. David stood and +watched the tree a little. It seemed at first to begin to grow again as +it had done before, but presently something ailed it and it drooped. +Then David saw the thorny bushes near it begin to stretch out their arms +about it, and the wild herbs round about sprang up swiftly, and soon the +tree was choked by them, and hardly appeared above the brake. David +began to be sorry for the tree, which still kept some life in it, and +struggled as it were feebly to put out its boughs above the thicket. +While he stood he saw the old gardener approaching, and as he approached +he carefully considered the ground. When he saw the tree, he smiled, and +drew it out carefully, and went back to the garden, and David followed +him; he planted it again tenderly in the ground; and the tree which had +looked so drooping and feeble began at once to put forth leaves and +flowers. The gardener smiled again, and then for the first time looked +upon David. His eyes were deep and grave like a still water; and he +smiled as one might who shares a secret with another. And then of a +sudden David awoke, and found the light of dawn creeping into the cave; +and he fell to considering the dream, and in a moment knew that it was +sent for his learning. So he hesitated no longer, but gave up his will +to God.</p> + +<p>It was a sad hour for David nevertheless; he walked softly about the +cave, and he put aside what he would take with him, and it seemed to him +that he was, as it were, uprooting a tree that had grown deep; he tied +up what he would take with him, but he left some things behind, for he +thought that he might return. And then he kneeled down and prayed, the +tears running over his face; and lastly he rose and kissed the cold wall +of the cave; at the door he saw the gull that had been with him so oft, +and he scattered some crumbs for it, and while the bird fell to picking +the crumbs, David descended the rock swiftly, not having the heart to +look about him; and then he put his things in the boat, and rowed +swiftly and silently to the shore, looking back at the great rocks, +which stood up all bright and clear in the fresh light of the dawn, with +the waves breaking softly at their feet.</p> + +<p>David had no fixed plan in his mind, as he rowed across to the land. He +only thought that it was right for him to return, and to take up his +part in the old life again. He did not dare to look before him, but +simply put, as it were, his hand in the hand of God, and hoped to be led +forward. He was soon at the shore, and he pulled his boat up on the +land, and left it lying in a little cave that opened upon the beach; +then he shouldered his pack, and went slowly, with even strides, across +the hill and down to the village. He met no one on the way, and the +street seemed deserted. He made his way to the house of the old woman +who was his friend; he put his small pack at the door and entered. The +little house was quite silent. But he heard a sound of weeping; when he +came into the outer room, he saw the maiden sitting in a chair with her +face bowed on the table. He called to her by name; she lifted her head +and looked at him for a moment and then rose up and came to him, as a +child comes to be comforted. He saw at once that some grievous thing had +happened; and presently with sobs and tears she told him that her +grandmother had died a few days before, that she had been that day +buried, and that she knew not what she was to do; there seemed more +behind; and David at last made out that she was asked in marriage by a +young fisherman whom she did not love, and she knew not how else to +live. And then he said that he was come back and would not depart from +her, and that she should be a daughter to him.</p> + +<p>Now of the rest of the life of David I must not here speak; he lived in +the village, and he did his part; a little chapel was built in the place +with the money of the pirates; and David went in and out among the folk +of the place, and drew many to the love of God; he went once back to the +cave, but he abode not long there; but of one thing I will tell, and +that is of a piece of carving that David did, working little by little +in the long winter nights at the piece of wood that came from the pirate +ship. The carving is of a man standing on the shore of the sea, and +holding up a lantern in his hand, and on the sea is carved a ship. And +David calls his carving "The Light of the World." At the top of it is a +scroll, with the words thereon, "He shall send down from on high to +fetch me, and shall take me out of many waters." And beneath is another +scroll on which is graven, "Thou also shalt light my candle; the Lord my +God shall make my darkness to be light."</p> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h2><a name="The_Waving_of_the_Sword" id="The_Waving_of_the_Sword"></a>The Waving of the Sword</h2> + + + +<p>The things that are set down here happened in the ancient days when +there was sore fighting in the land; the king, who was an unjust man, +fighting to maintain his realm, and the barons fighting for the law; and +the end was not far off, for the king was driven backwards to the sea, +and at last could go no further; so he gathered all the troops that he +might in a strong fort that lay in the midst of the downs, where the +hills dipped to the plain to let the river pass through; and the barons +drew slowly in upon him, through the forest in the plain. Beyond the +downs lay the sea, and there in a little port was gathered the king's +navy, that if the last fight went ill with him, as indeed he feared it +would, he might fly for safety to another land.</p> + +<p>Now in a house below the down, a few miles from the king's stronghold, +dwelt a knight that was neither old nor young, and his name was Sir +Henry Strange. He lived alone and peevishly, and he did neither good nor +evil. He had no skill in fighting, but neither had he skill in peaceful +arts. He had tried many things and wearied of all. He had but a small +estate, which was grown less by foolish waste. He could have made it +into a rich heritage, for his land was good. But he had no patience with +his men, and confused them by his orders, which he would not see carried +out. Sometimes he would fell timber, and then leave it to rot in the +wood; or he would plough a field, and sow it not. At one time he had a +fancy to be a minstrel, but he had not patience to attain to skill; he +would write a ballad and leave it undone; or he would begin to carve a +figure of wood, and toss it aside; sometimes he would train a dog or a +horse; but he would so rage if the beast, being puzzled for all its +goodwill, made mistakes, that it grew frightened of him—for nothing can +be well learnt except through love and trust. He would sometimes think +that he should have been a monk, and that under hard discipline he would +have fared better—and indeed this was so, for he had abundant aptitude. +He was alone in the world, for he had come into his estate when young; +but he had had no patience to win him a wife. At first, indeed, his life +had not been an unhappy one, for he was often visited by small joyful +thoughts, which made him glad; and he took much pleasure, on sunshiny +days, in the brave sights and sounds of the world. But such delights had +grown less; and he was now a tired and restless man of forty years, who +lay long abed and went not much abroad; and was for ever telling himself +how happy he would be if this or that were otherwise. Far down in his +heart he despised himself, and wondered how God had come to make so +ill-contented a thing; but that was a chamber in his mind that he +visited not often; but rather took pleasure in the thought of his skill +and deftness, and his fitness for the many things he might have done.</p> + +<p>And now in the war he had come to a pass. He would not join himself to +the king, because the king was an evil man, and he liked not evil; yet +he loved not rebellion, and feared for his safety if the king had the +upper hand; but it was still more that he had grown idle and +soft-hearted, and feared the hard faring and brisk jesting of the camp. +Yet even so the thought of the war lay heavy on his heart, and he +wondered how men, whose lives were so short upon the goodly earth, +should find it in their hearts to slay and be slain for such shadowy +things as command and dominion; and he thought he would have made a song +on that thought, but he did not.</p> + +<p>And now the fighting had come very near him; and he had let some of his +men go to join the king, but he went not himself, saying that he was +sick, and might not go abroad.</p> + +<p>He stood on a day, at this time, by a little wall that enclosed his +garden-ground. It was in the early summer; the trees had put on their +fresh green, and glistened in the still air, and the meadows were deep +with grass, on the top of which seemed to float unnumbered yellow +flowers. In and out the swallows passed, hunting for the flies that +danced above the grass; and he stood, knowing how fair the earth was, +and yet sick at heart, wondering why he could not be as a careless bird, +that hunts its meat all day in the sun, and at evening sings a song of +praise among the thickets.</p> + +<p>Over the trees ran the great down with its smooth green sides, as far as +the eye could see. The heat winked on its velvety bluffs, and it seemed +to him, as it had often seemed before, like a great beast lying there in +a dream, with a cloth of green cast over its huge limbs.</p> + +<p>He was a tall lean man, somewhat stooping. His face had a certain +beauty; his hair and beard were dark and curling; he had large eyes that +looked sadly out from under heavy lids. His mouth was small, and had a +very sweet smile when he was pleased; but his brow was puckered together +as though he pondered; his hands were thin and delicate, and there was +something almost womanly about his whole air.</p> + +<p>Presently he walked into the little lane that bordered his garden. He +heard the sound of wheels coming slowly along the white chalky road; he +waited to look, and saw a sad sight. In the cart was a truss of hay, and +sunk upon it sate a man, his face down on his breast, deadly pale; as +the cart moved, he swayed a little from side to side. The driver of the +cart walked beside, sullenly and slowly; and by him walked a girl, just +grown a woman, as pale as death, looking at the man that sate in the +cart with a look of terror and love; sometimes she would take his +helpless hand, and murmur a word; but the man heeded not, and sate lost +in his pain. As they passed him he could see a great bandage on the +man's chest that was red with blood. He asked the waggoner what this +was, and he told him that it was a young man of the country-side that +had been hurt in a fight; he was but newly married, and it was thought +he could not live. The cart had stopped, and the woman pulled a little +cup out of a jug of water that stood in the straw, and put it to the +wounded man's lips, who opened his eyes, all dark and dazed with pain, +but with no look of recognition in them, and drank greedily, sinking +back into his sick dream again. The girl put the cup back, and clasped +her hands over her eyes, and then across her breast with a low moan, as +though her heart would break. The tears came into Sir Henry's eyes; and +fumbling in his pockets he took out some coins and gave them to the +woman, with a kind word. "Let him be well bestowed," he said. The woman +took the coins, hardly heeding him; and presently the cart started +again, a shoot of pain darting across the wounded man's face as the +wheels grated on the stones.</p> + +<p>Sir Henry stood long looking after them; and it came into his heart that +war was a foul and evil thing; though he half envied the poor soul that +had fought his best, and was now sinking into the shadow of death.</p> + +<p>While he thus lingered there sprang into his mind a thought that made +him suddenly grow erect.</p> + +<p>He walked swiftly along the lane with its high hedges and tall elms. The +lane was at the foot of the down, but raised a little above the plain, +so that he could see the rich woodland with its rolling lines, and far +away the faint line of the Northern hills. It was very still, and there +seemed not a care in the great world; it seemed all peace and happy +quiet life; yet the rumbling of the cart-wheels which he still heard at +a distance, now low and now loud, told him of the sorrow that lay hidden +under those dreaming woods; was it all thus? And then he thought of the +great armies that were so near, and of all the death they meant to deal +each other. And yet God sat throned aloft watching all things, he +thought, with a calm and quiet eye, waiting, waiting. But for what? Was +His heart indeed pitiful and loving, as His priests said? and did He +hold in His hand, for those that passed into the forgetful gate, some +secret of joyful peace that would all in a moment make amends?</p> + +<p>He stopped beside a little stile—there, in front of him, over the tops +of an orchard, the trees of which were all laden with white and rosy +flowers, lay a small high-shouldered church, with a low steeple of wood. +The little windows of the tower seemed to regard him as with dark sad +eyes. He went by a path along the orchard edge, and entered the +churchyard, full of old graves, among which grew long tumbled grass. He +thought with a throb, that was almost of joy, of all those that had laid +down their weary bones there in the dust, husband by wife, child by +mother. They were waiting too, and how quietly! It was all over for +them, the trouble and the joy alike; and for a moment the death that all +dread seemed to him like a simple and natural thing, the one thing +certain. There at length they slept, a quiet sleep, waiting for the +dawn, if dawn there were.</p> + +<p>He crossed the churchyard and entered the church; the coolness and the +dark and the ancient holy smell was sweet after the brightness and the +heat outside. Every line of the place was familiar to him from his +childhood. He walked slowly up the little aisle and passed within the +screen. The chancel was very dark, only lighted by two or three deep-set +windows. He made a reverence and then drew near to the altar.</p> + +<p>All the furniture of the church was most simple and old; but over the +altar there was a long unusual-looking shelf; he went up to it, and +stood for awhile gazing upon it. Along the shelf lay a rude and ancient +sword of a simple design, in a painted scabbard of wood; and over it was +a board with a legend painted on it.</p> + +<p>The legend was in an old form of French words, long since disused in the +land. But it said:</p> + +<p><i>Unsheathe me and die thyself, but the battle shall be stayed.</i></p> + +<p>He had known the look of the sword, and the words on the board from a +child. The tale was that there had been in days long past a great battle +on the hill, and that the general of one of the armies had been told, +in a dream or vision, that if he should himself be slain, then should +his men have the victory; but that if he lived through the battle, then +should his men be worsted. Now before the armies met, while they stood +and looked upon each other, the general, so said the tale, had gone out +suddenly and alone, with his sword bare in his hand, and his head +uncovered; and that as he advanced, one of his foes had drawn a bow and +pierced him through the brain, so that he fell in his blood between the +armies; and that then a kind of fury had fallen upon his men to avenge +his death, and they routed the foe with a mighty slaughter. But the +sword had been set in the church with this legend above it; and there it +had lain many a year.</p> + +<p>So Sir Henry disengaged the sword from its place very tenderly and +carefully. It had been there so long that it was all covered with dust; +and then, holding it in his hands, he knelt down and made a prayer in +his heart that he might have strength for what he had a mind to do; and +then he walked softly down the church, looking about him with a sort of +secret tenderness, as though he were bidding it all farewell; his own +father and mother were buried in the church; and he stopped for awhile +beside their grave, and then, holding the sword by his side—for he +wished it not to be seen of any—he went back to his house, and put the +sword away in a great chest, that no one might know where it was laid.</p> + +<p>Then he tarried not, but went softly out; and all that afternoon he +walked about his own lands, every acre of them; for he did not think to +see them again; and his mind went back to the old days; he had not +thought that all could be so full of little memories. In this place he +remembered being set on a horse by his father, who held him very +lovingly and safely while he led the great beast about; he remembered +how proud he had been, and how he had fancied himself a mighty warrior. +On this little pond, with all its reeds and waterlilies, he had sailed a +boat on a summer day, his mother sitting near under a tree to see that +he had no danger; and thus it was everywhere; till, as he walked in the +silent afternoon, he could almost have believed that there were others +that walked with him unseen, to left and right; for at every place some +little memory roused itself, as the flies that rise buzzing from the +leaves when you walk in an alley, until he felt like a child again, with +all the years before him.</p> + +<p>Then he came to the house again, and did the same for every room. He +left one room for the last, a room where dwelt an old and simple woman +that had nursed him; she was very frail and aged now, and went not much +abroad, but sate and did little businesses; and it was ever a delight to +her if he asked her to do some small task for him. He found her sitting, +smiling for pleasure that he should come to her thus; and he kissed +her, and sate beside her for awhile, and they talked a little of the +childish days, for he was still ever a child to her. Then he rose to +leave her, and she asked him, as was her wont, if there was anything +that she could do for him, for it shamed her, she said, to sit and idle, +when she had been so busy once, and when there was still so much to do. +And he said, "No, dear nurse, there is nothing at this time." And he +hesitated for an instant, and then said, "There is indeed one thing; I +have a business to do to-night, that is hard and difficult; and I do not +know what the end will be; will you say a prayer for your boy to-night, +that he may be strong?" She looked at him quickly and was silent; and +then she said, "Yes, dear child, but I ever do that—and I have no skill +to make new prayers—but I will say my prayer over and over if that will +avail." And he said, smiling at her, though the tears were in his eyes, +"Yes, it will avail," and so he kissed her and went away, while she +fell to her prayers.</p> + +<p>Now the day had all this while grown stiller and hotter, till there was +not a breath stirring; and now out to the eastwards there came on an +angry blackness in the sky, with a pale redness beneath it, where the +thunder dwelt. Sir Henry sate down, for he was weary of his walking, and +in a little he fell asleep; his thoughts still ran upon the sword, for +he dreamed that he had it with him in a wood that he knew not, that was +dark with the shade of leaves; and he hung the sword upon a tree, and +went on, to win out of the wood if he could, for it seemed very close +and heavy in the forest; sometimes through the trees he saw a space of +open ground, with ferns glistening in the sun; but he could not find the +end of the wood; so he came back in his dream to where he had left the +sword; and while he stood watching it, he saw that something dark +gathered at the scabbard end, and presently fell with a little sound +among the leaves. Then with a shock of terror he saw that it was blood; +and he feared to take the sword back; but looking downwards he perceived +that where the blood had fallen, there were red flowers growing among +the leaves of a rare beauty, which seemed to be born of the blood. So he +gathered a handful, and wreathed the sword with them; and then came a +gladness into his mind, with which he awoke, and found it evening; he +came back to himself with a kind of terror, and a fear darted into his +breast; the windows were open, and there came in a scent of flowers; and +he felt a great love for the beautiful earth, and for his quiet life; +and he looked at the chest; and there came into his mind a strong desire +to take the sword out, and lay it back in the church, and let things be +as they had been; and so he sate and mused.</p> + +<p>Presently his old serving-man came in and told him he had set his +supper; so Henry went into the parlour, and made some pretence to be +about to eat; sending the old man away, who babbled a little to him of +the war, of the barons' army that drew nearer, and of how the king was +sore bested. When he was gone Sir Henry ate a little bread and drank a +sup of wine; and then he rose up, like one who had made up his mind. He +went to the chest and drew out the sword; and then he went softly out of +the house, and presently walking swiftly he came out on the down.</p> + +<p>It was now nearly dusk; the sky lay clear and still, fading into a sort +of delicate green, but all the west was shrouded in a dim blackness, the +cloud being spread out, like a great dark bird winging its way slowly up +the sky. Then far down in the west there leapt, as it were, interlacing +streams of fire out of the cloud, and then followed a low rolling of +thunder.</p> + +<p>But all the while he mounted the down, up a little track that gleamed +white in the grass; and now he could see the huge plain, with a few +lights twinkling out of farms; far down to the west there was a little +redness of light, and he thought that this was doubtless where the army +of the barons lay; but he seemed to himself to have neither wonder nor +fear left in his mind; he only went like one that had a task to perform; +and soon he came to the top.</p> + +<p>Here all was bare, save for some bushes of furze that grew blackly in +the gloom; he stepped through them, and he came at last to where a great +mound stood, that was held to be the highest place in all the down, a +mound that marked the place of a battle, or that was perhaps the +burying-place of some old tribe—for it was called the Barrow of the +Seven Kings.</p> + +<p>He came quickly to the mound, and went to the top; and then he laid the +sword upon the turf by him, and kneeled down; once again came a great +outpouring of fire from heaven in the west, and a peal of thunder +followed hard upon it; and indeed the storm was near at hand; he could +see the great wings of the cloud moving now, and a few large drops +splashed in the grass about him, and one fell upon his brow.</p> + +<p>And now a great fear fell upon Henry of he knew not what. He seemed to +himself to be in the presence of some vast and fearful thing, that was +passing swiftly by; and yet seemed, for all its haste, to have espied +him, and to have been, as it were, stayed by him; there came into his +mind a recollection of how he had once, on a summer's day, joined the +mowers in one of the fields, and had mowed a few swathes with them for +the pleasure of seeing the rich seeded grass fall before the gleaming +scythe. At one of his strokes, he remembered, he had uncovered a little +field-mouse, that sate in the naked field, its high covert having been +swept bare from above it, and watched him with bright eyes of fear, +while he debated whether he should crush it; he had done so, he +remembered, carelessly, with his foot, and now he wished that he had +spared it, for it was even so that he himself felt.</p> + +<p>So to strengthen himself in his purpose, he made a prayer aloud, though +it was a thing that in his idle life he had much foregone; and he said:</p> + +<p>"Lord God, if Thou indeed hearest and seest me, make me strong to do +what I have a mind to do; I have lived foolishly and for myself, and I +have little to give. I have despised life, and it is as an empty husk to +me. I have put love away from me, and my heart is dry; I have had +friends and I have wearied of them. I have profited nothing; I have +wasted my strength in foolish dreams of pleasure, and I have not found +it. I am as a weed that cumbers the fair earth."</p> + +<p>Then he stayed for a moment, for he was afraid; for it seemed to him as +though somewhat stood near to listen. Then he said again:—</p> + +<p>"But, Lord, I do indeed love my fellow men a little; and I would have +the waste of life stayed. It is a pitiful thing that I have to offer, +but it is all that I have left—an empty life, which yet I love. I will +not promise, Lord, to yield my life to the service of men, for I love my +ease too well, and I should not keep my word—so I offer my life freely +into Thy hand, and let it avail that which it may avail."</p> + +<p>Then the blackness seemed to gather all about him, and he felt with his +hand in the turf and found the sword; then he drew the scabbard off, and +flung it down beside him, and he raised the sword in his hands.</p> + +<p>Then it seemed as though the heavens opened above him, but he saw not +the fire, nor heard the shouting of the thunder that followed; he fell +on his face in the turf without a sound and moved no more.</p> + +<p>Now it happened that about the time that he unsheathed the sword, it +came into the heart of the king to send a herald to the barons; for he +saw the host spread out below him on the plain, and he feared to meet +them; and the barons, too, were weary of fighting; and the king bound +himself by a great oath to uphold the law of the realm, and so the land +had peace.</p> + +<p>The next day came a troop of men-at-arms along the hill; and they +wondered exceedingly to see a man lie on the mound with a sword in his +hand unsheathed, and partly molten. He lay stiff and cold, but they +could not tell how he came by his death, and they knew not what he had +done for the land; his hand was so tightly clenched upon the sword, that +they took it not out, but they buried him there upon the hill-top, very +near the sky, and passed on; and no man knew what had become of him. But +God, who made him and had need of him, knoweth.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h2><a name="Renatus" id="Renatus"></a>Renatus</h2> + + +<p>Renatus was a Prince of Saxony that was but newly come to his princedom; +his father had died while he was a boy, and the realm had been +administered by his father's brother, a Duke of high courage and +prudence. The Duke was deeply anxious for the fate of the princedom and +his nephew's fortunes, for they lived in troubled times; the Barons of +the province were strong and haughty men, with little care for the +Prince, and no thought of obedience; each of them lived in his castle, +upon a small realm of his own; the people were much discontented with +the rule of the Barons, and the Duke saw plainly enough that if a prince +could arise who could win the confidence of the people, the Barons would +have but little power left. Thus his care was so to bring up the Prince +Renatus that he should understand how hard a task was before him; but +the boy, though quick of apprehension, was fond of pleasure and +amusement, and soon wearied of grave instructions; so the Duke did not +persist overmuch, but strove to make the little Prince love him and +confide in him, hoping that, when the day of trial came, he might be apt +to ask advice rather than act hastily and perhaps foolishly; but yet in +this the Duke had not perfectly succeeded, as he was by nature grave and +austere, and even his face seemed to have in it a sort of rebuke for +lively and light-minded persons. Still the Prince, though he was not at +ease with the Duke, trusted him exceedingly, and thought him wise and +good, even more than the Duke imagined.</p> + +<p>The days had been full of feasting and pageants, and Renatus was greatly +excited and eager at finding himself in so great a place. He had borne +himself with much courtesy and dignity in his receiving of embassies and +such compliments; he had, too, besides the sweet gifts of youth and +beauty, a natural affectionateness, which led him to wish to please +those about him; and the Duke's heart was full of love and admiration +for the graceful boy, though there lay in the back of his mind a shadow +of fear; and this grew very dark when he saw two of the most turbulent +Barons speaking together in a corner, with sidelong glances at the +Prince, at one of the Court assemblies, and divined that they thought +the boy would be but a pretty puppet in their hands.</p> + +<p>The custom was that the Prince, on the eve of his enthroning, should +watch for two hours alone in the chapel of the castle, from eleven to +one at night, and should there consecrate himself to God; the guests of +the evening were departed; and a few minutes before eleven the Duke sate +with the Prince in a little room off the chapel, waiting till it was +time for the Prince to enter the building. Renatus was in armour, as the +custom was, with a white robe over all. He sate restlessly in a chair, +and there was a mischievous and dancing light of pleasure in his eye, +that made the Duke doubly grave. The Duke, after some discourse of other +matters, made a pause; and then, saying that it was the last time that +he should take the privilege of guardianship—to offer advice unless it +were sought—said: "And now, Renatus, you know that I love you as a dear +son; and I would have you remember that all these things are but shows, +and that there sits behind them a grave and holy presence of duty; these +pomps are but the signs that you are truly the Prince of this land; and +you must use your power well, and to God's glory; for it is He that +makes us to be what we are, and truly calls us thereto." Renatus heard +him with a sort of courteous impatience, and then, with a smile, said: +"Yes, dear uncle, I know it; but the shows are very brave; and you will +forgive me if my head is full of them just now. Presently, when the +pageants are all over, I shall settle down to be a sober prince enough. +I think you do not trust me wholly in the matter—but I would not seem +ungrateful," he added rather hastily, seeing the gravity in the Duke's +face—"for indeed you have been as a true father to me."</p> + +<p>The Duke said no more at that time, for he cared not to give untimely +advice, and a moment after, a bell began to toll in the silence, and the +chaplain came habited to conduct the Prince to his chapel. So they went +the three of them together.</p> + +<p>It was dark and still within the church; in front of the altar-steps +were set a faldstool and a chair, where the Duke might pray, or sit if +he were weary; two tall wax lights stood beside, and lit up the crimson +cloth and the gold fringes, so that it seemed like a rare flower +blossoming in the dark. A single light, in a silver lamp hung by a +silver chain, burnt before the altar; all else was dim; but they could +see the dark stalls of the choir, with their carven canopies, over which +hung the banners of old knights, that moved softly to and fro; beyond +were the pillars of the aisles, glimmering faintly in a row. The roof +and windows were dark, save where here and there a rib of stone or a +tracery stood out very rich and dim. All about there was a kind of holy +smell, of wood and carven stone and incense-smoke.</p> + +<p>The chaplain knelt beneath the altar; and the Prince knelt down at the +faldstool, the Duke beside him on the floor. And just as the old bell of +the castle tolled the hour, and died away in a soft hum of sound, as +sweet as honey, the chaplain said an ancient prayer, the purport of +which was that the Christian must watch and pray; that only the pure +heart might see God; and asking that the Prince might be blest with +wisdom, as the Emperor Solomon was, to do according to the will of the +Father.</p> + +<p>Then the chaplain and the Duke withdrew; but as the Duke rose up, he +laid his hand on the Prince's head and said, "God be with you, dear son, +and open your eyes." And Renatus looked up at him and smiled.</p> + +<p>Then the Duke went back to the little room, and prayed abundantly. It +was arranged that he should wait there until the Prince's vigil was +over, when he would go to attend him forth; and so the Prince was left +by himself.</p> + +<p>For a time Renatus prayed, gathering up the strength of his mind to pray +earnestly; but other thoughts kept creeping in, like children peeping +and beckoning from a door. So he rose up after a little, and looked +about him; and something of the solemnity of the night and the place +came into his mind.</p> + +<p>Then, after a while, he sate, his armour clinking lightly as he moved; +and wrapping his robe about him—for it grew chill in the church—he +thought of what had been and what should be. The time flew fast; and +presently Renatus heard the great bell ring the hour of midnight; so he +knelt and prayed again, with all his might, that God would bless him and +open his eyes.</p> + +<p>Then he rose again to his feet; and now the moon was risen and made a +very pure and tender radiance through one of the high windows; and +Renatus looking about him, was conscious of a thrill of fear that passed +through him, as though there were some great presence near him in the +gloom; then his eyes fell on a little door on his right, opposite to the +door by which they had entered, which he knew led out into the castle +court; but underneath the door, between it and the sill, there gleamed +a line of very golden light, such as might come from a fire without. The +Prince had no foolish terrors, as he was by nature courageous, and the +holy place that he was in made him feel secure. But the light, which now +began to grow in clearness, and to stream, like a rippling flow of +brightness, into the church, surprised him exceedingly. So he rose up +and went to the little door, expecting that he would find it closed; but +it opened to his hand.</p> + +<p>He had thought to see the dark court of the castle as he had often seen +it, with its tall chimneys and battlements, and with lights in the +windows. But to his amazement he saw that he was on the edge of a vast +and dizzy space, so vast that he had not thought there could be anything +in the world so great. The church and he seemed to float together in the +space, for the solid earth was all gone—and it came into his head that +the great building in which he stood, so fair and high, was no larger +than a mote that swims in the strong beams of the sun. The space was +all misty and dim at first, but over it hung a light like the light of +dawn, that seemed to gush from a place in the cloud, near at hand and +yet leagues away. Then as his sight became more used to the place, he +saw that it was all sloping upwards and downwards, and built up of great +steps or stairs, that ran across the space and were lost at last in +cloud; and that the light came from the head of the steps. Then with a +sudden shock of surprise he saw that there were persons kneeling on the +steps; and every moment his sight became clearer and clearer, so that he +could see the persons nearest to him, their robes and hands, and even +the very lineaments of their faces.</p> + +<p>Very near him there were three figures kneeling, not together in a +group, but with some space between them. And, in some way that he could +not explain, he felt that all the three were unconscious both of each +other and of himself.</p> + +<p>Looking intently upon them, he saw that they were kings, in royal +robes. The nearest to him was an ancient man, with white hair; he knelt +very upright and strong; his face was like parchment, with heavy lines, +but his eyes glowed like a fire. Renatus thought he had never seen so +proud a look. He had an air of command, and Renatus seemed to know that +he had been a warrior in his youth. In his hands he held a crown of fine +golden work, filled with jewels of great rarity and price; and the king +held the crown as though he knew its worth; he seemed, as it were, to be +proffering it, but as a gift of mighty value, the worthiest thing that +he had to offer.</p> + +<p>On a step below him at a little distance knelt the second; he was a +younger man, in the prime of life; he had the look more of a student +than a warrior, of one who was busied in many affairs, and who pondered +earnestly over high matters of policy and state. He had a wiser face +than the older man, but his brow was drawn by lines, as though he had +often doubted of himself and others; and he had a crown in one hand, +which he held a little irresolutely, as though he half loved it, and +were yet half wearied of it; as though he was fain to lay it down, and +yet not wholly glad to part with it.</p> + +<p>Then Renatus turned a little to the third; and he was more richly +apparelled than the others; his hands were clasped in prayer; and by his +knee there lay a splendid diadem, an Emperor's crown, with few jewels, +but each the price of a kingdom. And Renatus saw that he was very young, +scarce older than himself; and that he had the most beautiful face he +had ever seen, with large soft eyes, clear-cut features, and a mouth +that looked both pure and strong; but in his face there was such a +passion of holiness and surrender, that Renatus fell to wondering what +it was that a man could so adore. He was the only one of the three who +looked, as it were, rapt out of himself; and the crown lay beside him +as if he had forgotten its very existence.</p> + +<p>Then there came upon the air a great sound of jubilant and tender music +like the voice of silver trumpets—and the cloud began to lift and draw +up on every side, and revealed at last, very far off and very high, yet +strangely near and clear, a Throne at the head of the steps. But Renatus +dared not look thereon, for he felt that the time was not come; but he +saw, as it were reflected in the eyes of the kings, that they looked +upon a sight of awful splendour and mystery. Then he saw that the two +that still held their crowns laid them down upon the ground with a sort +of fearful haste, as though they were constrained; but the youngest of +the kings smiled, as though he were satisfied beyond his dearest wish.</p> + +<p>Then Renatus felt that somewhat was to be done too bright and holy for a +mortal eye to behold, and so he drew back and softly closed the door; +and it was a pain to find himself within the dark church again; it was +as though he had lost the sight of something that a man might desire +above all things to see—but he dared look no longer; and the music came +again, but this time more urgently, in a storm of sound.</p> + +<p>Then Renatus went back to his place, that seemed to him very small and +humble beside what he had seen outside. And all the pride was emptied +out of his heart, for he knew that he had looked upon the truth, and +that it was wider than he had dreamed; and then he knelt and prayed that +God would keep him humble and diligent and brave; but then he grew +ashamed of his prayer, for he remembered that, after all, he was but +still praying for himself; and he had a thought of the young Emperor's +face, and he knew that there was something deeper and better still than +humility and diligence and courage; what it was he knew not; but he +thought that he had been, as it were, asking God for those fair things, +like flower-blooms or jewels, which a man may wear for his own pride; +but that they must rather rise and blossom, like plants out of a rich +soil. So he ended by praying that God would empty him of all unworthy +thoughts, and fill him full of that good and great thing, which, in the +Gospel story, Martha went near to miss, but Mary certainly divined.</p> + +<p>That was a blessed hour, to the thought of which Renatus afterwards +often turned in darker and more weary days. But it drew swiftly to an +end, and as he knelt, the bell beat one, and his vigil was over.</p> + +<p>Presently the Duke came to attend him back; and Renatus could not speak +of the vision, but only told the Duke that he had seen a wonderful +thing, and he added a few words of grateful love, holding the Duke's +hand close in his own.</p> + +<p>On the next day, before Renatus came to be enthroned, the Barons came to +do him homage; and Renatus, asking God to give him words that he might +say what was in his heart, spoke to them, the Duke standing by; he said +that he well knew that it appeared strange that one so young as himself +should receive the homage of those who were older and wiser and more +strong, adding: "But I believe that I am truly called, under God, to +rule this land for the welfare of all that dwell therein, and I will +rule it with diligence. Nay—for it is not well that a land should have +many masters—I purpose that none shall rule it but myself, under God." +And at that the Barons looked upon one another, but Renatus, leaning a +little forward, with his hand upon his sword-hilt, said: "I think, my +Lords, that there be some here that are saying to themselves, <i>He hath +learnt his lesson well</i>, and I hope that it may be seen that it is +so—but it is God and not man who hath put it into my heart to say this; +it is from Him that I receive this throne. Counsel will I ask, and that +gladly; but remembering the account that I must one day make, I will +rule this realm for the welfare of the people thereof, and I will have +all men do their parts; so see that your homage be of the heart and not +of the lips, for it is to God that you make it, and not to me, who am +indeed unworthy; but He that hath set me in this place will strengthen +my hands. I have spoken this," he said, "not willingly; but I would have +no one mistake my purpose in the matter."</p> + +<p>Then the Barons came silently to do obeisance; and so Renatus came to +his own; but more of him I must not here say, save that he ruled his +realm wisely and well, and ever gave God the glory.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h2><a name="The_Slype_House" id="The_Slype_House"></a>The Slype House</h2> + + +<p>In the town of Garchester, close to St. Peter's Church, and near the +river, stood a dark old house called the Slype House, from a narrow +passage of that name that ran close to it, down to a bridge over the +stream. The house showed a front of mouldering and discoloured stone to +the street, pierced by small windows, like a monastery; and indeed, it +was formerly inhabited by a college of priests who had served the +Church. It abutted at one angle upon the aisle of the church, and there +was a casement window that looked out from a room in the house, +formerly the infirmary, into the aisle; it had been so built that any +priest that was sick might hear the Mass from his bed, without +descending into the church. Behind the house lay a little garden, +closely grown up with trees and tall weeds, that ran down to the stream. +In the wall that gave on the water, was a small door that admitted to an +old timbered bridge that crossed the stream, and had a barred gate on +the further side, which was rarely seen open; though if a man had +watched attentively he might sometimes have seen a small lean person, +much bowed and with a halting gait, slip out very quietly about dusk, +and walk, with his eyes cast down, among the shadowy byways.</p> + +<p>The name of the man who thus dwelt in the Slype House, as it appeared in +the roll of burgesses, was Anthony Purvis. He was of an ancient family, +and had inherited wealth. A word must be said of his childhood and +youth. He was a sickly child, an only son, his father a man of +substance, who lived very easily in the country; his mother had died +when he was quite a child, and this sorrow had been borne very heavily +by his father, who had loved her tenderly, and after her death had +become morose and sullen, withdrawing himself from all company and +exercise, and brooding angrily over his loss, as though God had +determined to vex him. He had never cared much for the child, who had +been peevish and fretful; and the boy's presence had done little but +remind him of the wife he had lost; so that the child had lived alone, +nourishing his own fancies, and reading much in a library of curious +books that was in the house. The boy's health had been too tender for +him to go to school; but when he was eighteen, he seemed stronger, and +his father sent him to a university, more for the sake of being relieved +of the boy's presence than for his good. And there, being unused to the +society of his equals, he had been much flouted and despised for his +feeble frame; till a certain bitter ambition sprang up in his mind, like +a poisonous flower, to gain power and make himself a name; and he had +determined that as he could not be loved he might still be feared; so he +bided his time in bitterness, making great progress in his studies; +then, when those days were over, he departed eagerly, and sought and +obtained his father's leave to betake himself to a university of Italy, +where he fell into somewhat evil hands; for he made a friendship with an +old doctor of the college, who feared not God and thought ill of man, +and spent all his time in dark researches into the evil secrets of +nature, the study of poisons that have enmity to the life of man, and +many other hidden works of darkness, such as intercourse with spirits of +evil, and the black influences that lie in wait for the soul; and he +found Anthony an apt pupil. There he lived for some years till he was +nearly thirty, seldom visiting his home, and writing but formal letters +to his father, who supplied him gladly with a small revenue, so long as +he kept apart and troubled him not.</p> + +<p>Then his father had died, and Anthony came home to take up his +inheritance, which was a plentiful one; he sold his land, and visiting +the town of Garchester, by chance, for it lay near his home, he had +lighted upon the Slype House, which lay very desolate and gloomy; and as +he needed a large place for his instruments and devices, he had bought +the house, and had now lived there for twenty years in great loneliness, +but not ill-content.</p> + +<p>To serve him he had none but a man and his wife, who were quiet and +simple people and asked no questions; the wife cooked his meals, and +kept the rooms, where he slept and read, clean and neat; the man moved +his machines for him, and arranged his phials and instruments, having a +light touch and a serviceable memory.</p> + +<p>The door of the house that gave on the street opened into a hall; to +the right was a kitchen, and a pair of rooms where the man and his wife +lived. On the left was a large room running through the house; the +windows on to the street were walled up, and the windows at the back +looked—on the garden, the trees of which grew close to the casements, +making the room dark, and in a breeze rustling their leaves or leafless +branches against the panes. In this room Anthony had a furnace with +bellows, the smoke of which discharged itself into the chimney; and here +he did much of his work, making mechanical toys, as a clock to measure +the speed of wind or water, a little chariot that ran a few yards by +itself, a puppet that moved its arms and laughed—and other things that +had wiled away his idle hours; the room was filled up with dark lumber, +in a sort of order that would have looked to a stranger like disorder, +but so that Anthony could lay his hand on all that he needed. From the +hall, which was paved with stone, went up the stairs, very strong and +broad, of massive oak; under which was a postern that gave on the +garden; on the floor above was a room where Anthony slept, which again +had its windows to the street boarded up, for he was a light sleeper, +and the morning sounds of the awakening city disturbed him.</p> + +<p>The room was hung with a dark arras, sprinkled with red flowers; he +slept in a great bed with black curtains to shut out all light; the +windows looked into the garden; but on the left of the bed, which stood +with its head to the street, was an alcove, behind the hangings, +containing the window that gave on the church. On the same floor were +three other rooms; in one of these, looking on the garden, Anthony had +his meals. It was a plain panelled room. Next was a room where he read, +filled with books, also looking on the garden; and next to that was a +little room of which he alone had the key. This room he kept locked, +and no one set foot in it but himself. There was one more room on this +floor, set apart for a guest who never came, with a great bed and a +press of oak. And that looked on the street. Above, there was a row of +plain plastered rooms, in which stood furniture for which Anthony had no +use, and many crates in which his machines and phials came to him; this +floor was seldom visited, except by the man, who sometimes came to put a +box there; and the spiders had it to themselves; except for a little +room where stood an optic glass through which on clear nights Anthony +sometimes looked at the moon and stars, if there was any odd +misadventure among them, such as an eclipse; or when a fiery-tailed +comet went his way silently in the heavens, coming from none might say +whence and going none knew whither, on some strange errand of God.</p> + +<p>Anthony had but two friends who ever came to see him. One was an old +physician who had ceased to practise his trade, which indeed was never +abundant, and who would sometimes drink a glass of wine with Anthony, +and engage in curious talk of men's bodies and diseases, or look at one +of Anthony's toys. Anthony had come to know him by having called him in +to cure some ailment, which needed a surgical knife; and that had made a +kind of friendship between them; but Anthony had little need thereafter +to consult him about his health, which indeed was now settled enough, +though he had but little vigour; and he knew enough of drugs to cure +himself when he was ill. The other friend was a foolish priest of the +college, that made belief to be a student but was none, who thought +Anthony a very wise and mighty person, and listened with open mouth and +eyes to all that he said or showed him. This priest, who was fond of +wonders, had introduced himself to Anthony by making believe to borrow a +volume of him; and then had grown proud of the acquaintance, and +bragged greatly of it to his friends, mixing up much that was fanciful +with a little that was true. But the result was that gossip spread wide +about Anthony, and he was held in the town to be a very fearful person, +who could do strange mischief if he had a mind to; Anthony never cared +to walk abroad, for he was of a shy habit, and disliked to meet the eyes +of his fellows; but if he did go about, men began to look curiously +after him as he went by, shook their heads and talked together with a +dark pleasure, while children fled before his face and women feared him; +all of which pleased Anthony mightily, if the truth were told; for at +the bottom of his restless and eager spirit lay a deep vanity unseen, +like a lake in woods; he hungered not indeed for fame, but for +repute—<i>monstrari digito</i>, as the poet has it; and he cared little in +what repute he was held, so long as men thought him great and +marvellous; and as he could not win renown by brave deeds and words, he +was rejoiced to win it by keeping up a certain darkness and mystery +about his ways and doings; and this was very dear to him, so that when +the silly priest called him Seer and Wizard, he frowned and looked +sideways; but he laughed in his heart and was glad.</p> + +<p>Now, when Anthony was near his fiftieth year, there fell on him a +heaviness of spirit which daily increased upon him. He began to question +of his end and what lay beyond. He had always made pretence to mock at +religion, and had grown to believe that in death the soul was +extinguished like a burnt-out flame. He began, too, to question of his +life and what he had done. He had made a few toys, he had filled vacant +hours, and he had gained an ugly kind of fame—and this was all. Was he +so certain, he began to think, after all, that death was the end? Were +there not, perhaps, in the vast house of God, rooms and chambers beyond +that in which he was set for awhile to pace to and fro? About this time +he began to read in a Bible that had lain dusty and unopened on a shelf. +It was his mother's book, and he found therein many little tokens of her +presence. Here was a verse underlined; at some gracious passages the +page was much fingered and worn; in one place there were stains that +looked like the mark of tears; then again, in one page, there was a +small tress of hair, golden hair, tied in a paper with a name across it, +that seemed to be the name of a little sister of his mother's that died +a child; and again there were a few withered flowers, like little sad +ghosts, stuck through a paper on which was written his father's +name—the name of the sad, harsh, silent man whom Anthony had feared +with all his heart. Had those two, indeed, on some day of summer, walked +to and fro, or sate in some woodland corner, whispering sweet words of +love together? Anthony felt a sudden hunger of the heart for a woman's +love, for tender words to soothe his sadness, for the laughter and +kisses of children—and he began to ransack his mind for memories of his +mother; he could remember being pressed to her heart one morning when +she lay abed, with her fragrant hair falling about him. The worst was +that he must bear his sorrow alone, for there were none to whom he could +talk of such things. The doctor was as dry as an old bunch of herbs, and +as for the priest, Anthony was ashamed to show anything but contempt and +pride in his presence.</p> + +<p>For relief he began to turn to a branch of his studies that he had long +disused; this was a fearful commerce with the unseen spirits. Anthony +could remember having practised some experiments of this kind with the +old Italian doctor; but he remembered them with a kind of disgust, for +they seemed to him but a sort of deadly juggling; and such dark things +as he had seen seemed like a dangerous sport with unclean and coltish +beings, more brute-like than human. Yet now he read in his curious books +with care, and studied the tales of necromancers, who had indeed seemed +to have some power over the souls of men departed. But the old books +gave him but little faith, and a kind of angry disgust at the things +attempted. And he began to think that the horror in which such men as +made these books abode, was not more than the dark shadow cast on the +mirror of the soul by their own desperate imaginings and timorous +excursions.</p> + +<p>One day, a Sunday, he was strangely sad and heavy; he could settle to +nothing, but threw book after book aside, and when he turned to some +work of construction, his hand seemed to have lost its cunning. It was a +grey and sullen day in October; a warm wet wind came buffeting up from +the West, and roared in the chimneys and eaves of the old house. The +shrubs in the garden plucked themselves hither and thither as though in +pain. Anthony walked to and fro after his midday meal, which he had +eaten hastily and without savour; at last, as though with a sudden +resolution, he went to a secret cabinet and got out a key; and with it +he went to the door of the little room that was ever locked.</p> + +<p>He stopped at the threshold for a while, looking hither and thither; and +then he suddenly unlocked it and went in, closing and locking it behind +him. The room was as dark as night, but Anthony going softly, his hands +before him, went to a corner and got a tinder-box which lay there, and +made a flame.</p> + +<p>A small dark room appeared, hung with a black tapestry; the window was +heavily shuttered and curtained; in the centre of the room stood what +looked like a small altar, painted black; the floor was all bare, but +with white marks upon it, half effaced. Anthony looked about the room, +glancing sidelong, as though in some kind of doubt; his breath went and +came quickly, and he looked paler than was his wont.</p> + +<p>Presently, as though reassured by the silence and calm of the place, he +went to a tall press that stood in a corner, which he opened, and took +from it certain things—a dish of metal, some small leathern bags, a +large lump of chalk, and a book. He laid all but the chalk down on the +altar, and then opening the book, read in it a little; and then he went +with the chalk and drew certain marks upon the floor, first making a +circle, which he went over again and again with anxious care; at times +he went back and peeped into the book as though uncertain. Then he +opened the bags, which seemed to hold certain kinds of powder, this +dusty, that in grains; he ran them through his hands, and then poured a +little of each into his dish, and mixed them with his hands. Then he +stopped and looked about him. Then he walked to a place in the wall on +the further side of the altar from the door, and drew the arras +carefully aside, disclosing a little alcove in the wall; into this he +looked fearfully, as though he was afraid of what he might see.</p> + +<p>In the alcove, which was all in black, appeared a small shelf, that +stood but a little way out from the wall. Upon it, gleaming very white +against the black, stood the skull of a man, and on either side of the +skull were the bones of a man's hand. It looked to him, as he gazed on +it with a sort of curious disgust, as though a dead man had come up to +the surface of a black tide, and was preparing presently to leap out. On +either side stood two long silver candlesticks, very dark with disuse; +but instead of holding candles, they were fitted at the top with flat +metal dishes; and in these he poured some of his powders, mixing them as +before with his fingers. Between the candlesticks and behind the skull +was an old and dark picture, at which he gazed for a time, holding his +taper on high. The picture represented a man fleeing in a kind of +furious haste from a wood, his hands spread wide, and his eyes staring +out of the picture; behind him everywhere was the wood, above which was +a star in the sky—and out of the wood leaned a strange pale horned +thing, very dim. The horror in the man's face was skilfully painted, and +Anthony felt a shudder pass through his veins. He knew not what the +picture meant; it had been given to him by the old Italian, who had +smiled a wicked smile when he gave it, and told him that it had a very +great virtue. When Anthony had asked him of the subject of the picture, +the old Italian had said, "Oh, it is as appears; he hath been where he +ought not, and he hath seen somewhat he doth not like." When Anthony +would fain have known more, and especially what the thing was that +leaned out of the wood, the old Italian had smiled cruelly and said, +"Know you not? Well, you will know some day when you have seen him;" and +never a word more would he say.</p> + +<p>When Anthony had put all things in order, he opened the book at a +certain place, and laid it upon the altar; and then it seemed as though +his courage failed him, for he drew the curtain again over the alcove, +unlocked the door, set the tinder-box and the candle back in their +place, and softly left the room.</p> + +<p>He was very restless all the evening. He took down books from the +shelves, turned them over, and put them back again. He addressed himself +to some unfinished work, but soon threw it aside; he paced up and down, +and spent a long time, with his hands clasped behind him, looking out +into the desolate garden, where a still, red sunset burnt behind the +leafless trees. He was like a man who has made up his mind to a grave +decision, and shrinks back upon the brink. When his food was served he +could hardly touch it, and he drank no wine as his custom was to do, but +only water, saying to himself that his head must be clear. But in the +evening he went to his bedroom, and searched for something in a press +there; he found at last what he was searching for, and unfolded a long +black robe, looking gloomily upon it, as though it aroused unwelcome +thoughts; while he was pondering, he heard a hum of music behind the +arras; he put the robe down, and stepped through the hangings, and stood +awhile in the little oriel that looked down into the church. Vespers +were proceeding; he saw the holy lights dimly through the dusty panes, +and heard the low preluding of the organ; then, solemn and slow, rose +the sound of a chanted psalm on the air; he carefully unfastened the +casement which opened inward and unclosed it, standing for a while to +listen, while the air, fragrant with incense smoke, drew into the room +along the vaulted roof. There were but a few worshippers in the church, +who stood below him; two lights burnt stilly upon the altar, and he saw +distinctly the thin hands of a priest who held a book close to his face. +He had not set foot within a church for many years, and the sight and +sound drew his mind back to his childhood's days. At last with a sigh he +put the window to very softly, and went to his study, where he made +pretence to read, till the hour came when he was wont to retire to his +bed. He sent his servant away, but instead of lying down, he sate, +looking upon a parchment, which he held in his hand, while the bells of +the city slowly told out the creeping hours.</p> + +<p>At last, a few minutes before midnight, he rose from his place; the +house was now all silent, and without the night was very still, as +though all things slept tranquilly. He opened the press and took from it +the black robe, and put it round him, so that it covered him from head +to foot, and then gathered up the parchment, and the key of the locked +room, and went softly out, and so came to the door. This he undid with a +kind of secret and awestruck haste, locking it behind him. Once inside +the room, he wrestled awhile with a strong aversion to what was in his +mind to do, and stood for a moment, listening intently, as though he +expected to hear some sound. But the room was still, except for the +faint biting of some small creature in the wainscot.</p> + +<p>Then with a swift motion he took up the tinder-box and made a light; he +drew aside the curtain that hid the alcove; he put fire to the powder in +the candlesticks, which at first spluttered, and then swiftly kindling +sent up a thick smoky flame, fragrant with drugs, burning hotly and red. +Then he came back to the altar; cast a swift glance round him to see +that all was ready; put fire to the powder on the altar, and in a low +and inward voice began to recite words from the book, and from the +parchment which he held in his hand; once or twice he glanced fearfully +at the skull, and the hands which gleamed luridly through the smoke; the +figures in the picture wavered in the heat; and now the powders began to +burn clear, and throw up a steady light; and still he read, sometimes +turning a page, until at last he made an end; and drawing something from +a silver box which lay beside the book, he dropped it in the flame, and +looked straight before him to see what might befall. The thing that fell +in the flame burned up brightly, with a little leaping of sparks, but +soon it died down; and there was a long silence, in the room, a +breathless silence, which, to Anthony's disordered mind, was not like +the silence of emptiness, but such silence as may be heard when unseen +things are crowding quietly to a closed door, expecting it to be opened, +and as it were holding each other back.</p> + +<p>Suddenly, between him and the picture, appeared for a moment a pale +light, as of moonlight, and then with a horror which words cannot attain +to describe, Anthony saw a face hang in the air a few feet from him, +that looked in his own eyes with a sort of intent fury, as though to +spring upon him if he turned either to the right hand or to the left. +His knees tottered beneath him, and a sweat of icy coldness sprang on +his brow; there followed a sound like no sound that Anthony had ever +dreamed of hearing; a sound that was near and yet remote, a sound that +was low and yet charged with power, like the groaning of a voice in +grievous pain and anger, that strives to be free and yet is helpless. +And then Anthony knew that he had indeed opened the door that looks into +the other world, and that a deadly thing that held him in enmity had +looked out. His reeling brain still told him that he was safe where he +was, but that he must not step or fall outside the circle; but how he +should resist the power of the wicked face he knew not. He tried to +frame a prayer in his heart; but there swept such a fury of hatred +across the face that he dared not. So he closed his eyes and stood +dizzily waiting to fall, and knowing that if he fell it was the end.</p> + +<p>Suddenly, as he stood with closed eyes, he felt the horror of the spell +relax; he opened his eyes again, and saw that the face died out upon the +air, becoming first white and then thin, like the husk that stands on a +rush when a fly draws itself from its skin, and floats away into the +sunshine.</p> + +<p>Then there fell a low and sweet music upon the air, like a concert of +flutes and harps, very far away. And then suddenly, in a sweet clear +radiance, the face of his mother, as she lived in his mind, appeared in +the space, and looked at him with a kind of heavenly love; then beside +the face appeared two thin hands which seemed to wave a blessing towards +him, which flowed like healing into his soul.</p> + +<p>The relief from the horror, and the flood of tenderness that came into +his heart, made him reckless. The tears came into his eyes, not in a +rising film, but a flood hot and large. He took a step forwards round +the altar; but as he did so, the vision disappeared, the lights shot up +into a flare and went out; the house seemed to be suddenly shaken; in +the darkness he heard the rattle of bones, and the clash of metal, and +Anthony fell all his length upon the ground and lay as one dead.</p> + +<p>But while he thus lay, there came to him in some secret cell of the mind +a dreadful vision, which he could only dimly remember afterwards with a +fitful horror. He thought that he was walking in the cloister of some +great house or college, a cool place, with a pleasant garden in the +court. He paced up and down, and each time that he did so, he paused a +little before a great door at the end, a huge blind portal, with much +carving about it, which he somehow knew he was forbidden to enter. +Nevertheless, each time that he came to it, he felt a strong wish, that +constantly increased, to set foot therein. Now in the dream there fell +on him a certain heaviness, and the shadow of a cloud fell over the +court, and struck the sunshine out of it. And at last he made up his +mind that he would enter. He pushed the door open with much difficulty, +and found himself in a long blank passage, very damp and chilly, but +with a glimmering light; he walked a few paces down it. The flags +underfoot were slimy, and the walls streamed with damp. He then thought +that he would return; but the great door was closed behind him, and he +could not open it. This made him very fearful; and while he considered +what he should do, he saw a tall and angry-looking man approaching very +swiftly down the passage. As he turned to face him, the other came +straight to him, and asked him very sternly what he did there; to which +Anthony replied that he had found the door open. To which the other +replied that it was fast now, and that he must go forward. He seized +Anthony as he spoke by the arm, and urged him down the passage. Anthony +would fain have resisted, but he felt like a child in the grip of a +giant, and went forward in great terror and perplexity. Presently they +came to a door in the side of the wall, and as they passed it, there +stepped out an ugly shadowy thing, the nature of which he could not +clearly discern, and marched softly behind them. Soon they came to a +turn in the passage, and in a moment the way stopped on the brink of a +dark well, that seemed to go down a long way into the earth, and out of +which came a cold fetid air, with a hollow sound like a complaining +voice. Anthony drew back as far as he could from the pit, and set his +back to the wall, his companion letting go of him. But he could not go +backward, for the thing behind him was in the passage, and barred the +way, creeping slowly nearer. Then Anthony was in a great agony of mind, +and waited for the end.</p> + +<p>But while he waited, there came some one very softly down the passage +and drew near; and the other, who had led him to the place, waited, as +though ill-pleased to be interrupted; it was too murky for Anthony to +see the new-comer, but he knew in some way that he was a friend. The +stranger came up to them, and spoke in a low voice to the man who had +drawn Anthony thither, as though pleading for something; and the man +answered angrily, but yet with a certain dark respect, and seemed to +argue that he was acting in his right, and might not be interfered with. +Anthony could not hear what they said, they spoke so low, but he guessed +the sense, and knew that it was himself of whom they discoursed, and +listened with a fearful wonder to see which would prevail. The end soon +came, for the tall man, who had brought him there, broke out into a +great storm of passion; and Anthony heard him say, "He hath yielded +himself to his own will; and he is mine here; so let us make an end." +Then the stranger seemed to consider; and then with a quiet courage, and +in a soft and silvery voice like that of a child, said, "I would that +you would have yielded to my prayer; but as you will not, I have no +choice." And he took his hand from under the cloak that wrapped him, and +held something out; then there came a great roaring out of the pit, and +a zigzag flame flickered in the dark. Then in a moment the tall man and +the shadow were gone; Anthony could not see whither they went, and he +would have thanked the stranger; but the other put his finger to his lip +as though to order silence, and pointed to the way he had come, saying, +"Make haste and go back; for they will return anon with others; you know +not how dear it hath cost me." Anthony could see the stranger's face in +the gloom, and he was surprised to see it so youthful; but he saw also +that tears stood in the eyes of the stranger, and that something dark +like blood trickled down his brow; yet he looked very lovingly at him. +So Anthony made haste to go back, and found the door ajar; but as he +reached it, he heard a horrible din behind him, of cries and screams; +and it was with a sense of gratitude, that he could not put into words, +but which filled all his heart, that he found himself back in the +cloister again. And then the vision all fled away, and with a shock +coming to himself, he found that he was lying in his own room; and then +he knew that a battle had been fought out over his soul, and that the +evil had not prevailed.</p> + +<p>He was cold and aching in every limb; the room was silent and dark, with +the heavy smell of the burnt drugs all about it. Anthony crept to the +door, and opened it; locked it again, and made his way in the dark very +feebly to his bed-chamber; he had just the strength to get into his bed, +and then all his life seemed to ebb from him, and he lay, and thought +that he was dying. Presently from without there came the crying of +cocks, and a bell beat the hour of four; and after that, in his vigil of +weakness, it was strange to see the light glimmer in the crevices, and +to hear the awakening birds that in the garden bushes took up, one after +another, their slender piping song, till all the choir cried together.</p> + +<p>But Anthony felt a strange peace in his heart; and he had a sense, +though he could not say why, that it was as once in his childhood, when +he was ill, and his mother had sate softly by him while he slept.</p> + +<p>So he waited, and in spite of his mortal weakness that was a blessed +hour.</p> + +<p>When his man came to rouse him in the morning, Anthony said that he +believed that he was very ill, that he had had a fall, and that the old +doctor must be fetched to him. The man looked so strangely upon him, +that Anthony knew that he had some fear upon his mind. Presently the +doctor was brought, and Anthony answered such questions as were put to +him, in a faint voice, saying, "I was late at my work, and I slipped and +fell." The doctor, who looked troubled, gave directions; and when he +went away he heard his man behind the door asking the doctor about the +strange storm in the night, that had seemed like an earthquake, or as if +a thunderbolt had struck the house. But the doctor said very gruffly, +"It is no time to talk thus, when your master is sick to death." But +Anthony knew in himself that he would not die yet.</p> + +<p>It was long ere he was restored to a measure of health; and indeed he +never rightly recovered the use of his limbs; the doctor held that he +had suffered some stroke of palsy; at which Anthony smiled a little, and +made no answer.</p> + +<p>When he was well enough to creep to and fro, he went sadly to the dark +room, and with much pain and weakness carried the furniture out of it. +The picture he cut in pieces and burnt; and the candles and dishes, with +the book, he cast into a deep pool in the stream; the bones he buried in +the earth; the hangings he stored away for his own funeral.</p> + +<p>Anthony never entered his workroom again; but day after day he sate in +his chair, and read a little, but mostly in the Bible; he made a friend +of a very wise old priest, to whom he opened all his heart, and to whom +he conveyed much money to be bestowed on the poor; there was a great +calm in his spirit, which was soon written in his face, in spite of his +pain, for he often suffered sorely; but he told the priest that +something, he knew not certainly what, seemed to dwell by him, waiting +patiently for his coming; and so Anthony awaited his end.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h2><a name="Out_of_the_Sea" id="Out_of_the_Sea"></a>Out of the Sea</h2> + + + +<p>It was about ten of the clock on a November morning in the little +village of Blea-on-the-Sands. The hamlet was made up of some thirty +houses, which clustered together on a low rising ground. The place was +very poor, but some old merchant of bygone days had built in a pious +mood a large church, which was now too great for the needs of the place; +the nave had been unroofed in a heavy gale, and there was no money to +repair it, so that it had fallen to decay, and the tower was joined to +the choir by roofless walls. This was a sore trial to the old priest, +Father Thomas, who had grown grey there; but he had no art in gathering +money, which he asked for in a shamefaced way; and the vicarage was a +poor one, hardly enough for the old man's needs. So the church lay +desolate.</p> + +<p>The village stood on what must once have been an island; the little +river Reddy, which runs down to the sea, there forking into two channels +on the landward side; towards the sea the ground was bare, full of +sand-hills covered with a short grass. Towards the land was a small wood +of gnarled trees, the boughs of which were all brushed smooth by the +gales; looking landward there was the green flat, in which the river +ran, rising into low hills; hardly a house was visible save one or two +lonely farms; two or three church towers rose above the hills at a long +distance away. Indeed Blea was much cut off from the world; there was a +bridge over the stream on the west side, but over the other channel was +no bridge, so that to fare eastward it was requisite to go in a boat. +To seaward there were wide sands, when the tide was out; when it was in, +it came up nearly to the end of the village street. The people were +mostly fishermen, but there were a few farmers and labourers; the boats +of the fishermen lay to the east side of the village, near the river +channel which gave some draught of water; and the channel was marked out +by big black stakes and posts that straggled out over the sands, like +awkward leaning figures, to the sea's brim.</p> + +<p>Father Thomas lived in a small and ancient brick house near the church, +with a little garden of herbs attached. He was a kindly man, much worn +by age and weather, with a wise heart, and he loved the quiet life with +his small flock. This morning he had come out of his house to look +abroad, before he settled down to the making of his sermon. He looked +out to sea, and saw with a shadow of sadness the black outline of a +wreck that had come ashore a week before, and over which the white +waves were now breaking. The wind blew steadily from the north-east, and +had a bitter poisonous chill in it, which it doubtless drew from the +fields of the upper ice. The day was dark and over, hung, not with +cloud, but with a kind of dreary vapour that shut out the sun. Father +Thomas shuddered at the wind, and drew his patched cloak round him. As +he did so, he saw three figures come up to the vicarage gate. It was not +a common thing for him to have visitors in the morning, and he saw with +surprise that they were old Master John Grimston, the richest man in the +place, half farmer and half fisherman, a dark surly old man; his wife, +Bridget, a timid and frightened woman, who found life with her harsh +husband a difficult business, in spite of their wealth, which, for a +place like Blea, was great; and their son Henry, a silly shambling man +of forty, who was his father's butt. The three walked silently and +heavily, as though they came on a sad errand.</p> + +<p>Father Thomas went briskly down to meet them, and greeted them with his +accustomed cheerfulness. "And what may I do for you?" he said. Old +Master Grimston made a sort of gesture with his head as though his wife +should speak; and she said in a low and somewhat husky voice, with a +rapid utterance, "We have a matter, Father, we would ask you about—are +you at leisure?" Father Thomas said, "Ay, I am ashamed to be not more +busy! Let us go within the house." They did so; and even in the little +distance to the door, the Father thought that his visitors behaved +themselves very strangely. They peered round from left to right, and +once or twice Master Grimston looked sharply behind them, as though they +were followed. They said nothing but "Ay" and "No" to the Father's talk, +and bore themselves like people with a sore fear on their backs. Father +Thomas made up his mind that it was some question of money, for nothing +else was wont to move Master Grimston's mind. So he had them into his +parlour and gave them seats, and then there was a silence, while the two +men continued to look furtively about them, and the goodwife sate with +her eyes upon the priest's face. Father Thomas knew not what to make of +this, till Master Grimston said harshly, "Come, wife, tell the tale and +make an end; we must not take up the Father's time."</p> + +<p>"I hardly know how to say it, Father," said Bridget, "but a strange and +evil thing has befallen us; there is something come to our house, and we +know not what it is—but it brings a fear with it." A sudden paleness +came over her face, and she stopped, and the three exchanged a glance in +which terror was visibly written. Master Grimston looked over his +shoulder swiftly, and made as though to speak, yet only swallowed in his +throat; but Henry said suddenly, in a loud and woeful voice: "It is an +evil beast out of the sea." And then there followed a dreadful silence, +while Father Thomas felt a sudden fear leap up in his heart, at the +contagion of the fear that he saw written on the faces round him. But he +said with all the cheerfulness he could muster, "Come, friends, let us +not begin to talk of sea-beasts; we must have the whole tale Mistress +Grimston, I must hear the story—be content—nothing can touch us here." +The three seemed to draw a faint content from his words, and Bridget +began:—</p> + +<p>"It was the day of the wreck, Father. John was up betimes, before the +dawn; he walked out early to the sands, and Henry with him—and they +were the first to see the wreck—was not that it?" At these words the +father and son seemed to exchange a very swift and secret look, and both +grew pale. "John told me there was a wreck ashore, and they went +presently and roused the rest of the village; and all that day they were +out, saving what could be saved. Two sailors were found, both dead and +pitifully battered by the sea, and they were buried, as you know, +Father, in the churchyard next day; John came back about dusk and Henry +with him, and we sate down to our supper. John was telling me about the +wreck, as we sate beside the fire, when Henry, who was sitting apart, +rose up and cried out suddenly, 'What is that?'"</p> + +<p>She paused for a moment, and Henry, who sate with face blanched, staring +at his mother, said, "Ay, did I—it ran past me suddenly." "Yes, but +what was it?" said Father Thomas trying to smile; "a dog or cat, +methinks." "It was a beast," said Henry slowly, in a trembling voice—"a +beast about the bigness of a goat. I never saw the like—yet I did not +see it clear; I but felt the air blow, and caught a whiff of it—it was +salt like the sea, but with a kind of dead smell behind." "Was that all +you saw?" said Father Thomas; "belike you were tired and faint, and the +air swam round you suddenly—I have known the like myself when weary."</p> + +<p>"Nay, nay," said Henry, "this was not like that—it was a beast, sure +enough."</p> + +<p>"Ay, and we have seen it since," said Bridget. "At least I have not seen +it clearly yet, but I have smelt its odour, and it turns me sick—but +John and Henry have seen it often—sometimes it lies and seems to sleep, +but it watches us; and again it is merry, and will leap in a corner—and +John saw it skip upon the sands near the wreck—did you not, John?" At +these words the two men again exchanged a glance, and then old Master +Grimston, with a dreadful look in his face, in which great anger seemed +to strive with fear, said "Nay, silly woman, it was not near the wreck, +it was out to the east." "It matters little," said Father Thomas, who +saw well enough this was no light matter. "I never heard the like of it. +I will myself come down to your house with a holy book, and see if the +thing will meet me. I know not what this is," he went on, "whether it is +a vain terror that hath hold of you; but there be spirits of evil in +the world, though much fettered by Christ and His Saints—we read of +such in Holy Writ—and the sea, too, doubtless hath its monsters; and it +may be that one hath wandered out of the waves, like a dog that hath +strayed from his home. I dare not say, till I have met it face to face. +But God gives no power to such things to hurt those who have a fair +conscience."—And here he made a stop, and looked at the three; Bridget +sate regarding him with a hope in her face; but the other two sate +peering upon the ground; and the priest divined in some secret way that +all was not well with them. "But I will come at once," he said rising, +"and I will see if I can cast out or bind the thing, whatever it be—for +I am in this place as a soldier of the Lord, to fight with works of +darkness." He took a clasped book from a table, and lifted up his hat, +saying, "Let us set forth." Then he said as they left the room, "Hath it +appeared to-day?" "Yes, indeed," said Henry, "and it was ill content. +It followed us as though it were angered." "Come," said Father Thomas +turning upon him, "you speak thus of a thing, as you might speak of a +dog—what is it like?" "Nay," said Henry, "I know not; I can never see +it clearly; it is like a speck in the eye—it is never there when you +look upon it—it glides away very secretly; it is most like a goat, I +think. It seems to be horned, and hairy; but I have seen its eyes, and +they were yellow, like a flame."</p> + +<p>As he said these words Master Grimston went in haste to the door, and +pulled it open as though to breathe the air. The others followed him and +went out; but Master Grimston drew the priest aside, and said like a man +in a mortal fear, "Look you, Father, all this is true—the thing is a +devil—and why it abides with us I know not; but I cannot live so; and +unless it be cast out it will slay me—but if money be of avail, I have +it in abundance." "Nay," said Father Thomas, "let there be no talk of +money—perchance if I can aid you, you may give of your gratitude to +God." "Ay, ay," said the old man hurriedly, "that was what I +meant—there is money in abundance for God, if he will but set me free."</p> + +<p>So they walked very sadly together through the street. There were few +folk about; the men and the children were all abroad—a woman or two +came to the house doors, and wondered a little to see them pass so +solemnly, as though they followed a body to the grave.</p> + +<p>Master Grimston's house was the largest in the place. It had a walled +garden before it, with a strong door set in the wall. The house stood +back from the road, a dark front of brick with gables; behind it the +garden sloped nearly to the sands, with wooden barns and warehouses. +Master Grimston unlocked the door, and then it seemed that his terrors +came over him, for he would have the priest enter first. Father Thomas, +with a certain apprehension of which he was ashamed, walked quickly in, +and looked about him. The herbage of the garden had mostly died down in +the winter, and a tangle of sodden stalks lay over the beds. A flagged +path edged with box led up to the house, which seemed to stare at them +out of its dark windows with a sort of steady gaze. Master Grimston +fastened the door behind them, and they went all together, keeping close +one to another, up to the house, the door of which opened upon a big +parlour or kitchen, sparely furnished, but very clean and comfortable. +Some vessels of metal glittered on a rack. There were chairs, ranged +round the open fireplace. There was no sound except that the wind +buffeted in the chimney. It looked a quiet and homely place, and Father +Thomas grew ashamed of his fears. "Now," said he in his firm voice, +"though I am your guest here, I will appoint what shall be done. We will +sit here together, and talk as cheerfully as we may, till we have +dined. Then, if nothing appears to us,"—and he crossed himself—"I will +go round the house, into every room, and see if we can track the thing +to its lair: then I will abide with you till evensong; and then I will +soon return, and lie here to-night. Even if the thing be wary, and dares +not to meet the power of the Church in the day-time, perhaps it will +venture out at night; and I will even try a fall with it. So come, good +people, and be comforted."</p> + +<p>So they sate together; and Father Thomas talked of many things, and told +some old legends of saints; and they dined, though without much cheer; +and still nothing appeared. Then, after dinner, Father Thomas would view +the house. So he took his book up, and they went from room to room. On +the ground floor there were several chambers not used, which they +entered in turn, but saw nothing; on the upper floor was a large room +where Master Grimston and his wife slept; and a further room for Henry, +and a guest-chamber in which the priest was to sleep if need was; and a +room where a servant-maid slept. And now the day began to darken and to +turn to evening, and Father Thomas felt a shadow grow in his mind. There +came into his head a verse of Scripture about a spirit which found a +house "empty, swept and garnished," and called his fellows to enter in.</p> + +<p>At the end of the passage was a locked door; and Father Thomas said: +"This is the last room—let us enter." "Nay, there is no need to do +that," said Master Grimston in a kind of haste; "it leads nowhither—it +is but a room of stores." "It were a pity to leave it unvisited," said +the Father—and as he said the word, there came a kind of stirring from +within. "A rat, doubtless," said the Father, striving with a sudden +sense of fear; but the pale faces round him told another tale. "Come, +Master Grimston, let us be done with this;" said Father Thomas +decisively; "the hour of vespers draws nigh." So Master Grimston slowly +drew out a key and unlocked the door, and Father Thomas marched in. It +was a simple place enough. There were shelves on which various household +matters lay, boxes and jars, with twine and cordage. On the ground stood +chests. There were some clothes hanging on pegs, and in a corner was a +heap of garments, piled up. On one of the chests stood a box of rough +deal, and from the corner of it dripped water, which lay in a little +pool on the floor. Master Grimston went hurriedly to the box and pushed +it further to the wall. As he did so, a kind of sound came from Henry's +lips. Father Thomas turned and looked at him; he stood pale and +strength-less, his eyes fixed on the corner—at the same moment +something dark and shapeless seemed to slip past the group, and there +came to the nostrils of Father Thomas a strange sharp smell, as of the +sea, only that there was a taint within it, like the smell of +corruption.</p> + +<p>They all turned and looked at Father Thomas together, as though seeking +a comfort from his presence. He, hardly knowing what he did, and in the +grasp of a terrible fear, fumbled with his book; and opening it, read +the first words that his eye fell upon, which was the place where the +Blessed Lord, beset with enemies, said that if He did but pray to His +Father, He should send Him forthwith legions of angels to encompass Him. +And the verse seemed to the priest so like a message sent instantly from +heaven that he was not a little comforted.</p> + +<p>But the thing, whatever the reason was, appeared to them no more at that +time. Yet the thought of it lay very heavy on Father Thomas's heart. In +truth he had not in the bottom of his mind believed that he would see +it, but had trusted in his honest life and his sacred calling to protect +him. He could hardly speak for some minutes,—moreover the horror of +the thing was very great—and seeing him so grave, their terrors were +increased, though there was a kind of miserable joy in their minds that +some one, and he a man of high repute, should suffer with them.</p> + +<p>Then Father Thomas, after a pause—they were now in the parlour—said, +speaking very slowly, that they were in a sore affliction of Satan, and +that they must withstand him with a good courage—"and look you," he +added, turning with a great sternness to the three, "if there be any +mortal sin upon your hearts, see that you confess it and be shriven +speedily—for while such a thing lies upon the heart, so long hath Satan +power to hurt—otherwise have no fear at all."</p> + +<p>Then Father Thomas slipped out to the garden, and hearing the bell +pulled for vespers, he went to the church, and the three would go with +him, because they would not be left alone. So they went together; by +this time the street was fuller, and the servant-maid had told tales, +so that there was much talk in the place about what was going forward. +None spoke with them as they went, but at every corner you might see one +check another in talk, and a silence fall upon a group, so that they +knew that their terrors were on every tongue. There was but a handful of +worshippers in the church, which was dark, save for the light on Father +Thomas' book. He read the holy service swiftly and courageously, but his +face was very pale and grave in the light of the candle. When the +vespers were over, and he had put off his robe, he said that he would go +back to his house, and gather what he needed for the night, and that +they should wait for him at the churchyard gate. So he strode off to his +vicarage. But as he shut to the door, he saw a dark figure come running +up the garden; he waited with a fear in his mind, but in a moment he saw +that it was Henry, who came up breathless, and said that he must speak +with the Father alone. Father Thomas knew that somewhat dark was to be +told him. So he led Henry into the parlour and seated himself, and said, +"Now, my son, speak boldly." So there was an instant's silence, and +Henry slipped on to his knees.</p> + +<p>Then in a moment Henry with a sob began to tell his tale. He said that +on the day of the wreck his father had roused him very early in the +dawn, and had told him to put on his clothes and come silently, for he +thought there was a wreck ashore. His father carried a spade in his +hand, he knew not then why. They went down to the tide, which was moving +out very fast, and left but an inch or two of water on the sands. There +was but a little light, but, when they had walked a little, they saw the +black hull of a ship before them, on the edge of the deeper water, the +waves driving over it; and then all at once they came upon the body of a +man lying on his face on the sand. There was no sign of life in him, but +he clasped a bag in his hand that was heavy, and the pocket of his coat +was full to bulging; and there lay, moreover, some glittering things +about him that seemed to be coins. They lifted the body up, and his +father stripped the coat off from the man, and then bade Henry dig a +hole in the sand, which he presently did, though the sand and water +oozed fast into it. Then his father, who had been stooping down, +gathering somewhat up from the sand, raised the body up, and laid it in +the hole, and bade Henry cover it with the sand. And so he did till it +was nearly hidden. Then came a horrible thing; the sand in the hole +began to move and stir, and presently a hand was put out with clutching +fingers; and Henry had dropped the spade, and said, "There is life in +him," but his father seized the spade, and shovelled the sand into the +hole with a kind of silent fury, and trampled it over and smoothed it +down—and then he gathered up the coat and the bag, and handed Henry the +spade. By this time the town was astir, and they saw, very faintly, a +man run along the shore eastward; so, making a long circuit to the west, +they returned; his father had put the spade away and taken the coat +upstairs; and then he went out with Henry, and told all he could find +that there was a wreck ashore.</p> + +<p>The priest heard the story with a fierce shame and anger, and turning to +Henry he said, "But why did you not resist your father, and save the +poor sailor?" "I dared not," said Henry shuddering, "though I would have +done so if I could; but my father has a power over me, and I am used to +obey him." Then said the priest, "This is a dark matter. But you have +told the story bravely, and now will I shrive you, my son." So he gave +him shrift. Then he said to Henry, "And have you seen aught that would +connect the beast that visits you with this thing?" "Ay, that I have," +said Henry, "for I watched it with my father skip and leap in the water +over the place where the man lies buried." Then the priest said, "Your +father must tell me the tale too, and he must make submission to the +law." "He will not," said Henry. "Then will I compel him," said the +priest. "Not out of my mouth," said Henry, "or he will slay me too." And +then the priest said that he was in a strait place, for he could not use +the words of confession of one man to convict another of his sin. So he +gathered his things in haste, and walked back to the church; but Henry +went another way, saying "I made excuse to come away, and said I went +elsewhere; but I fear my father much—he sees very deep; and I would not +have him suspect me of having made confession."</p> + +<p>Then the Father met the other two at the church gate; and they went down +to the house in silence, the Father pondering heavily; and at the door +Henry joined them, and it seemed to the Father that old Master Grimston +regarded him not. So they entered the house in silence, and ate in +silence, listening earnestly for any sound. And the Father looked oft on +Master Grimston, who ate and drank and said nothing, never raising his +eyes. But once the Father saw him laugh secretly to himself, so that the +blood came cold in the Father's veins, and he could hardly contain +himself from accusing him. Then the Father had them to prayers, and +prayed earnestly against the evil, and that they should open their +hearts to God, if he would show them why this misery came upon them.</p> + +<p>Then they went to bed; and Henry asked that he might lie in the priest's +room, which he willingly granted. And so the house was dark, and they +made as though they would sleep; but the Father could not sleep, and he +heard Henry weeping silently to himself like a little child.</p> + +<p>But at last the Father slept—how long he knew not—and suddenly brake +out of his sleep with a horror of darkness all about him, and knew that +there was some evil thing abroad. So he looked upon the room. He heard +Henry mutter heavily in his sleep as though there was a dark terror upon +him; and then, in the light of the dying embers, the Father saw a thing +rise upon the hearth, as though it had slept there, and woke to stretch +itself. And then in the half-light it seemed softly to gambol and play; +but whereas when an innocent beast does this in the simple joy of its +heart, and seems a fond and pretty sight, the Father thought he had +never seen so ugly a sight as the beast gambolling all by itself, as if +it could not contain its own dreadful joy; it looked viler and more +wicked every moment; then, too, there spread in the room the sharp scent +of the sea, with the foul smell underneath it, that gave the Father a +deadly sickness; he tried to pray, but no words would come, and he felt +indeed that the evil was too strong for him. Presently the beast +desisted from its play, and looking wickedly about it, came near to the +Father's bed, and seemed to put up its hairy forelegs upon it; he could +see its narrow and obscene eyes, which burned with a dull yellow light, +and were fixed upon him. And now the Father thought that his end was +near, for he could stir neither hand nor foot, and the sweat rained down +his brow; but he made a mighty effort, and in a voice which shocked +himself, so dry and husky and withal of so loud and screaming a tone it +was, he said three holy words. The beast gave a great quiver of rage, +but it dropped down on the floor, and in a moment was gone. Then Henry +woke, and raising himself on his arm, said somewhat; but there broke out +in the house a great outcry and the stamping of feet, which seemed very +fearful in the silence of the night. The priest leapt out of his bed all +dizzy, and made a light, and ran to the door, and went out, crying +whatever words came to his head. The door of Master Grimston's room was +open, and a strange and strangling sound came forth; the Father made his +way in, and found Master Grimston lying upon the floor, his wife bending +over him; he lay still, breathing pitifully, and every now and then a +shudder ran through him. In the room there seemed a strange and shadowy +tumult going forward; but the Father saw that no time could be lost, and +kneeling down beside Master Grimston, he prayed with all his might.</p> + +<p>Presently Master Grimston ceased to struggle and lay still, like a +man who had come out of a sore conflict. Then he opened his eyes, and +the Father stopped his prayers, and looking very hard at him he said, +"My son, the time is very short—give God the glory." Then Master +Grimston, rolling his haggard eyes upon the group, twice strove to speak +and could not; but the third time the Father, bending down his head, +heard him say in a thin voice, that seemed to float from a long way off, +"I slew him ... my sin." Then the Father swiftly gave him shrift, and as +he said the last word, Master Grimston's head fell over on the side, and +the Father said, "He is gone." And Bridget broke out into a terrible cry, +and fell upon Henry's neck, who had entered unseen.</p> + +<p>Then the Father bade him lead her away, and put the poor body on the +bed; as he did so he noticed that the face of the dead man was strangely +bruised and battered, as though it had been stamped upon by the hoofs of +some beast. Then Father Thomas knelt, and prayed until the light came +filtering in through the shutters; and the cocks crowed in the village, +and presently it was day. But that night the Father learnt strange +secrets, and something of the dark purposes of God was revealed to him.</p> + +<p>In the morning there came one to find the priest, and told him that +another body had been thrown up on the shore, which was strangely +smeared with sand, as though it had been rolled over and over in it; +and the Father took order for its burial.</p> + +<p>Then the priest had long talk with Bridget and Henry. He found them +sitting together, and she held her son's hand and smoothed his hair, as +though he had been a little child; and Henry sobbed and wept, but +Bridget was very calm. "He hath told me all," she said, "and we have +decided that he shall do whatever you bid him; must he be given to +justice?" and she looked at the priest very pitifully. "Nay, nay," said +the priest. "I hold not Henry to account for the death of the man; it +was his father's sin, who hath made heavy atonement—the secret shall be +buried in our hearts."</p> + +<p>Then Bridget told him how she had waked suddenly out of her sleep, and +heard her husband cry out; and that then followed a dreadful kind of +struggling, with the scent of the sea over all; and then he had all at +once fallen to the ground and she had gone to him—and that then the +priest had come.</p> + +<p>Then Father Thomas said with tears that God had shown them deep things +and visited them very strangely; and they would henceforth live humbly +in his sight, showing mercy.</p> + +<p>Then lastly he went with Henry to the store-room; and there, in the box +that had dripped with water, lay the coat of the dead man, full of +money, and the bag of money too; and Henry would have cast it back into +the sea, but the priest said that this might not be, but that it should +be bestowed plentifully upon shipwrecked mariners unless the heirs +should be found. But the ship appeared to be a foreign ship, and no +search ever revealed whence the money had come, save that it seemed to +have been violently come by.</p> + +<p>Master Grimston was found to have left much wealth. But Bridget would +sell the house and the land, and it mostly went to rebuild the church to +God's glory. Then Bridget and Henry removed to the vicarage and served +Father Thomas faithfully, and they guarded their secret. And beside the +nave is a little high turret built, where burns a lamp in a lantern at +the top, to give light to those at sea.</p> + +<p>Now the beast troubled those of whom I write no more; but it is easier +to raise up evil than to lay it; and there are those that say that to +this day a man or a woman with an evil thought in their hearts may see +on a certain evening in November, at the ebb of the tide, a goatlike +thing wade in the water, snuffing at the sand, as though it sought but +found not. But of this I know nothing.</p> + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h2><a name="Paul_the_Minstrel" id="Paul_the_Minstrel"></a>Paul the Minstrel</h2> + + + +<h2>I</h2> + + +<p>The old House of Heritage stood just below the downs, in the few meadows +that were all that was left of a great estate. The house itself was of +stone, very firmly and gravely built; and roofed with thin slabs of +stone, small at the roof-ridge, and increasing in size towards the +eaves. Inside, there were a few low panelled rooms opening on a large +central hall; there was little furniture, and that of a sturdy and solid +kind—but the house needed nothing else, and had all the beauty that +came of a simple austerity.</p> + +<p>Old Mistress Alison, who abode there, was aged and poor. She had but +one house-servant, a serious and honest maid, whose only pride was to +keep the place sweet, and save her mistress from all care. But Mistress +Alison was not to be dismayed by poverty; she was a tranquil and loving +woman, who had never married; but who, as if to compensate her for the +absence of nearer ties, had a simple and wholesome love of all created +things. She was infirm now, but was quite content, when it was fine, to +sit for long hours idle for very love, and look about her with a +peaceful and smiling air; she prayed much, or rather held a sweet +converse in her heart with God; she thought little of her latter end, +which she knew could not be long delayed, but was content to leave it in +the hands of the Father, sure that He, who had made the world so +beautiful and so full of love, would comfort her when she came to enter +in at the dark gate.</p> + +<p>There was also an old and silent man who looked after the cattle and +the few hens that the household kept; at the back of the house was a +thatched timbered grange, where he laid his tools; but he spent his time +mostly in the garden, which sloped down to the fishpond, and was all +bordered with box; here was a pleasant homely scent, on hot days, of the +good herbs that shed their rich smell in the sun; and here the flies, +that sate in the leaves, would buzz at the sound of a footfall, and then +be still again, cleaning their hands together in their busy manner.</p> + +<p>The only other member of the quiet household was the boy Paul, who was +distantly akin to Mistress Alison. He had neither father nor mother, and +had lived at Heritage all of his life that he could remember; he was a +slender, serious boy, with delicate features, and large grey eyes that +looked as if they held a secret; but if they had, it was a secret of his +forefathers; for the boy had led a most quiet and innocent life; he had +been taught to read in a fashion, but he had no schooling; sometimes a +neighbouring goodwife would say to Mistress Alison that the boy should +be sent to school, and Mistress Alison would open her peaceful eyes and +say, "Nay, Paul is not like other boys—he would get all the hurt and +none of the good of school; when there is work for him he will do +it—but I am not for making all toil alike. Paul shall grow up like the +lilies of the field. God made not all things to be busy." And the +goodwife would shake her head and wonder; for it was not easy to answer +Mistress Alison, who indeed was often right in the end.</p> + +<p>So Paul grew up as he would; sometimes he would help the old gardener, +when there was work to be done; for he loved to serve others, and was +content with toil if it was sweetened with love; but often he rambled by +himself for hours together; he cared little for company, because the +earth was to him full of wonder and of sweet sights and sounds. He loved +to climb the down, and lie feasting his eyes on the rich plain, spread +out like a map; the farms in their closes, the villages from which went +up the smoke at evening, the distant blue hills, like the hills of +heaven, the winding river, and the lake that lay in the winter twilight +like a shield of silver. He loved to see the sun flash on the windows of +the houses so distant that they could not themselves be seen, but only +sparkled like stars. He loved to loiter on the edge of the steep hanging +woods in summer, to listen to the humming of the flies deep in the +brake, and to catch a sight of lonely flowers; he loved the scent of the +wind blowing softly out of the copse, and he wondered what the trees +said to each other, when they stood still and happy in the heat of +midday. He loved, too, the silent night, full of stars, when the wood +that topped the hill lay black against the sky. The whole world seemed +to him to be full of a mysterious and beautiful life of which he could +never quite catch the secret; these innocent flowers, these dreaming +trees seemed, as it were, to hold him smiling at arm's length, while +they guarded their joy from him. The birds and the beasts seemed to him +to have less of this quiet joy, for they were fearful and careful, +working hard to find a living, and dreading the sight of man; but +sometimes in the fragrant eventide the nightingale would say a little of +what was in her heart. "Yes," Paul would say to himself, "it is like +that."</p> + +<p>One other chief delight the boy had; he knew the magic of sound, which +spoke to his heart in a way that it speaks to but few; the sounds of the +earth gave up their sweets to him; the musical fluting of owls, the +liquid notes of the cuckoo, the thin pipe of dancing flies, the mournful +creaking of the cider-press, the horn of the oxherd wound far off on the +hill, the tinkling of sheep-bells—of all these he knew the notes; and +not only these, but the rhythmical swing of the scythes sweeping +through the grass, the flails heard through the hot air from the barn, +the clinking of the anvil in the village forge, the bubble of the stream +through the weir—all these had a tale to tell him. Sometimes, for days +together, he would hum to himself a few notes that pleased him by their +sweet cadence, and he would string together some simple words to them, +and sing them to himself with gentle content. The song of the reapers on +the upland, or the rude chanting in the little church had a magical +charm for him; and Mistress Alison would hear the boy, in his room +overhead, singing softly to himself for very gladness of heart, like a +little bird of the dawn, or tapping out some tripping beat of time; when +she would wonder and speak to God of what was in her heart.</p> + +<p>As Paul grew older—he was now about sixteen—a change came slowly over +his mind; he began to have moods of a silent discontent, a longing for +something far away, a desire of he knew not what. His old dreams began +to fade, though they visited him from time to time; but he began to care +less for the silent beautiful life of the earth, and to take more +thought of men. He had never felt much about himself before; but one +day, lying beside a woodland pool at the feet of the down, he caught a +sight of his own face; and when he smiled at it, it seemed to smile back +at him; he began to wonder what the world was like, and what all the +busy people that lived therein said and thought; he began to wish to +have a friend, that he might tell him what was in his heart—and yet he +knew not what it was that he would say. He began, too, to wonder how +people regarded him—the people who had before been but to him a distant +part of the shows of the world. Once he came in upon Mistress Alison, +who sate talking with a gossip of hers; when he entered, there was a +sudden silence, and a glance passed between the two; and Paul divined +that they had been speaking of himself, and desired to know what they +had said.</p> + +<p>One day the old gardener, in a more talkative mood than was his wont, +told him a tale of one who had visited the Wishing Well that lay a few +miles away, and, praying for riches, had found the next day, in digging, +an old urn of pottery, full of ancient coins. Paul was very urgent to +know about the well, and the old man told him that it must be visited at +noonday and alone. That he that would have his wish must throw a gift +into the water, and drink of the well, and then, turning to the sun, +must wish his wish aloud. Paul asked him many more questions, but the +old man would say no more. So Paul determined that he would visit the +place for himself.</p> + +<p>The next day he set off. He took with him one of his few possessions, a +little silver coin that a parson hard by had given him. He went his way +quickly among the pleasant fields, making towards the great bulk of +Blackdown beacon, where the hills swelled up into a steep bluff, with a +white road, cut in the chalk, winding steeply up their green smooth +sides. It was a fresh morning with a few white clouds racing merrily +overhead, the shadows of which fell every now and then upon the down and +ran swiftly over it, like a flood of shade leaping down the sides. There +were few people to be seen anywhere; the fields were full of grass, with +large daisies and high red sorrel. By midday he was beneath the front of +Blackdown, and here he asked at a cottage of a good-natured woman, that +was bustling in and out, the way to the well. She answered him very +kindly and described the path—it was not many yards away—and then +asked where he came from, saying briskly, "And what would you wish for? +I should have thought you had all you could desire." "Why, I hardly +know;" said Paul smiling. "It seems that I desire a thousand things, and +can scarcely give a name to one." "That is ever the way," said the +woman, "but the day will come when you will be content with one." Paul +did not understand what she meant, but thanked her and went on his way; +and wondered that she stood so long looking after him.</p> + +<p>At last he came to the spring. It was a pool in a field, ringed round by +alders. Paul thought he had never seen a fairer place. There grew a +number of great kingcups round the brim, with their flowers like +glistening gold, and with cool thick stalks and fresh leaves. Inside the +ring of flowers the pool looked strangely deep and black; but looking +into it you could see the sand leaping at the bottom in three or four +cones; and to the left the water bubbled away in a channel covered with +water-plants. Paul could see that there was an abundance of little +things at the bottom, half covered with sand—coins, flowers, even +little jars—which he knew to be the gifts of wishers. So he flung his +own coin in the pool, and saw it slide hither and thither, glancing in +the light, till it settled at the dark bottom. Then he dipped and drank, +turned to the sun, and closing his eyes, said out loud, "Give me what I +desire." And this he repeated three times, to be sure that he was heard. +Then he opened his eyes again, and for a moment the place looked +different, with a strange grey light. But there was no answer to his +prayer in heaven or earth, and the very sky seemed to wear a quiet +smile.</p> + +<p>Paul waited a little, half expecting some answer; but presently he +turned his back upon the pool and walked slowly away; the down lay on +one side of him, looking solemn and dark over the trees which grew very +plentifully; Paul thought that he would like to walk upon the down; so +he went up a little leafy lane that seemed to lead to it. Suddenly, as +he passed a small thicket, a voice hailed him; it was a rich and +cheerful voice, and it came from under the trees. He turned in the +direction of the voice, which seemed to be but a few yards off, and saw, +sitting on a green bank under the shade, two figures. One was a man of +middle age, dressed lightly as though for travelling, and Paul thought +somewhat fantastically. His hat had a flower stuck in the band. But Paul +thought little of the dress, because the face of the man attracted him; +he was sunburnt and strong-looking, and Paul at first thought he must be +a soldier; he had a short beard, and his hair was grown rather long; his +face was deeply lined, but there was something wonderfully good-natured, +friendly, and kind about his whole expression. He was smiling, and his +smile showed small white teeth; and Paul felt in a moment that he could +trust him, and that the man was friendly disposed to himself and all the +world; friendly, not in a servile way, as one who wished to please, but +in a sort of prodigal, royal way, as one who had great gifts to bestow, +and was liberal of them, and looked to be made welcome. The other +figure was that of a boy rather older than himself, with a merry ugly +face, who in looking at Paul, seemed yet to keep a sidelong and +deferential glance at the older man, as though admiring him, and +desiring to do as he did in all things.</p> + +<p>"Where go you, pretty boy, alone in the noontide?" said the man.</p> + +<p>Paul stopped and listened, and for a moment could not answer. Then he +said, "I am going to the down, sir, and I have been"—he hesitated for a +moment—"I have been to the Wishing Well."</p> + +<p>"The Wishing Well?" said the man gravely. "I did not know there was one +hereabouts. I thought that every one in this happy valley had been too +well content—and what did you wish for, if I may ask?"</p> + +<p>Paul was silent and grew red; and then he said, "Oh, just for my heart's +desire."</p> + +<p>"That is either a very cautious or a very beautiful answer," said the +man, "and it gives me a lesson in manners; but will you not sit a little +with us in the shade?—and you shall hear a concert of music such as I +dare say you shall hardly hear out of France or Italy. Do you practise +music, child, the divine gift?"</p> + +<p>"I love it a little," said Paul, "but I have no skill."</p> + +<p>"Yet you look to me like one who might have skill," said the man; "you +have the air of it—you look as though you listened, and as though you +dreamed pleasant dreams. But, Jack," he said, turning to his boy, "what +shall we give our friend?—shall he have the 'Song of the Rose' first?"</p> + +<p>The boy at this word drew a little metal pipe out of his doublet, and +put it to his lips; and the man reached out his hand and took up a small +lute which lay on the bank beside him. He held up a warning finger to +the boy. "Remember," he said, "that you come in at the fifth chord, +together with the voice—not before." He struck four simple chords on +the lute, very gently, and with a sort of dainty preciseness; and then +at the same moment the little pipe and his own voice began; the pipe +played a simple descant in quicker time, with two notes to each note of +the song, and the man in a brisk and simple way, as it were at the edge +of his lips, sang a very sweet little country song, in a quiet homely +measure.</p> + +<p>There seemed to Paul to be nothing short of magic about it. There was a +beautiful restraint about the voice, which gave him a sense both of +power and feeling held back; but it brought before him a sudden picture +of a garden, and the sweet life of the flowers and little trees, taking +what came, sunshine and rain, and just living and smiling, breathing +fragrant breath from morning to night, and sleeping a light sleep till +they should waken to another tranquil day. He listened as if +spellbound. There were but three verses, and though he could not +remember the words, it seemed as though the rose spoke and told her +dreams.</p> + +<p>He could have listened for ever; but the voice made a sudden stop, not +prolonging the last note, but keeping very closely to the time; the pipe +played a little run, like an echo of the song, the man struck a brisk +chord on the lute—and all was over. "Bravely played, Jack!" said the +singer; "no musician could have played it better. You remembered what I +told you, to keep each note separate, and have no gliding. This song +must trip from beginning to end, like a brisk bird that hops on the +grass." Then he turned to Paul and, with a smile, said, "Reverend sir, +how does my song please you?"</p> + +<p>"I never heard anything more beautiful," said Paul simply. "I cannot say +it, but it was like a door opened;" and he looked at the minstrel with +intent eyes;—"may I hear it again?" "Boy," said the singer gravely, "I +had rather have such a look as you gave me during the song than a golden +crown. You will not understand what I say, but you paid me the homage of +the pure heart, the best reward that the minstrel desires."</p> + +<p>Then he conferred with the other boy in a low tone, and struck a very +sad yet strong chord upon his lute; and then, with a grave face, he sang +what to Paul seemed like a dirge for a dead hero who had done with +mortal things, and whose death seemed more a triumph than a sorrow. When +he had sung the first verse, the pipe came softly and sadly in, like the +voice of grief that could not be controlled, the weeping of those on +whom lay the shadow of loss. To Paul, in a dim way,—for he was but a +child—the song seemed the voice of the world, lamenting its noblest, +yet triumphing in their greatness, and desirous to follow in their +steps. It brought before him all the natural sorrows of death, the call +to quit the sweet and pleasant things of the world—a call that could +not be denied, and that was in itself indeed stronger and even sweeter +than the delights which it bade its listeners leave. And Paul seemed to +walk in some stately procession of men far off and ancient, who followed +a great king to the grave, and whose hearts were too full of wonder to +think yet what they had lost. It was an uplifting sadness; and when the +sterner strain came to an end, Paul said very quietly, putting into +words the thoughts of his full heart, "I did not think that death could +be so beautiful." And the minstrel smiled, but Paul saw that his eyes +were full of tears.</p> + +<p>Then all at once the minstrel struck the lute swiftly and largely, and +sang a song of those that march to victory, not elated nor excited, but +strong to dare and to do; and Paul felt his heart beat within him, and +he longed to be of the company. After he had sung this to an end, there +was a silence, and the minstrel said to Paul, yet as though half +speaking to himself, "There, my son, I have given you a specimen of my +art; and I think from your look that you might be of the number of those +that make these rich jewels that men call songs; and should you try to +do so, be mindful of these two things: let them be perfect first. You +will make many that are not perfect. In some the soul will be wanting; +in others the body, in a manner of speaking, will be amiss; for they are +living things, these songs, and he that makes them is a kind of god. +Well, if you cannot mend one, throw it aside and think no more of it. Do +not save it because it has some gracious touch, for in this are the +masters of the craft different from the mere makers of songs. The master +will have nothing but what is perfect within and without, while the +lesser craftsman will save a poor song for the sake of a fine line or +phrase.</p> + +<p>"And next, you must do it for the love of your art, and not for the +praise it wins you. That is a poisoned wine, of which if you drink, you +will never know the pure and high tranquillity of spirit that befits a +master. The master may be discouraged and troubled oft, but he must have +in his soul a blessed peace, and know the worth and beauty of what he +does; for there is nothing nobler than to make beautiful things, and to +enlighten the generous heart. Fighting is a fair trade, and though it is +noble in much, yet its end is to destroy; but the master of song mars +nought, but makes joy;—and that is the end of my sermon for the time. +And now," he added briskly, "I must be going, for I have far to fare; +but I shall pass by this way again, and shall inquire of your welfare; +tell me your name and where you live." So Paul told him, and then added +timidly enough that he would fain know how to begin to practise his art. +"Silence!" said the minstrel, rather fiercely; "that is an evil and +timorous thought. If you are worthy, you will find the way." And so in +the hot afternoon he said farewell, and walked lightly off. And Paul +stood in wonder and hope, and saw the two figures leave the flat, take +to the down, and wind up the steep road, ever growing smaller, till they +topped the ridge, where they seemed to stand a moment larger than human; +and presently they were lost from view.</p> + +<p>So Paul made his way home; and when he pushed the gate of Heritage open, +he wondered to think that he could recollect nothing of the road he had +traversed. He went up to the house and entered the hall. There sate +Mistress Alison, reading in a little book. She closed it as he came in, +and looked at him with a smile. Paul went up to her and said, "Mother" +(so he was used to call her), "I have heard songs to-day such as I never +dreamt of, and I pray you to let me learn the art of making music; I +must be a minstrel." "'Must' is a grave word, dear heart," said Mistress +Alison, looking somewhat serious; "but let me hear your story first." +So Paul told of his meeting with the minstrel. Mistress Alison sate +musing a long time, smiling when she met Paul's eye, till he said at +last, "Will you not speak, mother?" "I know," she said at last, "whom +you have met, dear child—that is Mark, the great minstrel. He travels +about the land, for he is a restless man, though the king himself would +have him dwell in his court, and make music for him. Yet I have looked +for this day, though it has come when I did not expect it. And now I +must tell you a story, Paul, in my turn. Many years ago there was a boy +like you, and he loved music too and the making of songs, and he grew to +great skill therein. But it was at last his ruin, for he got to love +riotous company and feasting too well; and so his skill forsook him, as +it does those that live not cleanly and nobly. And he married a young +wife, having won her by his songs, and a child was born to them. But the +minstrel fell sick and presently died, and his last prayer was that his +son might not know the temptation of song. And his wife lingered a +little, but she soon pined away, for her heart was broken within her; +and she too died. And now, Paul, listen, for the truth must be told—you +are that child, the son of sorrow and tears. And here you have lived +with me all your life; but because the tale was a sad one, I have +forborne to tell it you. I have waited and wondered to see whether the +gift of the father is given to the son; and sometimes I have thought it +might be yours, and sometimes I have doubted. And now, child, we will +talk of this no more to-day, for it is ill to decide in haste. Think +well over what I have said, and see if it makes a difference in your +wishes. I have told you all the tale."</p> + +<p>Now the story that Mistress Alison had told him dwelt very much in +Paul's mind that night; but it seemed to him strange and far off, and he +did not doubt what the end should be. It was as though the sight of the +minstrel, his songs and words, had opened a window in his mind, and that +he saw out of it a strange and enchanted country, of woods and streams, +with a light of evening over it, bounded by far-off hills, all blue and +faint, among which some beautiful thing was hidden for him to find; it +seemed to call him softly to come; the trees smiled upon him, the voice +of the streams bade him make haste—it all waited for him, like a +country waiting for its lord to come and take possession.</p> + +<p>Then it seemed to him that his soul slipped like a bird from the window, +and rising in the air over that magical land, beat its wings softly in +the pale heaven; and then like a dove that knows, by some inborn +mysterious art, which way its path lies, his spirit paused upon the +breeze, and then sailed out across the tree-tops. Whither? Paul knew +not. And so at last he slipped into a quiet sleep.</p> + +<p>He woke in the morning all of a sudden, with a kind of tranquil joy and +purpose; and when he was dressed, and gone into the hall, he found +Mistress Alison sitting in her chair beside the table laid for their +meal. She was silent and looked troubled, and Paul went up softly to +her, and kissed her and said, "I have chosen." She did not need to ask +him what he had chosen, but put her arm about him and said, "Then, dear +Paul, be content—and we will have one more day together, the last of +the old days; and to-morrow shall the new life begin."</p> + +<p>So the two passed a long and quiet day together. For to the wise and +loving-hearted woman this was the last of sweet days, and her soul went +out to the past with a great hunger of love; but she stilled it as was +her wont, saying to herself that this dear passage of life had hitherto +only been like the clear trickling of a woodland spring, while the love +of the Father's heart was as it were a great river of love marching +softly to a wide sea, on which river the very world itself floated like +a flower-bloom between widening banks.</p> + +<p>And indeed if any had watched them that day, it would have seemed that +she was the serener; for the thought of the life that lay before him +worked like wine in the heart of Paul, and he could only by an effort +bring himself back to loving looks and offices of tenderness. They spent +the whole day together, for the most part in a peaceful silence; and at +last the sun went down, and a cool breeze came up out of the west, laden +with scent from miles and miles of grass and flowers, which seemed to +bear with it the fragrant breath of myriads of sweet living things.</p> + +<p>Then they ate together what was the last meal they were to take thus +alone. And at last Mistress Alison would have Paul go to rest. And so +she took his hand in hers, and said, "Dear child, the good years are +over now; but you will not forget them; only lean upon the Father, for +He is very strong; and remember that though the voice of melody is +sweet, yet the loving heart is deeper yet." And then Paul suddenly broke +out into a passion of weeping, and kissed his old friend on hand and +cheek and lips; and then he burst away, ashamed, if the truth be told, +that his love was not deeper than he found it to be.</p> + +<p>He slept a light sleep that night, his head pillowed on his hand, with +many strange dreams ranging through his head. Among other fancies, some +sweet, some dark, he heard a delicate passage of melody played, it +seemed to him, by three silver-sounding flutes, so delicate that he +could hardly contain himself for gladness; but among his sadder dreams +was one of a little man habited like a minstrel who played an ugly +enchanted kind of melody on a stringed lute, and smiled a treacherous +smile at him; Paul woke in a sort of fever of the spirit; and rising +from his bed, felt the floor cool to his feet, and drew his curtain +aside; in a tender radiance of dawn he saw the barn, deep in shadow, in +the little garden; and over them a little wood-end that he knew well by +day—a simple place enough—but now it had a sort of magical dreaming +air; the mist lay softly about it like the breath of sleep; and the +trees, stretching wistfully their leafy arms, seemed to him to be full +of silent prayer, or to be hiding within them some divine secret that +might not be shown to mortal eyes. He looked long at this; and presently +went back to his bed, and shivered in a delicious warmth, while outside, +very gradually, came the peaceful stir of morning. A bird or two fluted +drowsily in the bushes; then another further away would join his slender +song; a cock crew cheerily in a distant grange, and soon it was broad +day. Presently the house began to be softly astir; and the faint +fragrance of an early kindled fire of wood stole into the room. Then +worn out by his long vigil he fell asleep again; and soon waking, knew +it to be later than was his wont, and dressed with haste. He came down, +and heard voices in the hall; he went in, and there saw Mistress Alison +in her chair; and on the hearth, talking gaily and cheerily, stood Mark +the minstrel. They made a pause when he came in. Mark extended his hand, +which Paul took with a kind of reverence. Then Mistress Alison, with her +sweet old smile, said to Paul, "So you made a pilgrimage to the Well of +the Heart's Desire, dear Paul? Well, you have your wish, and very soon; +for here is a master for you, if you will serve him." "Not a light +service, Paul," said Mark gravely, "but a true one. I can take you with +me when you may go, for my boy Jack is fallen sick with a stroke of the +sun, and must bide at home awhile." They looked at Paul, to see what he +would say. "Oh, I will go gladly," he said, "if I may." And then he +felt he had not spoken lovingly; so he kissed Mistress Alison, who +smiled, but somewhat sadly, and said, "Yes, Paul—I understand."</p> + +<p>So when the meal was over, Paul's small baggage was made ready, and he +kissed Mistress Alison—and then she said to Mark with a sudden look, +"You will take care of him?" "Oh, he shall be safe with me," said Mark, +"and if he be apt and faithful, he shall learn his trade, as few can +learn it." And then Paul said his good-bye, and walked away with Mark; +and his heart was so full of gladness that he stepped out lightly and +blithely, and hardly looked back. But at the turn of the road he +stopped, while Mark seemed to consider him gravely. The three that were +to abide, Mistress Alison, and the maid, and the old gardener, stood at +the door and waved their hands; the old house seemed to look fondly out +of its windows at him, as though it had a heart; and the very trees +seemed to wave him a soft farewell. Paul waved his hand too, and a tear +came into his eyes; but he was eager to be gone; and indeed, in his +heart, he felt almost jealous of even the gentle grasp of his home upon +his heart. And so Mark and Paul set out for the south.</p> + + +<h2>II</h2> + + +<p>Of the life that Paul lived with Mark I must not here tell; but before +he grew to full manhood he had learned his art well. Mark was a strict +master, but not impatient. The only thing that angered him was +carelessness or listlessness; and Paul was an apt and untiring pupil, +and learnt so easily and deftly that Mark was often astonished. "How did +you learn that?" he said one day suddenly to Paul when the boy was +practising on the lute, and played a strange soft cadence, of a kind +that Mark had never heard. The boy was startled by the question, for he +had not thought that Mark was listening to him. He looked up with a +blush and turned his eyes on Mark. "Is it not right?" he said. "I did +not learn it; it comes from somewhere in my mind."</p> + +<p>Paul learnt to play several instruments, both wind and string. Sometimes +he loved one sort the best, sometimes the other. The wind instruments of +wood had to him a kind of soft magic, like the voice of a gentle spirit, +a spirit that dwelt in lonely unvisited places, and communed more with +things of earth than the hearts of men. In the flutes and bassoons +seemed to him to dwell the voices of airs that murmured in the thickets, +the soft gliding of streams, the crooning of serene birds, the peace of +noonday, the welling of clear springs, the beauty of little waves, the +bright thoughts of stars. Sometimes in certain modes, they could be sad, +but it was the sadness of lonely homeless things, old dreaming spirits +of wind and wave, not the sadness of such things as had known love and +lost what they had loved, but the melancholy of such forlorn beings as +by their nature were shut out from the love that dwells about the +firelit hearth and the old roofs of homesteads. It was the sadness of +the wind that wails in desolate places, knowing that it is lonely, but +not knowing what it desires; or the soft sighing of trees that murmur +all together in a forest, dreaming each its own dream, but with no +thought of comradeship or desire.</p> + +<p>The metal instruments, out of which the cunning breath could draw bright +music, seemed to him soulless too in a sort, but shrill and enlivening. +These clarions and trumpets spoke to him of brisk morning winds, or the +cold sharp plunge of green waves that leap in triumph upon rocks. To +such sounds he fancied warriors marching out at morning, with the joy of +fight in their hearts, meaning to deal great blows, to slay and be +slain, and hardly thinking of what would come after, so sharp and swift +an eagerness of spirit held them; but these instruments he loved less.</p> + +<p>Best of all he loved the resounding strings that could be twanged by the +quill, or swept into a heavenly melody by the finger-tips, or throb +beneath the strongly-drawn bow. In all of these lay the secrets of the +heart; in these Paul heard speak the bright dreams of the child, the +vague hopes of growing boy or girl, the passionate desires of love, the +silent loyalty of equal friendship, the dreariness of the dejected +spirit, whose hopes have set like the sun smouldering to his fall, the +rebellious grief of the heart that loses what it loves, the darkening +fears that begin to roll about the ageing mind, like clouds that weep on +mountain tops, and the despair of sinners, finding the evil too strong.</p> + +<p>Best of all it was when all these instruments could conspire together to +weave a sudden dream of beauty that seemed to guard a secret. What was +the secret? It seemed so near to Paul sometimes, as if he were like a +man very near the edge of some mountain from which he may peep into an +unknown valley. Sometimes it was far away. But it was there, he doubted +not, though it hid itself. It was like a dance of fairies in a forest +glade, which a man could half discern through the screening leaves; but, +when he gains the place, he sees nothing but tall flowers with drooping +bells, bushes set with buds, large-leaved herbs, all with a silent, +secret, smiling air, as though they said, "We have seen, we could tell."</p> + +<p>Paul seemed very near this baffling secret at times; in the dewy silence +of mornings, just before the sun comes up, when familiar woods and trees +stand in a sort of musing happiness; at night when the sky is thickly +sown with stars, or when the moon rises in a soft hush and silvers the +sleeping pool; or when the sun goes down in a rich pomp, trailing a +great glow of splendour with him among cloudy islands, all flushed with +fiery red. When the sun withdrew himself thus, flying and flaring to +the west, behind the boughs of leafless trees, what was the hidden +secret presence that stood there as it were finger on lip, inviting yet +denying? Paul knew within himself that if he could but say or sing this, +the world would never forget. But he could not yet.</p> + +<p>Then, too, Paul learned the magic of words, the melodious accent of +letters, sometimes so sweet, sometimes so harsh; then the growing +phrase, the word that beckons as it were other words to join it +trippingly; the thought that draws the blood to the brain, and sets the +heart beating swiftly—he learned the words that sound like far-off +bells, or that wake a gentle echo in the spirit, the words that burn +into the heart, and make the hearer ashamed of all that is hard and low. +But he learned, too, that the craftsman in words must not build up his +song word by word, as a man fetches bricks to make a wall; but that he +must see the whole thought clear first, in a kind of divine flash, so +that when he turns for words to write it, he finds them piled to his +hand.</p> + +<p>All these things Paul learnt, and day by day he suffered all the sweet +surprises and joys of art. There were days that were not so, when the +strings jangled aimlessly, and seemed to have no soul in them; days when +it appeared that the cloud could not lift, as though light and music +together were dead in the world—but these days were few; and Paul +growing active and strong, caring little what he ate and drank, tasting +no wine, because it fevered him at first, and then left him ill at ease, +knowing no evil or luxurious thoughts, sleeping lightly and hardly, +found his spirits very pure and plentiful; or if he was sad, it was a +clear sadness that had something beautiful within it, and dwelt not on +any past grossness of his own, but upon the thought that all beautiful +things can but live for a time, and must then be laid away in the +darkness and in the cold.</p> + +<p>So Paul grew up knowing neither friendship nor love, only stirred at +the sight of a beautiful face, a shapely hand, or a slender form; by a +grateful wonder for what was so fair; untainted by any desire to master +it, or make it his own; living only for his art, and with a sort of +blind devotion to Mark, whom he soon excelled, though he knew it not. +Mark once said to him, when Paul had made a song of some old forgotten +sorrow, "How do you know all this, boy? You have not suffered, you have +not lived!" "Oh," said Paul gaily, knowing it to be praise, "my heart +tells me it is so."</p> + +<p>Paul, too, as he grew to manhood, found himself with a voice that was +not loud, but true—a voice that thrilled those who heard it through and +through; but it seemed strange that he felt not what he made other men +feel; rather his music was like a still pool that can reflect all that +is above it, the sombre tree, the birds that fly over, the starry +silence of the night, the angry redness of the dawn.</p> + +<p>It was on one of his journeys with Mark that the news of Mistress +Alison's death reached him. Mark told him very carefully and tenderly, +and while he repeated the three or four broken words in which Mistress +Alison had tried to send a last message to Paul—for the end had come +very suddenly—Mark himself found his voice falter, and his eyes fill +with tears. Paul had, at that sight, cried a little; but his life at the +House of Heritage seemed to have faded swiftly out of his thoughts; he +was living very intently in the present, scaling, as it were, day by +day, with earnest effort, the steep ladder of song. He thought a little +upon Mistress Alison, and on all her love and goodness: but it was with +a tranquil sorrow, and not with the grief and pain of loss. Mark was +very gentle with him for awhile; and this indeed did shame Paul a +little, to find himself being used so lovingly for a sorrow which he was +hardly feeling. But he said to himself that sorrow must come unbidden, +and that it was no sorrow that was made with labour and intention. He +was a little angered with himself for his dulness—but then song was so +beautiful, that he could think of nothing else; he was dazzled.</p> + +<p>A little while after, Mark asked him whether, as they were near at hand, +he would turn aside to see Mistress Alison's grave. And Paul said, "No; +I would rather feel it were all as it used to be!"—and then seeing that +Mark looked surprised and almost grieved, Paul, with the gentle +hypocrisy of childhood, said, "I cannot bear it yet," which made Mark +silent, and he said no more, but used Paul more gently than ever.</p> + +<p>One day Mark said to him, very gravely, as if he had long been pondering +the matter, "It is time for me to take another pupil, Paul. I have +taught you all I know; indeed you have learned far more than I can +teach." Then he told him that he had arranged all things meetly. That +there was a certain Duke who lacked a minstrel, and that Paul should go +and abide with him. That he should have his room at the castle, and +should be held in great honour, making music only when he would. And +then Mark would have added some words of love, for he loved Paul as a +son. But Paul seemed to have no hunger in his heart, no thought of the +days they had spent together; so Mark said them not. But he added very +gently, "And one thing, Paul, I must tell you. You will be a great +master—indeed you are so already—and I can tell you nothing about the +art that you do not know. But one thing I will tell you—that you have a +human heart within you that is not yet awake: and when it awakes, it +will be very strong; so that a great combat, I think, lies before you. +See that it overcome you not!" And Paul said wondering, "Oh, I have a +heart, but it is altogether given to song." And so Mark was silent.</p> + +<p>Then Paul went to the Duke's Castle of Wresting and abode with him year +after year. Here, too, he made no friend; he was gracious with all, and +of a lofty courtesy, so that he was had in reverence; and he made such +music that the tears would come into the eyes of those who heard him, +and they would look at each other, and wonder how Paul could thus tell +the secret hopes of the heart. There were many women in the castle, +great ladies, young maidens, and those that attended on them. Some of +these would have proffered love to Paul, but their glances fell before a +certain cold, virginal, almost affronted look, that he turned to meet +any smile or gesture that seemed to hold in it any personal claim, or to +offer any gift but that of an equal and serene friendship. As a maiden +of the castle once said, provoked by his coldness, "Sir Paul seems to +have everything to say to all of us, but nothing to any one of us." He +was kind to all with a sort of great and distant courtesy that was too +secure even to condescend. And so the years passed away.</p> + + +<h2>III</h2> + + +<p>It was nearly noon at the Castle of Wresting, and the whole house was +deserted, for the Duke had ridden out at daybreak to the hunt; and all +that could find a horse to ride had gone with him; and, for it was not +far afield, all else that could walk had gone afoot. So bright and +cheerful a day was it that the Duchess had sent out her pavilion to be +pitched in a lawn in the wood, and the Duke with his friends were to +dine there; none were left in the castle save a few of the elder +serving-maids, and the old porter, who was lame. About midday, however, +it seemed that one had been left; for Paul, now a tall man, strongly +built and comely, yet with a somewhat dreamful air, as though he +pondered difficult things within himself, and a troubled brow, under +which looked out large and gentle eyes, came with a quick step down a +stairway. He turned neither to right nor left, but passed through the +porter's lodge. Here the road from the town came up into the castle on +the left, cut steeply in the hill, and you could see the red roofs laid +out like a map beneath, with the church and the bridge; to the right ran +a little terrace under the wall. Paul came through the lodge, nodding +gravely to the porter, who returned his salute with a kind of reverence; +then he walked on to the terrace, and stood for a moment leaning against +the low wall that bounded it; below him lay for miles the great wood of +Wresting, now all ablaze with the brave gold of autumn leaves; here was +a great tract of beeches all rusty red; there was the pale gold of elms. +The forest lay in the plain, here and there broken by clearings or open +glades; in one or two places could be seen the roofs of villages, with +the tower of a church rising gravely among trees. On the horizon ran a +blue line of downs, pure and fine above the fretted gold of the forest. +The air was very still, with a fresh sparkle in it, and the sun shone +bright in a cloudless heaven; it was a day when the heaviest heart grows +light, and when it seems the bravest thing that can be designed to be +alive.</p> + +<p>Once or twice, as Paul leaned to look, there came from the wood, very +far away, the faint notes of a horn; he smiled to hear it, and it seemed +as though some merry thought came into his head, for he beat cheerfully +with his fingers on the parapet. Presently he seemed to bethink himself, +and then walked briskly to the end of the terrace, where was a little +door in the wall; he pushed this open, and found himself at the head of +a flight of stone steps, with low walls on either hand, that ran turning +and twisting according to the slope of the hill, down into the wood.</p> + +<p>Paul went lightly down the steps; once or twice he turned and looked up +at the grey walls and towers of the castle, rising from the steep green +turf at their foot, above the great leafless trees—for the trees on the +slope lost their leaves first in the wind. The sight pleased him, for he +smiled again. Then he stood for a moment, lower down, to watch the great +limbs and roots of a huge beech that seemed to cling to the slope for +fear of slipping downwards. He came presently to a little tower at the +bottom that guarded the steps. The door was locked; he knocked, and +there came out an old woman with a merry wrinkled face, who opened it +for him with a key, saying, "Do you go to the hunt, Sir Paul?" "Nay," he +said smiling, "only to walk a little alone in the wood." "To make music, +perhaps?" said the old woman shyly. "Perhaps," said Paul smiling, "if +the music come—but it will not always come for the wishing."</p> + +<p>As Paul walked in the deep places of the wood, little by little his +fresh holiday mood died away, and there crept upon him a shadow of +thought that had of late been no stranger to him. He asked himself, with +some bitterness, what his life was tending to. There was no loss of +skill in his art; indeed it was easier to him than ever; he had a rich +and prodigal store of music in him, music both of word and sound, that +came at his call. But the zest was leaving him. He had attained to his +utmost desire, and in his art there was nothing more to conquer. But as +he looked round about him and saw all the beautiful chains of love +multiplying themselves about those among whom he lived, he began to +wonder whether he was not after all missing life itself. He saw children +born, he saw them growing up; then they, too, found their own path of +love, they married, or were given in marriage; presently they had +children of their own; and even death itself, that carried well-loved +souls into the dark world, seemed to forge new chains of faith and +loyalty. All this he could say and did say in his music. He knew it, he +divined it by some magical instinct; he could put into words and sounds +the secrets that others could not utter—and there his art stopped. It +could not bring him within the charmed circle—nay, it seemed to him +that it was even like a fence that kept him outside. He looked forward +to a time when his art of itself must fade, when other minstrels should +arise with new secrets of power; and what would become of him then?</p> + +<p>He had by this time walked very far into the wood, and as he came down +through a little rise, covered with leafy thickets, he saw before him a +green track, that wound away among the trees. He followed it listlessly. +The track led him through a beech wood; the smooth and shapely stems, +that stood free of undergrowth, thickly roofed over by firm and glossy +autumn foliage, with the rusty fallen floor of last year's leaves +underfoot, brought back to him his delight in the sweet and fresh +world—so beautiful whatever the restless human heart desired in its +presence.</p> + +<p>He became presently aware that he was approaching some dwelling, he knew +not what; and then the trees grew thinner; and in a minute he was out in +a little forest clearing, where stood, in a small and seemly garden, +inclosed with hedges and low walls and a moat, a forest lodge, a long +low ancient building, ending in a stone tower.</p> + +<p>The place had a singular charm. The ancient battlemented house, +overgrown with ivy, the walls green and grey with lichens, seemed to +have sprung as naturally out of the soil as the trees among which it +stood, and to have become one with the place. He lingered for a moment +on the edge of the moat, looking at a little tower that rose out of the +pool, mirrored softly in the open spaces of the water, among the +lily-leaves. The whole place seemed to have a wonderful peace about it; +there was no sound but the whisper of leaves, and the doves crooning, +in their high branching fastnesses, a song of peace.</p> + +<p>As Paul stood thus and looked upon the garden, a door opened, and there +came out a lady, not old, but well advanced in years, with a shrewd and +kindly face; and then Paul felt a sort of shame within him, for standing +and spying at what was not his own; and he would have hurried away, but +the lady waved her hand to him with a courtly air, as though inviting +him to approach. So he came forward, and crossing the moat by a little +bridge that was hard by, he met her at the gate. He doffed his hat, and +said a few words asking pardon for thus intruding on a private place, +but she gave him a swift smile and said, "Sir Paul, no more of this—you +are known to me, though you know me not. I have been at the Duke's as a +guest; I have heard you sing—indeed," she added smiling, "I have been +honoured by having been made known to the prince of musical men—but he +hath forgotten my poor self; I am the Lady Beckwith, who welcomes you +to her poor house—the Isle of Thorns, as they call it—and will deem it +an honour that you should set foot therein; though I think that you came +not for my sake."</p> + +<p>"Alas, madam, no," said Paul smiling too. "I did but walk solitary in +the forest; I am lacking in courtesy, I fear; I knew not that there was +a house here, but it pleased me to see it lie like a jewel in the wood."</p> + +<p>"You knew not it was here, or you would have shunned it!" said the Lady +Beckwith with a smile. "Well, I live here solitary enough with my +daughters—my husband is long since dead—but to-day we must have a +guest—you will enter and tarry with us a little?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, very willingly," said Paul, who, like many men that care not much +for company, was tenderly courteous when there was no escape. So after +some further passages of courtesy, they went within.</p> + +<p>The Lady Beckwith led him into a fair tapestried room, and bade him be +seated, while she went to call upon her servants to make ready +refreshments for him. Paul seated himself in an oak chair and looked +around him. The place was but scantily furnished, but Paul had pleasure +in looking upon the old solid furniture, which reminded him of the House +of Heritage and of his far-off boyhood. He was pleased, too, with the +tapestry, which represented a wood of walnut-trees, and a man that sate +looking upon a stream as though he listened; and then Paul discerned the +figure of a brave bird wrought among the leaves, that seemed to sing; +while he looked, he heard the faint sound in a room above of some one +moving; then a lute was touched, and then there rose a soft voice, very +pure and clear, that sang a short song of long sweet notes, with a +descant on the lute, ending in a high drawn-out note, that went to +Paul's heart like wine poured forth, and seemed to fill the room with a +kind of delicate fragrance.</p> + +<p>Presently the Lady Beckwith returned; and they sate and talked awhile, +till there came suddenly into the room a maiden that seemed to Paul like +a rose; she came almost eagerly forward; and Paul knew in his mind that +it was she that had sung; and there passed through his heart a feeling +he had never known before; it was as though it were a string that +thrilled with a kind of delicious pain at being bidden by the touch of a +finger to utter its voice.</p> + +<p>"This is my daughter Margaret;" said the Lady Beckwith; "she knows your +fame in song, but she has never had the fortune to hear you sing, and +she loves song herself."</p> + +<p>"And does more than love it," said Paul almost tremblingly, feeling the +eyes of the maiden set upon his face; "for I heard but now a lute +touched, and a voice that sang a melody I know not, as few that I know +could have sung it."</p> + +<p>The maiden stood smiling at him, and then Paul saw that she carried a +lute in her hand; and she said eagerly, "Will you not sing to us, Sir +Paul?"</p> + +<p>"Nay," said the Lady Beckwith smiling, "but this is beyond courtesy! It +is to ask a prince to our house, and beg for the jewels that he wears."</p> + +<p>The maiden blushed rosy red, and put the lute by; but Paul stretched out +his hand for it. "I will sing most willingly," he said. "What is my life +for, but to make music for those who would hear?"</p> + +<p>He touched a few chords to see that the lute was well tuned; and the +lute obeyed his touch like a living thing; and then Paul sang a song of +spring-time that made the hearts of the pair dance with joy. When he had +finished, he smiled, meeting the smiles of both; and said, "And now we +will have a sad song—for those are ever the sweetest—joy needs not to +be made sweet."</p> + +<p>So he sang a sorrowful song that he had made one winter day, when he had +found the body of a little bird that had died of the frost and the hard +silence of the unfriendly earth—a song of sweet things broken and good +times gone by; and before he had finished he had brought the tears to +the eyes of the pair. The Lady Beckwith brushed them aside—but the girl +sate watching him, her hands together, and a kind of worship in her +face, with the bright tears trembling on her cheeks. And Paul thought he +had never seen a fairer thing; but wishing to dry the tears he made a +little merry song, like the song of gnats that dance up and down in the +sun, and love their silly play—so that the two smiled again.</p> + +<p>Then they thanked him very urgently, and Margaret said, "If only dear +Helen could hear this"; and the Lady Beckwith said, "Helen is my other +daughter, and she lies abed, and may not come forth."</p> + +<p>Then they put food before him; and they ate together, Margaret serving +him with meat and wine; and Paul would have forbidden it, but the Lady +Beckwith said, "That is the way of our house—and you are our guest and +must be content—for Margaret loves to serve you." The girl said little, +but as she moved about softly and deftly, with the fragrance of youth +about her, Paul had a desire to draw her to him, that made him ashamed +and ill at ease. So the hours sped swiftly. The maiden talked little, +but the Lady Beckwith had much matter for little speech; she asked Paul +many questions, and told him something of her own life, and how, while +the good Sir Harry, her husband, lived, she had been much with the +world, but now lived a quiet life, "Like a wrinkled apple-tree behind a +house," she added with a smile, "guarding my fruit, till it be plucked +from the bough." And she went on to say that though she had feared, when +she entered the quiet life, the days would hang heavy, yet there never +seemed time enough for all the small businesses that she was fain to do.</p> + +<p>When the day began to fall, and the shadows of the trees out of the +forest began to draw nearer across the lawn, Paul rose and said, "Come, +I will sing you a song of farewell and thanks for this day of pleasure," +and he made them a cheerful ditty; and so took his leave, the Lady +Beckwith saying that they would speak of his visit for many days—and +that she hoped that if his fancy led him again through the wood, he +would come to them; "For you will find an open door, and a warm hearth, +and friends who look for you." So Paul went, and walked through the low +red sunset with a secret joy in his heart; and never had he sung so +merrily as he sang that night in the hall of the Duke; so that the Duke +said smiling that they must often go a-hunting, and leave Sir Paul +behind, for that seemed to fill him to the brim with divine melody.</p> + +<p>Now Paul that night, before he laid him down to sleep, stood awhile, and +made a prayer in his heart. It must be said that as a child he had +prayed night and morning, in simple words that Mistress Alison had +taught him, but in the years when he was with Mark the custom had died +away; for Mark prayed not, and indeed had almost an enmity to churches +and to priests, saying that they made men bound who would otherwise be +free; and he had said to Paul once that he prayed the best who lived +nobly and generously, and made most perfect whatever gift he had; who +was kind and courteous, and used all men the same, whether old or young, +great or little; adding, "That is my creed, and not the creed of the +priests—but I would not have you take it from me thus—a man may not +borrow the secret of another's heart, and wear it for his own. All +faiths are good that make a man live cleanly and lovingly and +laboriously; and just as all men like not the same music, so all men are +not suited with the same faith; we all tend to the same place, but by +different ways; and each man should find the nearest way for him." +Paul, after that, had followed his own heart in the matter; and it led +him not wholly in the way of the priests, but not against them, as it +led Mark. Paul took some delight in the ordered solemnities of the +Church, the dark coolness of the arched aisles, the holy smell—he felt +there the nearer to God. And to be near to God was what Paul desired; +but he gave up praying at formal seasons, and spoke with God in his +heart, as a man might speak to his friend, whenever he was moved to +speak; he asked His aid before the making of a song; he told Him when he +was disheartened, or when he desired what he ought not; he spoke to Him +when he had done anything of which he was ashamed; and he told Him of +his dreams and of his joys. Sometimes he would speak thus for half a day +together, and feel a quiet comfort, like a strong arm round him; but +sometimes he would be silent for a long while.</p> + +<p>Now this night he spoke in his heart to God, and told him of the sweet +and beautiful hope that had come to him, and asked Him to make known to +him whether it was His will that he should put forth his hand, and +gather the flower of the wood—for he could not even in his secret heart +bring himself that night to speak, even to God, directly about the +maiden; but, in a kind of soft reverence, he used gentle similitudes. +And then he leaned from his window, and strove to send his spirit out +like a bird over the sleeping wood, to light upon the tower; and then +his thought leapt further, and he seemed to see the glimmering maiden +chamber where she slept, breathing evenly. But even in thought this +seemed to him too near, as though the vision were lacking in that awful +reverence, which is the herald of love. So he thought that his spirit +should sit, like a white bird, on the battlement, and send out a quiet +song.</p> + +<p>And then he fell asleep, and slept dreamlessly till the day came in +through the casements; when he sprang up, and joy darted into his heart, +as when a servitor fills a cup to the brim with rosy and bubbling wine.</p> + +<p>Now that day, and the next, and for several days, Paul thought of little +else but the house in the wood and the maiden that dwelt there. Even +while he read or wrote, pictures would flash before his eye. He saw +Margaret stand before him, with the lute in her hand; or he would see +her as she had moved about serving him, or he would see her as she had +sate to hear him sing, or as she had stood at the door as he went +forth—and all with a sweet hunger of the heart; till it seemed to him +that this was the only true thing that the world held, and he would be +amazed that he had missed it for so long. That he was in the same world +with her; that the air that passed over the house in the wood was +presently borne to the castle; that they two looked upon the same sky, +and the same stars—this was all to him like a delicate madness that +wrought within his brain. And yet he could not bring himself to go +thither. The greater his longing the more he felt unable to go without a +cause; and yet the thought that there might be other men that visited +the Lady Beckwith, and had more of the courtly and desirable arts of +life than he, was like a bitter draught—and so the days went on; and +never had he made richer music; it seemed to rush from his brain like +the water of a full spring.</p> + +<p>A few days after, there was a feast at the castle and many were bidden; +and Paul thought in his heart that the Lady Beckwith would perhaps be +there. So he made a very tender song of love to sing, the song of a +heart that loves and dares not fully speak.</p> + +<p>When the hour drew on for the banquet, he attired himself with a care +which he half despised, and when the great bell of the castle rang, he +went down his turret stairs with a light step. The custom was for the +guests to assemble in the great hall of the castle; but they of the +Duke's household, of whom Paul was one, gathered in a little chamber off +the hall. Then, when the Duke and Duchess with their children came from +their rooms, they passed through this chamber into the hall, the +household following. When the Duke entered the hall, the minstrels in +the gallery played a merry tune, and the guests stood up; then the Duke +would go to his place and bow to the guests, the household moving to +their places; then the music would cease, and the choir sang a grace, +all standing. Paul's place was an honourable one, but he sate with his +back to the hall; and this night, as soon as he entered the hall, and +while the grace was sung, he searched with his eyes up and down the +great tables, but he could not see her whom he desired to see, and the +joy died out of his heart. Now though the Lords and Knights of the +castle honoured Paul because he was honoured by the Duke, they had +little ease with him; so to-night, when Paul took his place, a Knight +that sate next him, a shrewd and somewhat malicious man, who loved the +talk of the Court, and turned all things into a jest, said "How now, Sir +Paul? You entered to-night full of joy; but now you are like one that +had expected to see a welcome guest and saw him not." Then Paul was +vexed that his thoughts should be so easily read, and said with a forced +smile, "Nay, Sir Edwin, we musical men are the slaves of our moods; +there would be no music else; we have not the bold and stubborn hearts +of warriors born." And at this there was a smile, for Sir Edwin was not +held to be foremost in war-like exercise. But having thus said, Paul +never dared turn his head. And the banquet seemed a tedious and hateful +thing to him.</p> + +<p>But at last it wore to an end, and healths had been drunk, and grace +was sung; and then they withdrew to the Presence Chamber, where the Duke +and Duchess sate upon chairs of state under a canopy, and the guests +sate down on seats and benches. And presently the Duke sent courteous +word to Paul that if he would sing they would gladly hear him. So Paul +rose in his place and made obeisance, and then moved to a dais which was +set at the end of the chamber; and a page brought him his lute. But Paul +first made a signal to the musicians who were set aloft in a gallery, +and they played a low descant; and Paul sang them a war-song with all +his might, his voice ringing through the room. Then, as the voice made +an end, there was a short silence, such as those who have sung or spoken +from a full heart best love to hear—for each such moment of silence is +like a rich jewel of praise—and then a loud cry of applause, which was +hushed in a moment because of the presence of the Duke.</p> + +<p>Then Paul made a bow, and stood carelessly regarding the crowd; for +from long use he felt no uneasiness to stand before many eyes; and just +as he fell to touching his lute, his eye fell on a group in a corner; +the Lady Beckwith sate there, and beside her Margaret; behind whom sate +a young Knight, Sir Richard de Benoit by name, the fairest and goodliest +of all in the castle, whom Paul loved well; and he leaned over and said +some words in the maiden's ear, who looked round shyly at him with a +little smile.</p> + +<p>Then Paul put out all his art, as though to recover a thing that he had +nearly lost. He struck a sweet chord on the lute, and the talk all died +away and left an utter silence; and Paul, looking at but one face, and +as though he spoke but to one ear, sang his song of love. It was like a +spell of magic; men and women turned to each other and felt the love of +their youth rise in their hearts as sweet as ever. The Duke where he +sate laid a hand upon the Duchess' hand and smiled. They that were old, +and had lost what they loved, were moved to weeping—and the young men +and maidens looked upon the ground, or at the singer, and felt the hot +blood rise in their cheeks. And Paul, exulting in his heart, felt that +he swayed the souls of those that heard him, as the wind sways a field +of wheat, that bends all one way before it. Then again came the silence, +when the voice ceased; a silence into which the last chords of the lute +sank, like stones dropped into a still water. And Paul bowed again, and +stepped down from the dais—and then with slow steps he moved to where +the Lady Beckwith sate, and bowing to her, took the chair beside her.</p> + +<p>Then came a tumbler and played many agile tricks before them; and then a +company of mummers, with the heads of birds and beasts, danced and +sported. But the Lady Beckwith said, "Sir Paul, I will tell you a tale. +A bird of the forest alighted at our window-sill some days ago, and +sang very sweetly to us—and we spread crumbs and made it a little +feast; and it seemed to trust us, but presently it spread its wings and +flew away, and it comes not again. Tell us, what shall we do to tempt +the wild bird back?" And Paul, smiling in her face, said, "Oh, madam, +the bird will return; but he leads, maybe, a toilsome life, gathering +berries, and doing small businesses. The birds, which seem so free, live +a life of labour; and they may not always follow their hearts. But be +sure that your bird knows his friends; and some day, when he has +opportunity, he will alight again. To him his songs seem but a small +gift, a shallow twittering that can hardly please." "Nay," said the Lady +Beckwith, "but this was a nightingale that knew the power of song, and +could touch all hearts except his own; and thus, finding love so simple +a thing to win, doubtless holds it light." "Nay," said Paul, "he holds +it not light; it is too heavy for him; he knows it too well to trifle +with it."</p> + +<p>Then finding that the rest were silent, they two were silent. And so +they held broken discourse; and ever the young Knight spoke in +Margaret's ear, so that Paul was much distraught, but dared not seem to +intervene, or to speak with the maiden, when he had held aloof so long.</p> + +<p>Presently the Lady Beckwith said she had a boon to ask, and that she +would drop her parables. And she said that her daughter Helen, that was +sick, had been very envious of them, because she had not heard his +songs, but only a soft echo of them through the chamber floor. "And +perhaps, Sir Paul," she said, "if you will not come for friendship, you +will come for mercy; and sing to my poor child, who has but few joys, a +song or twain." Then Paul's heart danced within him, and he said, "I +will come to-morrow." And soon after that the Duke went out and the +guests dispersed; and then Paul greeted the Lady Margaret, and said a +few words to her; but he could not please himself in what he said; and +that night he slept little, partly for thinking of what he might have +said: but still more for thinking that he would see her on the morrow.</p> + +<p>So when the morning came, Paul went very swiftly through the forest to +the Isle of Thorns. It was now turning fast to winter, and the trees had +shed their leaves. The forest was all soft and brown, and the sky was a +pearly grey sheet of high cloud; but a joy as of spring was in Paul's +heart, and he smiled and sang as he went, though he fell at times into +sudden silences of wonder and delight. When he arrived, the Lady +Beckwith greeted him very lovingly, and presently led him into a small +chamber that seemed to be an oratory. Here was a little altar very +seemly draped, with stools for kneeling, and a chair or two. Near the +altar, at the side, was a little door in the wall behind a hanging; the +Lady Beckwith pulled the hanging aside, and bade Paul to follow; he +found himself in a small arched recess, lit by a single window of +coloured glass, that was screened from a larger room, of which it was a +part, by a curtain. The Lady Beckwith bade Paul be seated, and passed +beyond the curtain for an instant. The room within seemed dark, but +there came from it a waft of the fragrance of flowers; and Paul heard +low voices talking together, and knew that Margaret spake; in a moment +she appeared at the entrance, and greeted him with a very sweet and +simple smile, but laid her finger on her lips; and so slipped back into +the room again, but left Paul's heart beating strangely and fiercely. +Then the Lady Beckwith returned, and said in a whisper to Paul that it +was a day of suffering for Helen, and that she could not bear the light. +So she seated herself near him, and Paul touched his lute, and sang +songs, five or six, gentle songs of happy untroubled things, like the +voices of streams that murmur to themselves when the woods are all +asleep; and between the songs he spoke not, but played airily and +wistfully upon his lute; and for all that it seemed so simple, he had +never put more art into what he played and sang. And at last he made the +music die away to a very soft close, like an evening wind that rustles +away across a woodland, and moves to the shining west. And looking at +the Lady Beckwith, he saw that she had passed, on the wings of song, +into old forgotten dreams, and sate smiling to herself, her eyes +brimming with tears. And then he rose, and saying that he would not be +tedious, put the lute aside, and they went out quietly together. And the +Lady Beckwith took his hand in both her own and said, "Sir Paul, you are +a great magician—I could not believe that you could have so charmed an +old and sad-hearted woman. You have the key of the door of the land of +dreams; and think not that I am ungrateful; that you, for whose songs +princes contend in vain, should deign to come and sing to a maiden that +is sick—how shall I repay it?" "Oh, I am richly repaid," said Paul, +"the guerdon of the singer is the incense of a glad heart—and you may +give me a little love if you can, for I am a lonely man." Then they +smiled at each other, the smile that makes a compact without words.</p> + +<p>Then they went down together, and there was a simple meal set out; and +they ate together like old and secure friends, speaking little; but the +Lady Beckwith told him somewhat of her daughter Helen, how she had been +fair and strong till her fifteenth year; and that since that time, for +five weary years, she had suffered under a strange and wasting disease +that nothing could amend. "But she is patient and cheerful beneath it, +or I think my heart would break;—but I know," she added, and her mouth +quivered as she spoke, "that she can hardly see another spring, and I +would have her last days to be sweet. I doubt not," she went on, "the +good and wise purposes of God, and I think that he often sends his +bright angels to comfort her—for she is never sad—and when you sing as +you sang just now, I seem to understand, and my heart says that it is +well."</p> + +<p>While they spoke the Lady Margaret came into the room, with a sudden +radiance; and coming to Paul she kneeled down beside him, and kissed his +hand suddenly, and said, "Helen thanks you, and I thank you, Sir Paul, +for giving her such joy as you could hardly believe."</p> + +<p>There came a kind of mist over Paul's eyes, to feel the touch of the +lips that he loved so well upon his hand; but at the same time it +appeared to him like a kind of sin that he who seemed to himself, in +that moment, so stained and hard, should have reverence done him by one +so pure. So he raised her up, and said, "Nay, this is not meet"; and he +would have said many other words that rushed together in his mind, but +he could not frame them right. But presently the Lady Beckwith excused +herself and went; and then Paul for a sweet hour sate, and talked low +and softly to the maiden, and threw such worship into his voice that she +was amazed. But he said no word of love. And she told him of their +simple life, and how her sister suffered. And then Paul feared to stay +longer, and went with a mighty and tumultuous joy in his heart.</p> + +<p>Then for many days Paul went thus to the Isle of Thorns—and the Lady +Margaret threw aside her fear of him, and would greet him like a +brother. Sometimes he would find her waiting for him at the gate, and +then the air was suddenly full of a holy radiance. And the Lady +Beckwith, too, began to use him like a son; but the Lady Helen he never +saw—only once or twice he heard her soft voice speak in the dark room. +And Paul made new songs for her, but all the time it was for Margaret +that he sang.</p> + +<p>And they at the castle wondered why Sir Paul, who used formerly to sit +so much in his chamber, now went so much abroad. But he guarded his +secret, and they knew not whither he went; only he saw once, from looks +that passed between two of the maidens, that they spoke of him; and this +in times past might have made him ashamed, but now his heart was too +high, and he cared not.</p> + +<p>There came a day when Paul, finding himself alone with the Lady +Beckwith, opened his heart suddenly to her; but he was checked, as it +were, by a sudden hand, for there came into her face a sad and troubled +look, as though she blamed herself for something. Then she said to him, +faltering, that she knew not what to say, for she could not read her +daughter's heart—"and I think, Sir Paul," she added, "that she hath no +thought of love—love of the sort of which you speak. Nay, the maiden +loves you well, like a dear brother; she smiles at your approach, and +runs to meet you when she hears your step at the door"; and then seeing +a look of pain and terror in the face of Paul, she said, "Nay, dear +Paul, I know not. God knows how gladly I would have it so, but hearts +are very strangely made; yet you shall speak if you will, and I will +give you my prayers." And then she stooped to Paul, and kissed his brow, +and said, "There is a mother's kiss, for you are the son of my heart, +whatever befall."</p> + +<p>So presently the maiden came in, and Paul asked her to walk a little +with him in the garden, and she went smiling; and then he could find no +words at all to tell her what was in his heart, till she said, laughing, +that he looked strangely, and that it seemed he had nought to say. So +Paul took her hand, and told her all his love; and she looked upon him, +smiling very quietly, neither trembling nor amazed, and said that she +would be his wife if so he willed it, and that it was a great honour; +"and then," she added, "you need not go from us, but you can sing to +Helen every day." Then he kissed her; and there came into his heart a +great wave of tenderness, and he thanked God very humbly for so great a +gift. Yet he somehow felt in his heart that he was not yet content, and +that this was not how he had thought it would fall out; but he also told +himself that he would yet win the maiden's closer love, for he saw that +she loved not as he loved. Then after a little talk they went together +and told the Lady Beckwith, and she blessed them; but Paul could see +that neither was she content, but that she looked at Margaret with a +questioning and wondering look.</p> + +<p>Then there followed very sweet days. It was soon in the spring-time of +the year; the earth was awaking softly from her long sleep, and was by +gentle degrees arraying herself for her summer pomp. The primroses put +out yellow stars about the tree roots; the hyacinths carpeted the woods +with blue, and sent their sweet breath down the glade; and Paul felt +strange desires stir in his heart, and rise like birds upon the air; and +when he walked with the Lady Margaret among the copses, or rested awhile +upon green banks, where the birds sang hidden in the thickets, his heart +made continual melody, and rose in a stream of praise to God. But they +spoke little of love; at times Paul would try to say something of what +was in his mind; but the Lady Margaret heard him, sedately smiling, as +though she were pleased that she could give him this joy, but as though +she understood not what he said. She loved to hear of Paul's life, and +the places he had visited. And Paul, for all his joy, felt that in his +love he was, as it were, voyaging on a strange and fair sea alone, and +as though the maiden stood upon the shore and waved her hand to him. +When he kissed her or took her hand in his own, she yielded to him +gently and lovingly, like a child; and it was then that Paul felt most +alone. But none the less was he happy, and day after day was lit for him +with a golden light.</p> + + + + +<h2>IV</h2> + + +<p>One day there came a messenger for Paul, and brought him news that made +him wonder: the House of Heritage had fallen, on Mistress Alison's +death, to a distant kinsman of her own and of his. This man, who was +without wife or child, had lived there solitary, and it seemed that he +was now dead; and he had left in his will that if Sir Paul should wish +to redeem the house and land for a price, he should have the first +choice to do so, seeing his boyhood had been spent there. Now Paul was +rich, for he had received many great gifts and had spent little; and +there came into his heart a great and loving desire to possess the old +house. He told the Lady Beckwith and Margaret of this, and they both +advised him to go and see it. So Paul asked leave of the Duke, and told +him his business. Then the Duke said very graciously that Paul had +served him well, and that he would buy the house at his own charges, and +give it to Paul as a gift; but he added that this was a gift for past +service, and that he would in no way bind Paul; but he hoped that Paul +would still abide in the castle, at least for a part of the year, and +make music for them. "For indeed," said the Duke very royally, "it were +not meet that so divine a power should be buried in a rustic grange, but +it should abide where it can give delight. Indeed, Sir Paul, it is not +only delight! but through your music there flows a certain holy and +ennobling grace into the hearts of all who attentively hear you, and +tames our wild and brutish natures into something worthier and more +seemly." Then Paul thanked the Duke very tenderly, and said that he +would not leave him.</p> + +<p>So Paul journeyed alone with an old man-at-arms, whom the Duke sent with +him for his honour and security; and when he arrived at the place, he +lodged at the inn. He found the House of Heritage very desolate, +inhabited only by the ancient maid of Mistress Alison, now grown old and +infirm. So Paul purchased the house and land at the Duke's charges, and +caused it to be repaired, within and without, and hired a gardener to +dress and keep the ground. He was very impatient to be gone, but the +matter could not be speedily settled; and though he desired to return to +Wresting, and to see Margaret, of whom he thought night and day, yet he +found a great spring of tenderness rise up in his heart at the sight of +the old rooms, in which little had been changed. The thought of his +lonely and innocent boyhood came back to him, and he visited all his +ancient haunts, the fields, the wood, and the down. He thought much, +too, of Mistress Alison and her wise and gracious ways; indeed, sitting +alone, as he often did in the old room at evening, it seemed to him +almost as though she sate and watched him, and was pleased to know that +he was famous, and happy in his love; so that it appeared to him as +though she gave him a benediction from some far-off and holy place, +where she abode and was well satisfied.</p> + +<p>Then at last he was able to return; but he had been nearly six weeks +away. He had moved into the house and lived there; and it had filled him +with a kind of solemn happiness to picture how he would some day, when +he was free, live there with Margaret for his wife; and perhaps there +would be children too, making the house sweet with their laughter and +innocent games—children who should look at him with eyes like their +mother's. Long hours would pass thus while he sate holding a book or +his lute between his hands, the time streaming past in a happy tide of +thoughts.</p> + +<p>But the last night was sad, for he had gone early to his bed, as he was +to start betimes in the morning; and he dreamed that he had gone through +the wood to the Isle of Thorns, and had seen the house stand empty and +shuttered close, with no signs of life about it. In his dream he went +and beat upon the door, and heard his knocks echo in the hall; and just +as he was about to beat again, it was opened to him by an old small +woman, that looked thin and sad, with grey hair and many wrinkles, whom +he did not know. He had thrust past her, though she seemed to have +wished to stay him; and pushing on, had found Margaret sitting in the +hall, who had looked up at him, and then covered her face with her +hands, and he had seen a look of anguish upon her face. Then the dream +had slipped from him, and he dreamed again that he was in a lonely +place, a bleak mountain-top, with a wide plain spread out beneath; and +he had watched the flight of two white birds, which seemed to rise from +the rocks near him, and fly swiftly away, beating their wings in the +waste of air.</p> + +<p>He woke troubled, and found the dawn peeping through the chinks of the +shutter; and soon he heard the tramping of horses without, and knew that +he must rise and go. And the thought of the dream dwelt heavily with +him; but presently, riding in the cool air, it seemed to him that his +fears were foolish; and his love came back to him, so that he said the +name Margaret over many times to himself, like a charm, and sent his +thoughts forward, imagining how Margaret, newly risen, would be moving +about the quiet house, perhaps expecting him. And then he sang a little +to himself, and was pleased to see the old man-at-arms smile wearily as +he rode beside him.</p> + +<p>Three days after he rode into the Castle of Wresting at sundown, and +was greeted very lovingly; the Duke would not let him sing that night, +though Paul said he was willing; but after dinner he asked him many +questions of how he had fared. And Paul hoped that he might have heard +some talk of the Lady Margaret. But none spoke of her, and he dared not +ask. One thing that he noticed was that at dinner the young Sir Richard +de Benoit sate opposite him, looking very pale; and Paul, more than +once, looking up suddenly, saw that the Knight was regarding him very +fixedly, as though he were questioning of somewhat; and that each time +Sir Richard dropped his eyes as though he were ashamed. After dinner was +over, and Paul had been discharged by the Duke, he had gone back into +the hall to see if he could have speech of Sir Richard, and ask if +anything ailed him; but he found him not.</p> + +<p>Then on the morrow, as soon as he might, he made haste to go down to +the Isle of Thorns. As he was crossing a glade, not far from the house, +he saw to his surprise, far down the glade, a figure riding on a horse, +who seemed for a moment to be Sir Richard himself. He stood awhile to +consider, and then, going down the glade, he cried out to him. Sir +Richard, who was on a white horse, drew rein, and turned with his hand +upon the loins of the horse; and then he turned again, and, urging the +horse forward, disappeared within the wood. There came, as it were, a +chill into Paul's heart that he should be thus unkindly used; and he +vexed his brain to think in what he could have offended the Knight; but +he quickly returned to his thoughts of love; so he made haste, and soon +came down to the place.</p> + +<p>Now, when he came near, he thought for a moment of his dream; and shrank +back from stepping out of the trees at the corner whence he could see +the house; but chiding himself for his vain terrors, he went swiftly +out, and saw the house stand as before, with the trees all delicate +green behind it, and the smoke ascending quietly from the chimneys.</p> + +<p>Then he made haste; and—for he was now used to enter unbidden—went +straight into the house; the hall and the parlours were all empty; so +that he called upon the servants; an old serving-maid came forth, and +then Paul knew in a moment that all was not well. He looked at her for a +moment, and a question seemed to be choked in his throat; and then he +said swiftly, "Is the Lady Beckwith within?" The old serving-maid said +gravely, "She is with the Lady Helen, who is very sick." Then Sir Paul +bade her tell the Lady Beckwith that he was in the house; and as he +stood waiting, there came a kind of shame into his heart, that what he +had heard was so much less than what he had for an instant feared; and +while he strove to be more truly sorry, the Lady Beckwith stood before +him, very pale. She began to speak at once, and in a low and hurried +voice told him of Helen's illness, and how that there was little to +hope; and then she put her hand on Paul's arm, and said, "My son, why +did you leave us?" adding hastily, "Nay, it could not have been +otherwise." And Paul, looking upon her face, divined in some sudden way +that she had not told him all that was in her mind. So he said, "Dear +mother, you know the cause of that—but tell me all, for I see there is +more behind." Then the Lady Beckwith put her face in her hands, and +saying, "Yes, dear Paul, there is more," fell to weeping secretly. While +they thus stood together—and Paul was aware of a deadly fear that +clutched at his heart and made all his limbs weak—the Lady Margaret +came suddenly into the room, looking so pale and worn that Paul for a +moment did not recognise her. But he put out his arms, and took a step +towards her; then he saw that she had not known he was in the house; +for she turned first red and then very pale, and stepped backwards; and +it went to Paul's heart like the stabbing of a sharp knife, that she +looked at him with a look in which there was shame mingled with a +certain fear.</p> + +<p>Now while Paul stood amazed and almost stupefied with what he saw, the +Lady Beckwith said quickly and almost sternly to Margaret, "Go back to +Helen—she may not be left alone." Margaret slipped from the room; and +the Lady Beckwith pointed swiftly to a chair, and herself sate down. +Then she said, "Dear Paul, I have dreaded this moment and the sight of +you for some days—and though I should wish to take thought of what I am +to say to you, and to say it carefully, it makes an ill matter worse to +dally with it—so I will even tell you at once. You must know that some +three days after you left us, the young Knight Sir Richard de Benoit +fell from his horse, when riding in the wood hard by this house, and +was grievously hurt by the fall. They carried him in here and we tended +him. I had much upon my hands, for dear Helen was in great suffering; +and so it fell out that Margaret was often with the Knight—who, indeed, +is a noble and generous youth, very pure and innocent of heart—and oh, +Paul, though it pierces my heart to say it, he loves her—and I think +that she loves him too. It is a strange and terrible thing, this love! +it is like the sword that the Lord Christ said that He came to bring on +earth, for it divides loving households that were else at one together; +and now I must say more—the maiden knew not before what love was; she +had read of it in the old books; and when you came into this quiet +house, bringing with you all the magic of song, and the might of a +gentle and noble spirit, and offered her love, she took it gladly and +sweetly, not knowing what it was that you gave; but I have watched my +child from her youth up, and the love that she gave you was the love +that she would have given to a brother—she admired you and reverenced +you. She knew that maidens were asked and given in marriage, and she +took your love, as a child might take a rich jewel, and love the giver +of it. And, indeed, she would have wedded you, and might have learned to +love you in the other way. But God willed it otherwise; and seeing the +young Knight, it was as though a door was opened in her spirit, and she +came out into another place. I am sure that no word of love has passed +between them; but it has leaped from heart to heart like a swift fire; +and all this I saw too late; but seeing it, I told Sir Richard how +matters stood; and he is an honourable youth; for from that moment he +sought how he might be taken hence, and made reasons to see no more of +the maid. But his misery I could see; and she is no less miserable; for +she has a very pure and simple spirit, and has fought a hard conflict +with herself; yet will she hold to her word.</p> + +<p>"And now, dear Paul, judge between us, for the matter lies in your +hands. She is yours, if you claim her; but her heart cannot be yours +awhile, though you may win it yet. It is true that both knights and +maidens have wedded, loving another; yet they have learned to love each +other, and have lived comfortably and happily; but whether, knowing what +I have been forced to tell you, you can be content that things should be +as before, I know not."</p> + +<p>Then the Lady Beckwith made a pause, and beat her hands together, +watching Paul's face; Paul sate very still and pale, all the light gone +out of his eyes, with his lips pressed close together. And at the sight +of him the tears came into the Lady Beckwith's eyes, and she could not +stay them. And Paul, looking darkly on her, strove to pity her, but +could not; and clasping the arms of his chair, said hoarsely, "I cannot +let her go." So they sate awhile in silence; and then Paul rose and +said, "Dear lady, you have done well to tell me this—I know deep down +in my heart what a brave and noble thing you have done: but I cannot yet +believe it—I will see the Lady Margaret and question her of the +matter." Then the lady said, "Nay, dear Paul, you will not—you think +that you would do so; but you could not speak with her face to face of +such a matter, and she could not answer you. You must think of it alone, +and to-morrow you must tell me what you decide; and whichever way you +decide it, I will help you as far as I can." And then she said, "You +will pity me a little, dear Paul, for I had rather have had a hand cut +off than have spoken with you thus." And these simple words brought Paul +a little to himself, and he rose from his place and kissed the Lady +Beckwith's hand, and said, "Dear mother, you have done well; but my +sorrow is greater than I can bear," And at that the Lady Beckwith wept +afresh; but Paul went out in a stony silence, hardly knowing what he +did.</p> + +<p>Then it seemed to Paul as though he went down into deep waters indeed, +which passed cold and silent, in horror and bitterness, over his soul. +He did not contend or cry out; but he knew that the light had fallen out +of his life, and had left him dark and dead.</p> + +<p>So he went slowly back to the castle through the wood, hating his life +and all that he was; once or twice he felt a kind of passion rise within +him, and he said to himself, "She is pledged to me, and she shall be +mine." And then there smote upon him the thought that in thinking thus +he was rather brute than man. And he fell at last into an agony of +prayer that God would lead him to the light, and show him what he should +do. When he reached the castle he put a strong constraint upon himself; +he went down to the hall; he even sang; but it was like a dream; he +seemed to be out of the body, and as it were to see himself standing, +and to hear the words falling from his own lips. The Duke courteously +praised him, and said that he was well content to hear his minstrel +again.</p> + +<p>As he left the hall, he passed through a little anteroom, that was hung +with arras, on the way to his chamber; and there he saw sitting on a +bench, close to the door that led to the turret stair, the young Knight, +Sir Richard; and there rose in his heart a passion of anger, so strong +that he felt as though a hand were laid upon his heart, crushing it. And +he stood still, and looked upon the Knight, who raised so pale and +haggard a face upon him, that Paul, in spite of his own misery, saw +before him a soul as much or more vexed than his own; and then the anger +died out of his heart, and left in him only the sense of the bitter +fellowship of suffering; the Knight rose to his feet, and they stood for +a moment looking at each other; and then the Knight said, pale to the +lips, "Sir Paul, we are glad to welcome you back—I have heard of the +Duke's gift, and rejoice that your inheritance should thus return to +you." And Paul bowed and said, "Ay, it is a great gift; but it seems +that in finding it I have lost a greater." And then, seeing the Knight +grow paler still, if that were possible, he said, "Sir Richard, let me +tell you a parable; there was a little bird of the wood that came to my +window, and made me glad—so that I thought of no other thing but my +wild bird, that trusted me: and while I was absent, one hath whispered +it away, and it will not return." And Sir Richard said, "Nay, Sir Paul, +you are in this unjust. What if the wild bird hath seen its mate? And, +for you know not the other side of the parable, its mate hath hid itself +in the wood, and the wild bird will return to you, if you bid it come."</p> + +<p>Then Sir Paul, knowing that the Knight had done worthily and like a +true knight, said, "Sir Richard, I am unjust; but you will pardon me, +for my heart is very sore." And so Paul passed on to his chamber; and +that night was a very bitter one, for he went down into the sad valley +into which men must needs descend, and he saw no light there. And once +in the night he rose dry-eyed and fevered from his bed, and twitching +the curtain aside, saw the forest lie sleeping in the cold light of the +moon; and his thought went out to the Isle of Thorns, and he saw the +four hearts that were made desolate; and he questioned in his heart why +God had made the hard and grievous thing that men call love.</p> + +<p>Then he went back and fell into a sort of weary sleep; and waking +therefrom, he felt a strange and terrible blackness seize upon his +spirit, so that he could hear his own heart beat furious and thick in +the darkness; and he prayed that God would release him from the prison +of the world. But while he lay, he heard the feet of a horse clatter on +the pavement, it being now near the dawn; and presently there came a +page fumbling to the door, who bore a letter from the Lady Beckwith, and +it ran;—</p> + +<p>"<i>I would not write to you thus, dear Paul, unless my need were urgent; +but the dear Helen is near her end, and has prayed me many times that, +if it were possible, you should come and sing to her—for she fears to +go into the dark, and says that your voice can give her strength and +hope. Now if it be possible, come; but if you say nay to my messenger, I +shall well understand it. But the dear one hath done you no hurt, and +for the love of the God who made us, come and comfort us—from her who +loves you as a son, these</i>."</p> + +<p>Then Paul when he had read, pondered for awhile; and then he said to the +page, "Say that I will come." So he arrayed himself with haste, and went +swiftly through the silent wood, looking neither to left or to right, +but only to the path at his feet. And presently he came to the Isle of +Thorns; it lay in a sort of low silver mist, the house pushing through +it, as a rock out of the sea. And then a sudden chill came over Paul, +and the very marrow of his bones shuddered; for he knew in his heart +that this was nothing but the presaging of death; and he thought that +the dreadful angel stood waiting at the door, and that presently the +spirit of one that lay within must arise, leaving the poor body behind, +and go with the angel.</p> + +<p>In the high chamber where Helen lay burnt a light behind a curtain; and +Paul saw a form pass slowly to and fro. And he would fain have pitied +the two who must lose her whom they loved; but there passed over his +spirit a sort of bitter wind; and he could feel no pity for any soul but +his own, and his heart was dry as dust; he felt in his mind nothing but +a kind of dumb wonder as to why he had troubled himself to come.</p> + +<p>There must have been, he saw, a servant bidden to await his coming, +because, as his feet sounded on the flags, the door was opened to him; +and in a moment he was within the hall. At the well-known sights and +scents of the place, the scene of his greatest happiness, the old aching +came back into his stony heart, and grief, that was like a sharp sword, +thrust through him. Suddenly, as he stood, a door opened, and Margaret +came into the hall; she saw him in a moment; and he divined that she had +not known he was within, but had meant only to pass through; for she +stopped short as though irresolute, and looked at him with a wild and +imploring gaze, like a forest thing caught in a trap.</p> + +<p>In a moment there flowed into Paul's heart a great pity and tenderness, +and a strength so wonderful that he knew it was not his own, but the +immortal strength of God. And he stepped forward, forgetting all his +own pain and misery, and said, "Margaret, dear one, dear sister, what is +the shadow that hath fallen between us at this time? I would not," he +went on, "speak of ourselves at such an hour as this; but I see that +there is somewhat—we minstrels have a power to look in the heart of +those we love—and I think it is this—that you can love me, dear one, +as a brother, and not as a lover. Well, I am content, and so it shall +be. I love you too well, little one, to desire any love but what you can +give me—so brother and sister we will be." Then he saw a light come +into her face, and she murmured words of sorrow that he could not hear; +but he put his arm about her as a brother might, and kissed her cheek. +And then she put her hands upon his shoulder, and her face upon them, +and broke out into a passion of weeping. And Paul, saying "Even so," +kissed and comforted her, as one might comfort a child, till she looked +up, as if to inquire somewhat of him. And he said smiling, "So this is +my dear sister indeed—yes, I will be content with that—and now take me +to the dear Helen, that I may see if my art can comfort her." Then it +was very sweet to Paul's sore heart that she drew her arm within his own +and led him up from the room. Then there came in haste the Lady Beckwith +down to meet them, with a look of pain upon her face; and Paul said, +still smiling, "We are brother and sister henceforth." Then the Lady +Beckwith smiled too out of her grief and said, "Oh, it is well."</p> + +<p>Then they passed together through the oratory and entered the chamber of +death. And then Paul saw a heavenly sight. The room was a large one, dim +and dark. In a chair near the fire, all in white, sate a maiden like a +lily—so frail and delicate that she seemed like a pure spirit, not a +thing of earth. She sate with a hand upraised between her and the fire; +and when Paul came in, she looked at him with a smile in which appeared +nothing but a noble patience, as though she had waited long; but she +did not speak. Then they drew a chair for Paul, and he took his lute, +and sang soft and low, a song of one who sinks into sweet dreams, when +the sounds of day are hushed—and presently he made an end. Then she +made a sign that Paul should approach, and he went to her, and kneeled +beside her, and kissed her hand. And Margaret came out of the dark, and +put her hand on Paul's shoulder saying, "This is our brother." And Helen +smiled in Paul's face—and something, a kind of heavenly peace and love, +seemed to pass from her eyes and settle in Paul's heart; and it was told +him in that hour, he knew not how, that this was his bride whom he had +loved, and that he had loved Margaret for her sake; and that moment +seemed to Paul to be worth all his life that had gone before, and all +that should go after. So he knelt in the silence; and then in a moment, +he knew not where or whence, the whole air seemed full of a heavenly +music about them, such music as he had never dreamed of, the very soul +and essence of the music of earth. But Helen laid her head back, and, +smiling still, she died. And Paul laid her hand down.</p> + +<p>Then without a word he rose, and went from the chamber; and he stepped +out into the garden, and paced there wondering; he saw the trees stand +silent in their sleep, and the flowers like stars in their dewy beds. And +he knew that God was very near him; he put all his burdens and sorrows, +his art, and all himself within the mighty hands; and he knew that he +could never doubt again of the eternal goodness and the faithful tender +love of the Father. And all the while the dawn slowly brightened over the +wood, and came up very slowly and graciously out of the east. Then Paul +gave word that he must return to the castle, but would come back soon. +And as he mounted the steps, he saw that there was a man pacing on the +terrace above, and knew that it was the Knight Richard, whom he sought. +So he went up on the terrace, and there he saw the young Knight looking +out over the forest; Paul went softly up to him and laid his hand upon +his shoulder, and the Knight turned upon him a haggard and restless eye. +Then Paul said, "Sir Richard, I come from the Isle of Thorns—but I +have more to say to you. You are a noble Knight and have done very +worthily—and I yield to you with all my heart the dear Margaret, for we +are brother and sister, and nought else, now and henceforth." Then Sir +Richard, as though he hardly heard him aright, stood looking upon his +face; and Paul took his hand very gently in both his own, and said, "Yes, +it is even so—and we will be brothers too." Then he went within the +castle—and lying down in his chamber he slept peacefully like a little +child.</p> + + +<h2>V</h2> + + +<p>Many years have passed since that day. First Sir Richard wedded the Lady +Margaret, and dwelt at the Isle of Thorns. A boy was born to them, whom +they named Paul, and a daughter whom they called Helen. And Paul was +much with them, and had great content. He made, men said, sweeter music +than ever he had done, in those days. Then the Duke died; and Paul, +though his skill failed not, and though the King himself would have had +him to his Court, went back to the House of Heritage, and there dwelt +alone, a grave and kindly man, very simple of speech, and loving to walk +and sit alone. And Sir Richard and the Lady Margaret bought an estate +hard by and dwelt there.</p> + +<p>Now Paul would make no more music, save that he sometimes played a +little on the lute for the pleasure of the Lady Margaret; but he took +into his house a boy whom he taught the art; and when he was trained +and gone into the world, to make music of his own, Paul took another—so +that as the years went on, he had sent out a number of his disciples to +be minstrels; so his art was not lost; and one of these, who was a very +gracious child named Percival, he loved better than the rest, because he +saw in him that he had a love for the art more than for all the rewards +of art. And once when they sate together, the boy Percival said, "Dear +sir, may I ask you a question?" "A dozen, if it be your will," said +Paul, smiling; "but, dear child, I know not if I can answer it." Then +the boy said, "Why do you not make more music, dear sir? for it seems to +me like a well that holds its waters close and deep, and will not give +them forth." Then Paul said smiling, "Nay, I have given men music of the +best. But there are two reasons why I make no more; and I will tell you +them, if you can understand them. The first is that many years ago I +heard a music that shamed me; and that sealed the well." Then the boy +said musing, "Tell me the name of the musician, dear Sir Paul, for I +have heard that you were ever the first." Then Paul said, "Nay, I know +not the name of the maker of it." Then the boy said smiling, "Then, dear +sir, it must have been the music of the angels." And Paul said, "Ay, it +was that." Then the boy was silent, and sate in awe, while Paul mused, +touching his lute softly. Then he roused himself and said, "And the +second reason, dear child, is this. There comes a time to all that +<i>make</i>—whether it be books or music or pictures—when they can make no +new thing, but go on in the old manner, working with the fingers of age +the dreams of youth. And to me this seems as it were a profane and +unholy thing, that a man should use so divine an art thus unworthily; it +is as though a host should set stale wine before his guests, and put +into it some drug which should deceive their taste; and I think that +those who do this do it for two reasons: either they hanker for the +praise thereof, and cannot do without the honour—and that is +unworthy—or they do it because they have formed the habit of it, and +have nought to fill their vacant hours—and that is unworthy too. So +hearing the divine music of which I spoke but now, I knew that I could +attain no further; and that there was a sweet plenty of music in the +hand of God, and that he would give it as men needed it; but that my own +work was done. For each man must decide for himself when to make an end. +And further, dear child, mark this! The peril for us and for all that +follow art is to grow so much absorbed in our handiwork, so vain of it, +that we think there is nought else in the world. Into that error I fell, +and therein abode. But we are in this world like little children at +school. God has many fair things to teach us, but we grow to love our +play, and to think of nought else, so that the holy lessons fall on +unheeding ears; but now I have put aside my play, and sit awhile +listening to the voice of God, and to all that He may teach me; and the +lesson is hard to spell; but I wait upon Him humbly and quietly, till He +call me hence. And now we have talked enough, and we will go back to our +music; and you shall play me that passage over, for you played it not +deftly enough before."</p> + +<p>Now it happened that a few days later Paul in his sleep dreamed a dream; +and when he woke, he could scarce contain his joy; and the boy Percival, +seeing him in the morning, marvelled at the radiance that appeared in +his face; and a little later Paul bade him go across the fields to the +Lady Margaret's house, and to bid her come to him, if she would, for he +had something that he must tell her, and he might not go abroad. So +Percival told the Lady Margaret; and she wondered at the message, and +asked if Sir Paul was sick. And the boy said, "No, I never saw him so +full of joy—so that I am afraid."</p> + +<p>Then the Lady Margaret went to the House of Heritage; and Paul came to +greet her at the door, and brought her in, and sate for awhile in +silence, looking on her face. The Lady Margaret was now a very comely +and sedate lady, and had held her son's child in her arms; and Paul was +a grey-haired man; yet in his eyes she was still the maiden he had +known. Then Paul, speaking very softly, said, "Dear Margaret, I have +bidden you come hither, for I think I am called hence; and when I +depart, and I know not when it may be, I would close my eyes in the dear +house where I was nurtured." Then she looked at him with a sudden fear, +but he went on, "Dear one, I have dreamed very oft of late of Helen—she +stands smiling in a glory, and looks upon me. But this last night I saw +more. I know not if I slept or waked, but I heard a high and heavenly +music; and then I saw Helen stand, but she stood not alone; she held by +the hand a child, who smiled upon me; and the child was like herself; +but I presently discerned that the child had a look of myself as well; +and she loosed the child's hand from her own, and the child ran to me +and kissed me; and Helen seemed to beckon me; and then I passed into +sleep again. But now I see the truth. The love that I bear her hath +begotten, I think, a child of the spirit that hath never known a mortal +birth; and the twain wait for me." And Margaret, knowing not what to +say, but feeling that he had seen somewhat high and heavenly, sate in +silence; and presently Paul, breaking out of a muse, began to talk of +the sweet days of their youth, and of the tender mercies of God. But +while he spoke, he suddenly broke off, and held up his hand; and there +came a waft of music upon the air. And Paul smiled like a tired child, +and lay back in his chair; and as he did so a string of the lute that +lay beside him broke with a sweet sharp sound. And the Lady Margaret +fell upon her knees beside him, and took his hand; and then she seemed +to see a cloudy gate, and two that stood together—a fair woman and a +child; and up to the gate, out of a cloud, came swiftly a man, like one +that reaches his home at last; and the three went in at the gate +together, hand in hand;—and then the music came once again, and died +upon the air.</p> + + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ISLES OF SUNSET***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 18882-h.txt or 18882-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/8/8/18882">http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/8/8/18882</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Isles of Sunset + + +Author: Arthur Christopher Benson + + + +Release Date: July 21, 2006 [eBook #18882] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ISLES OF SUNSET*** + + +E-text prepared by Inka Weide, Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg +Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/) + + + +THE ISLES OF SUNSET + +by + +ARTHUR CHRISTOPHER BENSON + +Author of "The Hill of Trouble," &c. &c. + + + + + + + +London: Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd. +No. 1 Amen Corner, E.C. 1908 +Printed by +Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., +Bath. +(2074) + + + + + + TO HUGH MACNAGHTEN + + + + _The milkie way, the bird of Paradise, + Church-bels beyond the starres heard, the souls bloud, + The land of spices; something understood._ + + Geo. Herbert + + + + _Let those whose Hearts and Hands are strong + Tell eager Tales of mighty Deeds; + Enough if my sequestered song + To hush'd and twilight Gardens leads! + + Clear Waters, drawn from secret Wells + Perchance may fevered Lips assuage; + The Tales an elder Pilgrim tells + To such as go on Pilgrimage. + + I wander by the waterside, + In that cool Hour my Soul loves best, + When trembles o'er the rippling Tide + A golden Stairway to the West. + + Such the soft Path my Words would trace, + Thus with the moving Waters move; + So leave, across the Ocean's Face, + A glimmering Stair to Hope and Love._ + + + + +Contents + + + The Isles of Sunset + + The Waving of the Sword + + Renatus + + The Slype House + + Out of the Sea + + Paul the Minstrel + + + + + + + + +The Isles of Sunset + + + +About midway between the two horns of the bay, the Isles of Sunset +pierced the sea. There was deep blue water all around them, and the +sharp and fretted pinnacles of rock rose steeply up to heaven. The top +of the largest was blunt, and covered with a little carpet of grass and +sea-herbs. The rest were nought but cruel spires, on which no foot but +that of sea-birds could go. At one place there was a small creek, into +which a boat might be thrust, but only when the sea was calm; and near +the top of the rock, just over this, was the dark mouth of a little +cave. + +The bay in which the Isles lay was quite deserted; the moorland came to +the edge of the cliffs, and through a steep and rocky ravine, the sides +of which were overgrown with ferns and low trees, all brushed landward +by the fierce winds, a stream fell hoarsely to the sea, through deep +rockpools. The only living things there were the wild birds, the +moorfowl in the heather, hawks that built in the rock face, and pigeons +that made their nest in hollow places. Sometimes a stag pacing slowly on +the cliff-top would look over, but that was seldom. + +Yet on these desolate and fearful rocks there dwelt a man, a hermit +named David. He had grown up as a fisher-boy in the neighbouring +village--an awkward silent boy with large eyes which looked as though +they were full of inward dreams. The people of the place were Christians +after a sort, though it was but seldom that a priest came near them; and +then only by sea, for there was no road to the place. But David as a boy +had heard a little of the Lord Christ, and of the bitter sacrifice he +made for men; and there grew up in his heart a great desire to serve +Him, and he prayed much in his heart to the Lord, that he would show him +what he might do. He had no parents living. His mother was long dead, +and his father had been drowned at sea. He lived in the house of his +uncle, a poor fisherman with an angry temper, where he fared very +hardly; for there were many mouths to feed, and the worst fell to the +least akin. But he grew up handy and active, with strong limbs and a +sure head; and he was well worth his victual, for he was a good +fisherman, patient of wind and rain; and he could scale the cliff in +places where none other dared go, and bring down the eggs and feathers +of the sea-birds. So they had much use of him, and gave him but little +love in return. When he was free of work, the boy loved to wander alone, +and he would lie on the heather in the warm sun, with his face to the +ground, drinking in the fragrant breath of the earth, and praying +earnestly in his heart to the Lord, who had made the earth so fair and +the sea so terrible. When he came to man's estate, he had thoughts of +making a home of his own, but his uncle seemed to need him--so he +lingered on, doing as he was bid, very silent, but full of his own +thoughts, and sure that the Lord would call him when he had need of him; +one by one the children of the family grew up and went their ways; then +his uncle's wife died, and then at last one day, when he was out fishing +with his uncle, there came a squall and they beat for home. But the boat +was overset and his uncle was drowned; and David himself was cast ashore +in a wonderful manner, and found himself all alone. + +Now while he doubted what he should do, he dreamed a dream that wrought +powerfully in his mind. He thought that he was walking in the dusk +beside the sea, which was running very high, when he saw a light drawing +near to him over the waves. It was not like the light of a lantern, but +a diffused and pale light, like the moon labouring in a cloud. The sea +began to abate its violence, and then David saw a figure coming to him, +walking, it seemed, upon the water as upon dry land, sometimes lower, +sometimes higher, as the waves ran high or low. He stopped in a great +wonder to watch the approach of the figure, and he saw that it was that +of a young man, going very slowly and tranquilly, and looking about him +with a gentle and smiling air of command. All about him was a light, the +source of which David could not see, but he seemed like a man walking in +the light of an open window, when all around is dark. As he came near, +David saw that he was clad in a rough tunic of some dark stuff, which +was girt up with a girdle at the waist. His head and his feet were bare. +Yet though he seemed but poorly clad, he had the carriage of a great +prince, whose power none would willingly question. But the strangest +thing was that the sea grew calm before his feet, and though the wind +was blowing fiercely, yet it did not stir the hair, which fell somewhat +long on his shoulders, or so much as ruffle his robe. And then there +came into David's head a verse of Scripture where it says, "_What manner +of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him?_" And then the +answer came suddenly into David's mind, and he knelt down where he was +upon the beach, and waited in a great and silent awe; and presently that +One drew near, and in some way that David did not understand, for he +used no form of speech, his eyes made question of David's soul, and +seemed to read its depths. And then at last He spoke in words that He +had before used to a fisherman beside another sea, and said very softly, +"Follow Me." But He said not how He should be followed; and presently He +seemed to depart in a shining track across the sea, till the light that +went with Him sank like a star upon the verge. Then in his dream David +was troubled, and knew not how to follow; till he thought that it might +be given him, as it was given once to Peter, to walk dry-shod over the +depth; but when he set foot upon the water there broke so furious a wave +at him, that he knew not how to follow. So he went back and kneeled upon +the sand, and said aloud in his doubt, "What shall I do, Lord?" and as +the words sounded on his tongue he awoke. + +Then all that day he pondered how he should find the Lord; for he knew +that though he had a hope in his heart, and though he leaned much upon +God, yet he had not wholly found him yet. God was sometimes with him and +near to him, but sometimes far withdrawn; and then, for he was a very +simple man, he said in himself, "I will give myself wholly to the search +for my Lord. I will live solitary, and I will fix my mind upon Him"; for +he thought within himself that his hard life, and the cares of the +household in which he had dwelt, had been what had perhaps kept him +outside; and therefore he thought that God had taken these cares away +from him. And so he made up his mind. + +Then he cast about where he had best dwell; and he thought of the Isles +of Sunset as a lonely place, where he might live and not be disturbed. +There was the little cave high up in the rock-face, looking towards the +land, to which he had once scrambled up. This would give him shelter; +and there were moreover some small patches of earth, near the base of +the rock, where he could grow a few herbs and a little corn. He had some +money of his own, which would keep him until his garden was grown up; +and he could fish, he thought, from the rocks, and find shell-fish and +other creatures of the sea, which would give him meat. + +So the next day he bought a few tools that he thought he would need, and +rowed all over when it was dusk. He put his small stores in a cave by +the water's edge. The day after, he went and made a few farewells; he +told no one where he was going; but it pleased him to find a little love +for him in the hearts of some. One parting was a strangely sore one: +there was an old and poor woman that lived very meanly in the place, who +had an only granddaughter, a little maid. These two he loved very much, +and had often done them small kindnesses. He kept this good-bye to the +last, and went to the house after sundown. The old woman bade him sit +down, and asked him what he meant to do, now that he was alone. "I am +going away, mother," he said gently. The child, hearing this, came over +the room from where she sate, and said to him, "No, David, do not go +away." "Yes, dear child," he said, "I must even go." Then she said, "But +where will you go? May I not come to see you sometimes?" and she put her +small arms round his neck, and laid her cheek to his. Then David's heart +was very full of love, and he said smiling, and with his arm round the +child, "Dear one, I must not say where I am going--and it is a rough +place, too, not fit for such tender little folk as you; but, if I can, I +will come again and see you." Then the old grandmother, looking upon him +very gravely, said, "Tell me what is in your mind." But he said, "Nay, +mother, do not ask me; I am going to a place that is near and yet far; +and I am going to seek for one whom I know not and yet know; and the way +is long and dark." Then she forbore to ask him more, and fell to +pondering sadly; so after they had sate awhile, he rose up and loosed +the child's arms from him, kissing her; and the tears stood in his eyes; +and he thought in himself that God was very wise; for if he had had a +home of his own, and children whom he loved, he could never have found +it in his heart to leave them. So he went out. + +Then he climbed up the steep path that led to the downs, and so to the +bay where the Isles lay. And just as he reached the top, the moon ran +out from a long bank of cloud; and he saw the village lie beneath him, +very peaceful in the moonlight; there were lights in some of the +windows; the roofs were silvered in the clear radiance of the moon, and +the shadows lay dark between. He could see the little streets, every +inch of which he knew, and the port below. He could see the coast +stretch away to the east, headland after headland, growing fainter; and +the great spaces of the sea, with the moon glittering on the waves. +There was a holy and solemn peace about it all; and though his life had +not been a happy one there, he knew in a flash that the place was very +dear to his heart, and he said a prayer to God, that he would guard and +cherish the village and those that dwelt there. Then he turned, and went +on to the downs; and presently descended by a steep path to the sea, +through the thickets. He took off his clothes, and tied them in a pack +on his back; and then he stepped quietly into the bright water, which +lapped very softly against the shore, a little wave every now and then +falling gently, followed by a long rustling of the water on the sand, +and a silence till the next wave fell. He waded on till he could swim, +and then struck out to where the Isles stood, all sharp and bright in +the moon. He swam with long quiet strokes, hearing the water ripple +past; and soon the great crags loomed out above him, and he heard the +waves fall among their rocky coves. At last he felt the ground beneath +his feet; and coming out of the water he dressed himself, and then--for +he would not venture on the cliffs in the uncertain light--gathering up +some dried weeds of the sea, he made a pillow for his head and slept, in +a wonderful peace of mind, until the moon set; and not long after there +came a pale light over the sea in the east, brightening slowly, until at +last the sun, like a fiery ball, broke upwards from the sea; and it was +day. + +Now when David awoke in the broad daylight, he found himself full of a +great joy and peace. He seemed, as it were, to have leaped over a wide +ditch, and to see the world across it. Now he was alone with God, and he +had put all the old, mean, hateful life away from him. It did not even +so much as peep into his mind that he would have to endure many +hardships of body, rain, and chilly winds, a bed of rock, and fare both +hard and scanty. This was not what had troubled him in the old days. +What had vexed his heart had been unclean words and deeds, greediness, +hardness, cruel taunts, the lack of love, and the meanness and baseness +of the petty life. All that was behind him now; he felt free and strong, +and while he moved about to spy out his new kingdom, he sang loudly to +himself a song of praise. The place pleased him mightily; over his head +ran up the cliff with its stony precipices and dizzy ledges. The lower +rocks all fringed with weeds, like sea-beasts with rough hair, stood out +black from the deep blue water that lay round the rocks. He loved to +hear the heavy plunge of the great waves around his bastions, the thin +cries of the sea-birds that sailed about the precipice, or that lit on +their airy perches. Everywhere was a brisk sharp scent of the sea, and +the fresh breeze, most unlike the close sour smell of the little houses. +He felt himself free and strong and clean, and he thought of all the +things he would say to God in the pleasant solitude, and how he would +hear the low and far-off voice of the Father speaking gently with his +soul. + +His first care was to find the cave that was to shelter him. He spent +the day in climbing very carefully and lightly all over the face of the +rock. Never had he known his hand so strong, or his head so sure. He +sate for a time on a little ledge, to which he had climbed on the crag +face, and he feasted his eyes upon the sight of the great cliffs of the +mainland that ran opposite him, to left and right, in a wide +half-circle. His eyes dwelt with pleasure upon the high sloping +shoulders of rock, on which the sun now shone very peacefully, the strip +of moorland at the top, the brushwood growing in the sloping coves, the +clean shingle at the base of the rocks, and the blue sky over all. That +was the world as God had made it, and as He intended it to be; it was +only men who made it evil, huddling together in their small and filthy +dens, so intent on their little ugly lives, their food and drink and +wicked ways. + +Presently he found the cave-mouth, and noted in his mind the best way +thither. The cave seemed to him a very sweet place; the mouth was all +fringed with little ferns; inside it was dry and clean; and in a few +hours he had disposed all his small goods within it. There was a low +slope, on one side of the rocks, where the fern grew plentifully. He +gathered great armfuls of the dry red stalks, and made himself a +rustling bed. So the day wore pleasantly away. One of his cares was to +find water; but here it seemed that God blessed him very instantly, for +he found a place near the sea, where a little spring soaked cool out of +the rock, with a pleasant carpet of moss and yellow flowers. He found, +too, some beds of shell-fish, which he saw would give him food and bait +for his fishing. So about sundown he cast a line from the end of the +rocks and presently caught a fish, a ling, which lives round rocky +shores. This he broiled at a small fire of driftwood, for he had brought +tinder with him; and it pleased him to think of the meal that the +Apostles took with the risen Christ, a meal which He had made for them, +and to which He Himself called them; for that, too, was a broiled fish, +and eaten by the edge of the sea. Also he ate a little of the bread he +had brought with him; and with it some of a brisk juicy herb, called +samphire, that sprouted richly in the cliff, which gave his meat an +aromatic savour; and with a drink of fresh spring water he dined well, +and was content; then he climbed within the cave, and fell asleep to the +sound of the wind buffeting in the cliff, and the fall of great waves on +the sea beaches. + +Now I might make a book of all the things that David saw and did on the +islands, but they were mostly simple and humble things. He fared very +hard, but though he often wondered how he would find food for the next +day, it always came to him; and he kept his health in a way which seemed +to him to be marvellous; indeed he seemed to himself to be both stronger +in body and lighter in spirit than he had even been before. He both saw +and heard things that he could not explain. There were sounds the nature +of which he could not divine; on certain days there was a far-off +booming, even when the waves seemed still; at times, too, there was a +low musical note in the air, like the throbbing of a tense string of +metal; once or twice he heard a sound like soft singing, and wondered in +his heart what creature of the sea it might be that uttered it. On +stormy nights there were sad moans and cries, and he often thought that +there were strange and unseen creatures about him, who hid themselves +from sight, but whose voices he certainly heard; but he was never +afraid. One night he saw a very beautiful thing; it had been a still +day, but there was an anxious sound in the wind which he knew portended +a storm; he was strangely restless on such days, and woke many times in +the night: at last he could bear the silence of the cave no more, and +went out, descending swiftly by the rocks, the path over which he could +have now followed blindfold, down to the edge of the sea. Then he saw +that the waves that beat against the rock were all luminous, as though +lit with an inner light; suddenly, far below, how deep he knew not, he +saw a great shoal of fish, some of them very large, coming softly round +the rocks; the water, as it touched their blunt snouts, burst as it were +into soft flame, and showed every twinkle of their fins and every beat +of their tails. The shoal came swiftly round the rocks, swimming +intently, and it seemed as though there was no end of them. But at last +the crowd grew thinner and then ceased; but he could still see the water +rippling all radiant in the great sea-pools, showing the motion of broad +ribbons of seaweed that swayed to and fro, and lighting up odd horned +beasts that stirred upon the ledges. From that day forth he was often +filled with a silent wonder at all the sleepless life that moved beneath +the vast waters, and that knew nothing of the little human lives that +fretted themselves out in the thin air above. That day was to him like +the opening of a door into the vast heart of God. + +But for all his happiness, the thought weighed upon him, day after day, +of all the grief and unhappiness that there was about him. A dying bird +that he found in a pool, and that rolled its filmy eye upon him in fear, +as if to ask why he must disturb it in its last sad languid hour, the +terror in which so many of the small fish abode--he saw once, when the +sea was clear, a big fish dart like a dark shadow, with open mouth and +gleaming eye, on a little shoal of fishes that sported joyfully in the +sun; they scattered in haste, but they had lost their fellows--all this +made him ponder; but most of all there weighed on his heart the thought +of the world he had left, of how men spoke evil of each other, and did +each other hurt; of children whose lot was to be beaten and cursed for +no fault, but to please the cruel temper of a master; of patient women, +who had so much to bear--so that sometimes he had dark thoughts of why +God made the world so fair, and then left so much that was amiss, like a +foul stream that makes a clear pool turbid. And there came into his head +a horror of taking the lives of creatures for his own use--the +shell-worm that writhed as he pulled it from the shell; the bright fish +that came up struggling and gasping from the water, and that fought +under his hand--and at last he made up his mind that he would take no +more life, though how he would live he knew not; and as for the world of +men, he became very desirous to help a little as best he could; and +there being at this time a wreck in the bay, when a boat and all on +board were lost, he thought that he would wish, if he could, to keep a +fire lit on dark nights, so that ships that passed should see that there +was a dwelling there, and so keep farther away from the dangerous rocks. + +By this time it had become known in the country where he was--his figure +had been seen several times from the cliffs; and one day there had come +a boat, with some of those that knew him, to the island. He had no wish +to mix again with men; but neither did he desire to avoid them, if it +was God's will that they should come. So he came down courteously, and +spoke with the master of the boat, who asked him very curiously of his +life and all that he did. David told him all; and when the master asked +him why he had thus fled away from the world, David said simply that he +had done so that he might pray to God in peace. Then the master said +that there were many waking hours in the day, and he knew not what there +might be to say prayers about, "for," he said, "you have no book to make +prayers out of, like the priests, and you have no store of good-sounding +words with which to catch the ear of God." Then David said that he +prayed to God to guard all things great and small, and to help himself +along the steep road to heaven. Then the master wondered very much, and +said that a man must please himself, and no doubt it was a holy work. +Then he asked a little shamefacedly for David to pray for him, that he +might be kept safe from shipwreck, and have good fortune for fishing, to +which David replied, "Oh, I do that already." + +Before the master went away, and he stayed not long, he asked David how +he lived, and offered him food. And David being then in a strait--for he +had lately vowed to take no life, said gladly that he would have +anything they could give him. So the master gave him some victual. And +it happened, just at this time, that some of the boats from the village +had a wonderful escape from a storm, and through that season they caught +fish in abundance; so it was soon noised abroad that this was all +because of David's prayers; and after that he never had need of food, +for they brought him many little presents, such as eggs, fruit, and +bread--for he would take no meat--giving them into his hands when he was +on the lower rocks, or leaving them on a ledge in the cove when he was +aloft. And as, when the fish were plenteous, they gave him food in +gratitude, and when fish were scarce, they gave it him even more +abundantly that they might have his prayers, David was never in lack; in +all of which he saw the wonderful hand of God working for him. + +Now David pondered very much how he might keep a light aloft on +dangerous nights. + +His first thought was to find a sheltered place among the rocks to +seaward, where his fire could burn and not be extinguished by the wind; +but, though he climbed all about the rocks, he could find no place to +his mind. One day, however, he was in the furthest recess of his cave, +when he felt that among the rocks a little thin wind blew constantly +from one corner; and feeling about with his hands, he found that it came +out of a small crack in the rocks. The stone above it seemed to be +loose; and he perceived after a while that the end of the cave must be +very near to the seaward face of the crag, and that the cave ran right +through the rock, and was only kept from opening on the outer side by a +thin barrier of stone; so after several attempts, using all his +strength, he worked the stone loose; and then with a great effort, he +thrust the stone out; it fell with a great noise, leaping among the +crags, and at last plunging into the sea. The wind rushed in through the +gap; then he saw that he had, as it were, a small window looking out to +sea, so small that he could not pass through it, but large enough to let +a light shine forth, if there were a light set there; but though it +seemed again to him like the guiding hand of God, he could not devise +how he should shelter the light within from the wind. Indeed the hole +made the cave a far less habitable place for himself, for the wind +whistled very shrewdly through; he found it easy enough to stop the gap +with an old fisherman's coat--but then the light was hidden from view. +So he tried a further plan; he dug a hole in the earth at the top of the +cliff, and then made a bed of dry sand at the bottom of it; and he piled +up dry seaweed and wood within, thinking that if he lit his beacon +there, it might be sheltered from the wind, and would burn fiercely +enough to throw up the flame above the top of the pit. He saw that heavy +rain would extinguish his fire; but the nights were most dangerous when +it blew too strongly for rain to fall. So one night, when the wind blew +strongly from the sea, he laid wood in order, which he had gathered on +the land, and conveyed with many toilsome journeys over to the island. +Then he lighted the pile, but it was as he feared; the wind blew +fiercely over the top, and drove the flames downward, so that the pit +glowed with a fierce heat; and sometimes a lighted brand was caught up +and whirled over the cliffs; but he saw plainly enough that the light +would not show out at sea. He was very sad at this, and at last went +heavily down to his cave, not knowing what he should do; and pondering +long before he slept, he could see no way out. + +In the morning he went up to the cliff-top again, and turned his steps +to the pit. The fire had burned itself out, but the sides were still +warm to the touch; all the ashes had been blown by the force of the wind +out of the hole; but he saw some bright things lie in the sand, which he +could not wholly understand, till he pulled them out and examined them +carefully. They were like smooth tubes and lumps of a clear stuff, like +molten crystal or frozen honey, full of bubbles and stains, but still +strangely transparent; and then, though he saw that these must in some +way have proceeded from the burning of the fire, he felt as though they +must have been sent to him for some wise reason. He turned them over and +over, and held them up to the light. It came suddenly into his mind how +he would use these heavenly crystals; he would make, he thought, a frame +of wood, and set these jewels in the frame. Then he would set this in +the hole of his cave, and burn a light behind; and the light would thus +show over the sea, and not be extinguished. + +So this after much labour he did; he fitted all the clear pieces into +the frame, and he fixed the frame very firm in the hole with wooden +wedges. Then he pushed clay into the cracks between the edges of the +frame and the stone. Then he told some of those who came to him that he +had need of oil for a purpose, and they brought it him in abundance, and +wicks for a lamp; and these he set in an earthen bowl filled with oil, +and on a dark night, when all was finished, he lit his lamp; and then +clambered out on the furthest rocks of the island, and saw his light +burn in the rocks, not clearly, indeed, but like an eye of glimmering +fire. Then he was very glad at heart, and he told the fishermen how he +had found means to set a light among the cliffs, and that he would burn +it on dark and stormy nights, so that they might see the light and avoid +the danger. The tidings soon spread, and they thought it a very magical +and holy device; but did not doubt that the knowledge of it was given to +David by God. + +So David was in great happiness. For he knew that the Father had +answered his prayer, and allowed him, however little, to help the +seafaring folk. + +He made other things after that; he put up a doorway with a door of wood +in the entering of the cave; he made, too, a little boat that he might +go to and fro to the land without swimming. And now, having no care to +provide food, for they brought it him in abundance, he turned his mind +to many small things. He made a holy carving in the cave, of Christ upon +the cross--and he carved around it a number of creatures, not men only +but birds and beasts, looking to the Cross, for he thought that the +beasts also should have their joy in the great offering. His fame spread +abroad; and there came a priest to see him, who abode with him for some +days, prayed with him, and taught him much of the faith. The priest gave +him a book, and showed him the letters; but David, though he longed to +read what was within, could not hold the letters in his head. + +He tamed, too, the wild birds of the rock, so that they came to his +call; one was a gull, which became so fearless that it would come to his +cave, and sit silent on a rock, watching him while he worked. He kept a +fish, too, in a pool of the rocks, that would rise to the edge when he +approached. + +But all this time he went not near to the village; for his solitude had +become very dear to him, and he prayed continually; and at evening and +morning and midday he would sing praises to God, simple words that he +had made. + +One morning he awoke in the cave, and as he bestirred himself he thought +in his heart of all his happiness. It was a still morning, but the sky +was overcast. Suddenly he heard voices below him; and thinking that he +was needed, he descended the rocks quickly, and came down a little way +from a group of sailors who were standing on the shore; there was a boat +drawn up on the sand, and near at hand there lay at anchor a small ship, +that seemed to be of a foreign gear, and larger than he was wont to see. +He came somewhat suddenly upon the group, and they seemed, as it were, +to be amazed to see a man there. He went smilingly towards them, but as +he did so there came into his heart a feeling of danger, he knew not +what; and he thought that it would be better to retire up the rocks to +his cave, and wait till the men had withdrawn--for it was not likely +that they would visit him there, or that even if they saw the way +thither, they would adventure it, as it was steep and dangerous. But he +put the thought away and came up to them. They seemed to be conferring +together in low voices, and the nearer that he drew, the less he liked +their look. He spoke to them, but they seemed not to understand, and +answered him back very roughly in a tongue he did not understand. But +presently they put one forward, an old man, who had some words of +English, who asked him what he did there. He tried to explain that he +lived on the island, but the old man shook his head, evidently not +believing that there could be one living in so bare a place. Then the +men conferred again together, and presently the old man asked him, in +his broken speech, whether he would take service on the ship with them. +David said, smiling, that he would not, for he had other work to do; and +the old man seemed to try and persuade him, saying that it was a good +service; that they lived a free life, wandering where they would; but +that they had lost men lately, and were hardly enough to sail the ship. + +Then it came into David's mind that he had fallen in with pirates. They +were not often seen in these parts, for there was little enough that +they could get, the folk being all poor, and small traffic passing that +way. And then, for he saw the group beginning to gather round him, he +made a prayer in his heart that he should be delivered from the evil, +and made proffer to the men of the little stores that he had. The old +man shook his head, and spoke with the others, who now seemed to be +growing angry and impatient; and then he said to David that they had +need of him to help to sail the ship, and that he must come whether he +would or no. David cast a glance round to see if he could escape up the +rocks; but the men were all about him, and seeing in his eye that he +thought of flight, they laid hands upon him. David resisted with all his +might, but they overpowered him in a moment, bound his hands and feet, +and cast him with much force into their boat. Then David was sorely +disheartened; but he waited, committing his soul to God. While he +waited, he saw a strange thing; on the beach there lay a box, tightly +corded; the men raised this up very gently, and with difficulty, as it +seemed to be heavy. Then they carried it up above the tide-mark; and, +making a hole among the loose stones, they buried it very carefully, +casting stones over it. Then one of them with a chisel made a mark on +the cliff behind, to show where the box lay--and then, first looking +carefully out to sea, they came into the boat, and rowed off to the +ship, which seemed almost deserted; paying no more heed to David than if +he had been a log of wood. + +The old man who understood English steered the boat; and David tried to +say some words to him, to ask that he should be released; but the old +man only shook his head; and at last bade David be silent with great +anger. They rowed slowly out, and David could see the great rocks, that +had now been his home so long, rising, still and peaceful, in the +morning light. Every rock and cranny was known to him. There was the +place where, when he first came, he was used to fish. There was the +cliff-top where he had made his fire; he could even see his little +window in the front of the rocks, and he thought with grief that it +would be dark and silent henceforth. But he thought that he was somehow +in the hand of God; and that though to be dragged away from his home +seemed grievous, there must be some task to which the Father would +presently set him, even if it were to go down to death; and though the +cords that bound him were now very painful, and his heart was full of +sorrow, yet David felt a kind of peace in his spirit which showed him +that God was still with him. + +When they got to the ship, there arose a dispute among the men as to +whether they should run out to sea before it was dark, or whether they +should lie where they were; there was but little wind, so they made up +their minds to stay. David himself thought from the look of the sky that +there was strong weather brewing. The old man who spoke English asked +him what he thought, and he told him that there would be wind. He seemed +to be disposed to believe David; but the men were tired, and it was +decided to stay. + +They had unbound David that he might go on board; and the pain in his +hands and feet was very great when the bonds were unloosed; and when he +was on board they bound him again, but not so tightly, and led him down +into a cabin, close and dirty, where a foul and smoky lamp burnt. They +bade him sit in a corner. The low ill-smelling place was very grievous +to David, and he thought with a sore heart of his clean cold cave, and +his bed of fern. The men seemed to take no further heed of him, and went +about preparing a meal. There seemed to be little friendliness among +them; they spoke shortly and scowled upon each other; and David divined +that there had been some dispute aboard, and that they were ill-content. +There was little discipline, the men going and coming when they would. + +Before long a meal was prepared; some sort of a stew with a rich strong +smell, that seemed very gross and foul to David, who had been used so +long to his simple fare. The men came in and took from the dish what +they desired; and a large jar was opened, which from its fierce smell +seemed to contain a hot and fiery spirit; and that it was so David could +easily discern, from the flushed faces and louder talk of the men, which +soon became mingled with a gross merriment. The old man brought a mess +of the food to David, who shook his head smiling. Then the other, with +more kindness than David had expected, asked if he would have bread; and +fetched him a large piece, unbinding his hands for a little, that he +might eat. Then he offered him some of the spirit; but David asked for +water, which the old man gave him, binding his hands after he had drunk, +with a certain gentleness. + +Presently the old man, after he too had eaten, came and sate down beside +David; and in his broken talk seemed to wish to win him, if he could, to +join them more willingly. He spoke of the pleasant life they lived, and +of the wealth that they made, though he said not how they came by it. He +told him that he had seen some of it hidden that day, which they had +done for greater security, so that, if the ship should be cast away, the +men might have some of their spoil waiting for them; and David +understood from him, though he had but few words to explain it, that it +had been that which had caused a strife among them. For they had come by +the treasure very hardly, and they had lost some of the crew in so doing +it--and some of the men had desired to share it, and have done with the +sea for ever; but that it had been decided to make another voyage first. + +Then David said very gently that he did not desire to join them, for he +was a man of peace; and he told him of his lonely life, and how he made +a light to keep ships off the dangerous coast; and at that the old man +looked at him with a fixed air, and nodded his head as though he had +himself heard of the matter, or at least seen the light--all this David +told him, speaking slowly as to a child; but it seemed as though every +minute the remembrance of the language came more and more back to the +old man. + +But at last the man shook his head, and said that he was sorry so +peaceful a life must come to an end. But, indeed, David must go with +them whether he would or no; and that they would be good comrades yet; +and he should have his share of whatever they got. And then he left +David and went on to the deck. + +Then there fell a great despair upon David; and at the same time the +crew, excited by the drink they had taken, for they drained the jar, +began to dispute among themselves, and to struggle and fight; and one of +them espied David, and they gathered round and mocked him. They mocked +at his dress, his face, his hair, which had grown somewhat long. And one +of them in particular seemed most urgent, speaking long to the others, +and pointing at David from time to time, while the others fell into a +great laughter. Then they fell to plucking his hair, and even to beating +him--and they tried to force the spirit into his mouth, but he kept his +teeth clenched; and the very smell of the fiery stuff made his brain +sick. But he could nor stir hand or foot; and presently there came into +his mind a great blackness of anger, so that he seemed to be in the very +grip of the evil one; and he knew in his heart that if he had been +unbound, he would have slain one or more of them; for his heart beat +thick, and there came a strange redness into his sight, and he gnashed +his teeth for rage; at which they mocked him the more. But at last the +old man came down into the cabin, and when he saw what they were at, he +spoke very angrily to them, stamping his foot; and it seemed as though +he alone had any authority, for they left off ill-using David, and went +from him one by one. + +Then, after a while they began to nod in their places; one or two of +them cast themselves into beds made in the wall; others fell on the +floor, and slept like beasts; and at last they all slept; and last of +all the old man came in again, bearing a lamp, and looked round the room +in a sort of angry disgust. Then he said a word to David, and opening a +door went on into a cabin beyond, closing the door behind him. + +Then, in the low light of the smoking lamp, and in the hot and reeking +room, with the foul breathing of the sleepers round him, David spent a +very dreadful hour. He had never in the old days seen so ill a scene; +and it was to him, exhausted by pain and by rage, as if a dark thing +came behind him, and whispered in his secret ear that God regarded not +men at all, and that the evil was stronger than the good, and prevailed. +He tried to put the thought away; but it came all the more instantly, +that what he had seen could not be, if God had indeed power to rule. It +was not only the scene itself, but the thought of what these men were, +and the black things they had doubtless done, the deeds of murder, +cruelty, and lust that were written plainly on all their faces; all +these came like dark shadows and gathered about him. + +David stirred a little to ease himself of his pain and stiffness; and +his foot struck against a thing. He looked down, and saw in the shadow +of the table a knife lying, which had fallen from some man's belt. A +thought of desperate joy came into his mind. He bent himself down with +his bound hands, and he contrived to gather up the knife. Then, very +swiftly and deftly, he thrust the haft between his knees; then he worked +the rope that bound his hands to and fro over the blade; the rope +parted, and the blood came back into his numbed fingers with a terrible +pain. But David heeded it not, and stooping down, he cut the cord that +bound his feet; then he rose softly, and sate down again; for the blood, +returning to his limbs, made him feel he could not stand yet awhile. All +was still in the cabin, except for the slow breathing of those that +slept; save that every now and then one of the sleepers broke into a +stifled cry, and muttered words, or stirred in his sleep. + +Presently David felt that he could walk. He pondered for a moment +whether he should take the knife, if he were suddenly attacked; but he +resisted the thought, and left the knife lying on the ground. + +Then stepping lightly among the sleepers, he moved like a shadow to the +door; very carefully he stepped; and at each movement or muttered word +he stopped and caught his breath. Suddenly one of the men rose up, +leaning on his arm, and looked at him with a stupid stare; but David +stood still, waiting, with his heart fit to break within his breast, +till the man lay down again. Then David was at the door. The cabin +occupied half the ship to the bows; the rest was undecked, with high +bulwarks; a rough ladder of steps led to the gangway. David stood for a +moment in the shadow of the door; but there seemed no one on the watch +without. The pure air and the fresh smell of the sea came to his senses +like a breath of heaven. He stepped swiftly over a coil of rope; then up +the ladder, and plunged noiselessly into the sea. + +He swam a few strokes very strongly; and then he looked about him. The +night was as dark as pitch. He could see a dim light from the ship +behind him; the water rose and fell in a slow heavy swell; but which way +the land lay he could not tell. But he said to himself that it was +better to drown and be certainly with God, than in the den of robbers he +had left. So he turned himself round in the water, trying to remember +where the shore lay, but it was all dark, both the sky and sea, with a +pitchy blackness; only the lights of the ship glimmered towards him like +little bright paths across the heaving tide. + +Suddenly there came a thing so wonderful that David could hardly believe +he saw truly; a bright eye of light, as it were, opened upon him in the +dark, far off, and hung high in the heavens, like a quiet star. The +radiance of it was like the moon, cold and clear. And though David could +not at first divine whence it came, he did not doubt in his heart that +it was there to guide him; so he struck out towards it, with long silent +strokes. He swam for a long time, the light shining softly over the +water, and seeming to rise higher over his head, while the glimmering of +the ship's lights grew fainter and more murky behind him. Then he became +aware that he was drawing near to the land; great dark shapes loomed up +over his head, and he heard the soft beating of waves before him. Then +he could see too, as he looked upon the light, that there was a glimmer +around it; and he saw that it came from the edges and faces of rocks +that were lit up by the radiance. So he swam more softly; and presently +his foot struck a rock covered with weed; so he put his feet down, waded +in cautiously, and pulling himself up by the hands found himself on a +rocky shore, and knew that it was his own island. + +Then the light above him, as though it had but waited for his safety to +be secured, died softly away, like the moon gliding into a cloud. David +wondered very much at this, and cast about in his mind how it might be; +but his heart seemed to tell him that there was some holy and beautiful +thing on the island very near to him. He could hardly contain himself +for gladness; and he thought that God had doubtless given him this day +of misery and terror, partly that he might value his peace truly, and +partly that he might feel that he had it not of right, but by the +gracious disposition of the Father. + +So he climbed very softly and swiftly to the cave; and entered it with a +great gladness; and then he became aware of a great awe in his mind. +There was somewhat there, that he could not see with his eyes, but which +was more real and present than anything he had ever known; the cave +seemed to shine with a faint and tender gleam that was dying away by +slow degrees; as though the roof and walls had been charged with a +peaceful light, which still rayed about them, though the radiance that +had fed it was withdrawn. He took off his dripping clothes, and wrapped +himself in his old sea-cloak. But he did not think of sleep, or even of +prayer; he only sate still on his bed of fern, with his eyes open in the +darkness, drinking in the strong and solemn peace which seemed to abide +there. David never had known such a feeling, and he was never to know it +again so fully; but for the time he seemed to sit at the foot of God, +satisfied. While he thus sate, a great wind sprang up outside and +thundered in the rocks; fiercer and fiercer it blew, and soon there +followed it the loud crying of the sea, as the great waters began to +heave and rage. Then David bestirred himself to light and trim his lamp, +and set it in the window as a warning to ships. And when he had done +this he felt a great and sudden weariness, and he laid himself down; and +sleep closed over him at once, as the sea closes over a stone that is +flung into it. + +Once in the night he woke, with the roar of the storm in his ears, and +wondered that he had slept through it. He had been through many stormy +nights, but he had never heard the like of this. The wind blew with a +steady roar, like a flood of thunder outpoured; in the midst of if, the +great waves, hurled upon the rocks, uttered their voices; and between he +heard the hiss of the water, as it rushed downwards from the cliff face. +In the midst of all came a sharp and sudden wailing cry; and then he +began to wonder what the poor ship was doing, which he thought of as +riding furiously at her anchor, with the drunken crew, and the old man +with his sad and solemn face, who seemed so different from his unruly +followers, and yet was not ashamed to rule over them and draw profit +from their evil deeds. In spite of the ill they had tried to do him, he +felt a great pity for them in his heart; but this was but for a moment, +for sleep closed over him again, and drew him down into forgetfulness. + +When David woke in the morning, the gale had died away, but the sky wept +from low and ragged clouds, as if ashamed and sullen at the wrath of the +day before. Water trickled in the cracks of the rock; and when David +peered abroad, he looked into the thin drifting clouds. He had a great +content in his heart, but the awe and the strange peace of the night had +somehow diminished. + +He began to reflect upon the light that he had seen from the sea. It was +not his lamp that had given out such light, for it was clear and thin, +while the light his own lamp gave was angry and red. Moreover, when he +had lighted the lamp before the storm, it was standing idle, not in the +window-place, but on the rock-shelf where he had set it. Then he knew +that some great and holy mystery had been wrought for him that night, +and that he had been very tenderly used. + +Presently he descended the cliff, and went out upon the seaward side. +The waves still rose angrily under the grey sky, but were fast abating. +He saw in a moment that the shore was full of wreckage: there were spars +and timbers everywhere, and all the litter of a ship. Some of the +timbers were flung so high upon the rocks that he saw how great the +violence of the storm had been. He walked along, and in a minute he came +upon the body of a man lying on his face, strangely battered. + +Then he saw another body, and yet another. He lifted them up, but there +was no sign of life in them; and he recognised with a great sadness that +they were the pirates who had dragged him from his home. He had for a +moment one evil thought in his mind, a kind of triumph in his heart that +God had saved him from his enemies, and delivered them over to death; +but he knew that it was a wicked thought, and thrust it from him; at +last at the end of the rocks he found the old captain himself. There was +a kind of majesty about him, even in death, as he lay looking up at the +sky, with one arm flung across his breast, and the other arm +outstretched beside him. Then he saw the ribs of the ship itself stick +up among the rocks, and he wondered to find the hull so broken and +ruinous. + +His next care was that the poor bodies should have burial. So about +midday he took his boat from its shelter, and rowed across to the land; +and then, with a strange fear of the heart, he climbed the cliff, and +walked down slowly to the village, which he had thought in his heart he +would never have seen again. + +The wind had now driven the clouds out of the sky, and the sun came out +with a strong white light, the light that shines from the sky when the +earth has been washed clean by rain. It sparkled brightly in the little +drops that hung like jewels in the grass and bushes. It was with a great +throb of the heart that David came out upon the end of the down, and saw +the village beneath him. It looked as though no change had passed over +it, but as though its life must have stood still, since he left it; then +there came tears into David's eyes at the thought of the old hard life +he had lived there, and how God had since filled his cup so full of +peace; so with many thoughts in his heart he came slowly down the path +to the town. He first met two children whom he did not know; he spoke to +them, but they looked for a moment in terror at his face; his hair and +beard were long, and he was all tanned by the sun; but he spoke softly +to them, and presently they came to him and were persuaded to tell their +names. They were the children, David thought, of a young lad whom he had +known as a boy; and presently, as the manner of children is when they +have laid aside fear, they told him many small things, their ages and +their doings, and other little affairs which seem so big to a child; and +then they would take his hands and lead him to the village, while David +smiled to be so lovingly attended. He was surprised, when he entered the +street, to see how curiously he was regarded. Even men and women, that +he had known, would hardly speak with him, but did him reverence. The +children would lead him to their house first; and so he went thither, +not unwilling. When they were at the place, he found with a gentle +wonder that it was even the house where he had himself dwelt. He went +in, and found the mother of the children within, one whom he had known +as a girl. She greeted him with the same reverence as the rest; so that +he at last took courage, and asked her why it should not be as it had +been before. And then he learned from her talk, with a strange surprise, +that it was thought that he was a very holy man, much visited by God, +who not only had been shown how, by a kind of magical secret, to save +ships from falling on that deadly coast, but as one whose prayers +availed to guard and keep the whole place safe. He tried to show her +that this was not so, and that he was a simple person in great need of +holiness; but he saw that she only thought him the holier for his +humility, so he was ashamed to say more. + +Then he went to the chief man in the village, and told him wherefore he +had come--that there was a wreck on the shore of the islands, and that +there were bodies that must be buried. One more visit he paid, and that +was to the little maiden whom he had seen the last when he went away. +She was now nearly grown to a woman, and her grandmother was very old +and weak, and near her end. David went there alone, and said that he had +returned as he had promised; but he found that the child had much lost +her remembrance of him, and could hardly see the friend she had known in +the strong and wild-looking figure that he had become. He talked a +little quietly; the old grandmother, who could not move from her chair, +was easier with him, and asked him, looking curiously upon him, whether +he had found that of which he went in search. "Nay, mother," he said, +"not found; but I am like a man whose feet are set in the way, and who +sees the city gate across the fields." Then she smiled at him and said, +"But I am near the gate." Then he told her that he often thought of her, +and made mention of her in his prayers; and so rose to go; but she asked +him to bless her, which David did very tenderly, and kissed her and +departed; but he went heavily; because he feared to be regarded as he +was now regarded; and he thought in his heart that he would never return +again, but dwell alone in his cave with God. For the world troubled him; +and the voices of the children, and the looks of those that he had known +before seemed to lay soft hands about his heart, and draw him back into +the world. + +The same day he returned to the cave; and the boats came out and took +the bodies away, and they were laid in the burying-ground. + +Then the next day many returned to clear away the wreck; and David came +not out of his cave while they did this; for it went to his heart to see +the joy with which they gathered what had meant the death of so many +men. They asked him what they should leave for him, and he answered, +"Nothing--only a piece of plain wood, for a purpose." So when evening +came they had removed all; and the island, that had rung all day with +shouts and talk and the feet of men, was silent again; but before they +went, David said that he had a great desire to see a priest, if a +message could be sent; and this they undertook to do. But David was very +heavy-hearted for many days, for it seemed to him that the sight of the +world had put all the peace out of his heart; and his prayers came +hollow and dry. + +A few days after there came a boat to the rock; the sea was running +somewhat high, and they had much ado to make a landing. David went down +to the water's edge, and saw that besides the fishermen, whom he knew, +there was a little wizened man in a priest's dress, that seemed +bewildered by the moving of the boat and the tossing of the big waves +with their heaving crests, that broke upon the rocks with a heavy sound. +At last they got the boat into the creek, and the little priest came +nimbly ashore, but not without a wetting. The fishermen said that they +would return in the evening, and fetch the priest away. + +He looked a frail man, and David could not discern whether he were young +or old; and he felt a pity for a man who was so unhandy, and who seemed +to be so scared of the sea. But the priest came up to him and took his +hand. "I have heard much of you, my brother," he said, "and I have +desired to see you--but this sea of yours is a strange and wild monster, +and I trust it not,--though indeed it is God's handiwork. Yet King +David, your patron, was of the same mind, I think, and wrote in one of +his wise psalms how it made the heart to melt within him." David looked +at him with much attention as he spoke, and there was something in the +priest's eye, a kind of hidden fire, joined with a wise mirth, that made +him, all of a sudden, feel like a child before him. So he said, "Where +will your holiness sit? It is cold here in the wind; I have a dwelling +in the rocks, but it is hard to come by except for winged fowl, and for +men like myself who have been used to the precipices." + +"Well, show the way, brother," said the priest cheerfully, "and I will +adventure my best." So David showed him the way up the crags, and went +slowly in front of him, that he might help him up; but the priest +climbed like a cat, looking blithely about him, and had no need of help, +though he was encumbered with his robe. + +When they were got there, the priest looked curiously about him, and +presently knelt down before the carving, and said a little prayer to +himself. + +Then he questioned David about his life, asking questions briskly, as +though he were accustomed to command; and David felt more and more every +moment that he was as a child before this masterful and wary man. He +told him of his early life, and of his visions, and of his desire to +know God, and of the light that he set in the rocks; and then he told +him of his adventure with the pirates, not forgetting the treasure. The +priest heard him with great attention, and said presently that he had +done well, and that God was with him. Then he asked him how he would +have the treasure bestowed, and David said that he had no design in his +mind. "Then that shall be my care," said the priest, "and I doubt not +that the Lord hath sent it us, that there may be a church in this lonely +place." + +And then, turning to David with a wonderful and piercing look, he said, +"And this peace of spirit that you speak of, that you came here to seek, +tell me truly, brother, have you found it?" + +Then David looked upon the ground a little and said, "Dear sir, I know +not; I am indeed strangely happy in this lonely place; but to speak all +the truth, I feel like a man who lingers at a gate, and who hears the +sound of joy and melody within, which rejoices his heart, but he is not +yet admitted. No," he went on, "I have not found the way. The Father is +indeed very near me, and I am certain of His love--but there is still a +barrier between me and His Heart." + +Then the priest bowed his head awhile in thought, but said nothing for a +long space; and then David said, "Dear sir, advise me." Then the priest +looked at him with a clear gaze, and said, "Shall I advise you, O my +brother?" And David said "Yes, dear sir." Then the priest said, "Indeed, +my brother, I see in your life the gracious hand of God. He did redeem +you, and he planted in your heart a true seed of peace. You have lived +here a holy and an innocent life; but he withholds from you his best +gift, because you are not willing to be utterly led by him. There have +been in ancient days many such souls, who have fled from the wickedness +of the world, and have spent themselves in prayer and penance, and have +done a holy work--for indeed there are many victories that may be won by +prayer. But indeed, dear brother, I think that God's will for you is +that this lonely life of yours should have an end. I think that you have +herein followed your own pleasure overmuch; and I believe that God would +now have you go back to the world, and work for him therein. You have a +great power with this simple folk; but they are as sheep without a +shepherd, and must be fed, and none but you can now feed them. You will +bethink you of the visit that the Lord Christ paid to the Sisters of +Bethany; Martha laboured much to please Him, but she laboured for her +own pleasing too; and Mary it was that had the good part, because she +thought not of herself but of the Lord. And now, dear brother, I would +have you do what will be very grievous to you. I would have you go back +to your native place, and there abide to labour for God; you may come +hither at seasons, and be alone with God, and that will refresh you; but +you are now, methinks, like a man who has found a great treasure, and +who speaks no word of it to others, and neither uses it himself, but +only looks upon it and is glad." + +Then David was very sad at the priest's words, knowing that he spoke the +truth. But the priest said, "Now we will speak no more of this awhile; +and I would not have you do it, unless your heart consents thereto; only +be strong." And then he asked if he might have somewhat to eat; and +David brought him his simple fare; so they ate together, and while they +ate, it came into David's mind that this was certainly the way. All that +afternoon they sate, while the wind rustled without, and the sea made a +noise; and then the priest said they would go and look at the treasure, +because it was near evening, and he must return. So they went down +together, and drew the rocks off from the box. It was a box of wood, +tightly corded, and they undid it, and found within a great store of +gold and silver pieces, which the priest reckoned up, and said that it +would be abundant for a church. + +Then they saw the boat approach; and the priest blessed David, and David +thanked him with tears, for showing him the truth; and the priest said, +"Not so, my brother; I did but show you what is in your own heart, for +God puts such truth in the heart of all of us as we can bear; but +sometimes we keep it like a sword in its scabbard, until the bright and +sharp thing, that might have wrought great deeds, be all rusted and +blunted." + +And then the priest departed, taking with him the box of gold, and David +was left alone. + +David was very heavy-hearted when he was left alone on the island. He +knew that the priest had spoken the truth, but he loved his solitary +life, and the silence of the cave, the free air and the sun, and the +lonely current of his own thoughts. The sun went slowly down over the +waters in a great splendour of light and colour, so that the clouds in +the sky seemed like purple islands floating in a golden sea; David +sitting in his cave thought with a kind of terror of the small and close +houses of the village, the sound of feet, and talk of men and women. At +last he fell asleep; and in his sleep he dreamed that he was in a great +garden. He looked about him with pleasure, and he presently saw a +gardener moving about at his work. He went in that direction, and he saw +that the man, who was old and had a very wise and tender face, was +setting out some young trees in a piece of ground. He planted them +carefully with deft hands, and he smiled to himself as he worked, as +though he was full of joyful thoughts. David wished in his heart to go +and speak with him, but something held him back. Presently the gardener +went away, and while he was absent, another man, of a secret aspect, +came swiftly into the place, peering about him. His glance passed David +by, and David knew that he was in some way unseen. The man looked all +about him in a furtive haste, and then plucked up one of the trees, +which seemed to David to be already growing and shooting out small +leaves and buds. The man smoothed down the ground where he drew it out, +and then went very quickly away. David would have wished to stop him, +but he could not. Then the old gardener came back, and looked long at +the place whence the tree had been drawn. Then he sighed to himself, and +cast a swift look in the direction in which the man had fled. He had +brought other trees with him, but he did not plant one in the empty +space, but left it bare. Then David felt that he must follow the other, +and so he did. He found him very speedily, but it was outside the +garden, in a rough place, where thorny bushes and wild plants grew +thickly. The other had cleared a little space among them, and here he +set the tree; but he planted it ill and hastily, as though he was afraid +of being disturbed; and then he departed secretly. David stood and +watched the tree a little. It seemed at first to begin to grow again as +it had done before, but presently something ailed it and it drooped. +Then David saw the thorny bushes near it begin to stretch out their arms +about it, and the wild herbs round about sprang up swiftly, and soon the +tree was choked by them, and hardly appeared above the brake. David +began to be sorry for the tree, which still kept some life in it, and +struggled as it were feebly to put out its boughs above the thicket. +While he stood he saw the old gardener approaching, and as he approached +he carefully considered the ground. When he saw the tree, he smiled, and +drew it out carefully, and went back to the garden, and David followed +him; he planted it again tenderly in the ground; and the tree which had +looked so drooping and feeble began at once to put forth leaves and +flowers. The gardener smiled again, and then for the first time looked +upon David. His eyes were deep and grave like a still water; and he +smiled as one might who shares a secret with another. And then of a +sudden David awoke, and found the light of dawn creeping into the cave; +and he fell to considering the dream, and in a moment knew that it was +sent for his learning. So he hesitated no longer, but gave up his will +to God. + +It was a sad hour for David nevertheless; he walked softly about the +cave, and he put aside what he would take with him, and it seemed to him +that he was, as it were, uprooting a tree that had grown deep; he tied +up what he would take with him, but he left some things behind, for he +thought that he might return. And then he kneeled down and prayed, the +tears running over his face; and lastly he rose and kissed the cold wall +of the cave; at the door he saw the gull that had been with him so oft, +and he scattered some crumbs for it, and while the bird fell to picking +the crumbs, David descended the rock swiftly, not having the heart to +look about him; and then he put his things in the boat, and rowed +swiftly and silently to the shore, looking back at the great rocks, +which stood up all bright and clear in the fresh light of the dawn, with +the waves breaking softly at their feet. + +David had no fixed plan in his mind, as he rowed across to the land. He +only thought that it was right for him to return, and to take up his +part in the old life again. He did not dare to look before him, but +simply put, as it were, his hand in the hand of God, and hoped to be led +forward. He was soon at the shore, and he pulled his boat up on the +land, and left it lying in a little cave that opened upon the beach; +then he shouldered his pack, and went slowly, with even strides, across +the hill and down to the village. He met no one on the way, and the +street seemed deserted. He made his way to the house of the old woman +who was his friend; he put his small pack at the door and entered. The +little house was quite silent. But he heard a sound of weeping; when he +came into the outer room, he saw the maiden sitting in a chair with her +face bowed on the table. He called to her by name; she lifted her head +and looked at him for a moment and then rose up and came to him, as a +child comes to be comforted. He saw at once that some grievous thing had +happened; and presently with sobs and tears she told him that her +grandmother had died a few days before, that she had been that day +buried, and that she knew not what she was to do; there seemed more +behind; and David at last made out that she was asked in marriage by a +young fisherman whom she did not love, and she knew not how else to +live. And then he said that he was come back and would not depart from +her, and that she should be a daughter to him. + +Now of the rest of the life of David I must not here speak; he lived in +the village, and he did his part; a little chapel was built in the place +with the money of the pirates; and David went in and out among the folk +of the place, and drew many to the love of God; he went once back to the +cave, but he abode not long there; but of one thing I will tell, and +that is of a piece of carving that David did, working little by little +in the long winter nights at the piece of wood that came from the pirate +ship. The carving is of a man standing on the shore of the sea, and +holding up a lantern in his hand, and on the sea is carved a ship. And +David calls his carving "The Light of the World." At the top of it is a +scroll, with the words thereon, "He shall send down from on high to +fetch me, and shall take me out of many waters." And beneath is another +scroll on which is graven, "Thou also shalt light my candle; the Lord my +God shall make my darkness to be light." + + + + + * * * * * + + + + +The Waving of the Sword + + + +The things that are set down here happened in the ancient days when +there was sore fighting in the land; the king, who was an unjust man, +fighting to maintain his realm, and the barons fighting for the law; and +the end was not far off, for the king was driven backwards to the sea, +and at last could go no further; so he gathered all the troops that he +might in a strong fort that lay in the midst of the downs, where the +hills dipped to the plain to let the river pass through; and the barons +drew slowly in upon him, through the forest in the plain. Beyond the +downs lay the sea, and there in a little port was gathered the king's +navy, that if the last fight went ill with him, as indeed he feared it +would, he might fly for safety to another land. + +Now in a house below the down, a few miles from the king's stronghold, +dwelt a knight that was neither old nor young, and his name was Sir +Henry Strange. He lived alone and peevishly, and he did neither good nor +evil. He had no skill in fighting, but neither had he skill in peaceful +arts. He had tried many things and wearied of all. He had but a small +estate, which was grown less by foolish waste. He could have made it +into a rich heritage, for his land was good. But he had no patience with +his men, and confused them by his orders, which he would not see carried +out. Sometimes he would fell timber, and then leave it to rot in the +wood; or he would plough a field, and sow it not. At one time he had a +fancy to be a minstrel, but he had not patience to attain to skill; he +would write a ballad and leave it undone; or he would begin to carve a +figure of wood, and toss it aside; sometimes he would train a dog or a +horse; but he would so rage if the beast, being puzzled for all its +goodwill, made mistakes, that it grew frightened of him--for nothing can +be well learnt except through love and trust. He would sometimes think +that he should have been a monk, and that under hard discipline he would +have fared better--and indeed this was so, for he had abundant aptitude. +He was alone in the world, for he had come into his estate when young; +but he had had no patience to win him a wife. At first, indeed, his life +had not been an unhappy one, for he was often visited by small joyful +thoughts, which made him glad; and he took much pleasure, on sunshiny +days, in the brave sights and sounds of the world. But such delights had +grown less; and he was now a tired and restless man of forty years, who +lay long abed and went not much abroad; and was for ever telling himself +how happy he would be if this or that were otherwise. Far down in his +heart he despised himself, and wondered how God had come to make so +ill-contented a thing; but that was a chamber in his mind that he +visited not often; but rather took pleasure in the thought of his skill +and deftness, and his fitness for the many things he might have done. + +And now in the war he had come to a pass. He would not join himself to +the king, because the king was an evil man, and he liked not evil; yet +he loved not rebellion, and feared for his safety if the king had the +upper hand; but it was still more that he had grown idle and +soft-hearted, and feared the hard faring and brisk jesting of the camp. +Yet even so the thought of the war lay heavy on his heart, and he +wondered how men, whose lives were so short upon the goodly earth, +should find it in their hearts to slay and be slain for such shadowy +things as command and dominion; and he thought he would have made a song +on that thought, but he did not. + +And now the fighting had come very near him; and he had let some of his +men go to join the king, but he went not himself, saying that he was +sick, and might not go abroad. + +He stood on a day, at this time, by a little wall that enclosed his +garden-ground. It was in the early summer; the trees had put on their +fresh green, and glistened in the still air, and the meadows were deep +with grass, on the top of which seemed to float unnumbered yellow +flowers. In and out the swallows passed, hunting for the flies that +danced above the grass; and he stood, knowing how fair the earth was, +and yet sick at heart, wondering why he could not be as a careless bird, +that hunts its meat all day in the sun, and at evening sings a song of +praise among the thickets. + +Over the trees ran the great down with its smooth green sides, as far as +the eye could see. The heat winked on its velvety bluffs, and it seemed +to him, as it had often seemed before, like a great beast lying there in +a dream, with a cloth of green cast over its huge limbs. + +He was a tall lean man, somewhat stooping. His face had a certain +beauty; his hair and beard were dark and curling; he had large eyes that +looked sadly out from under heavy lids. His mouth was small, and had a +very sweet smile when he was pleased; but his brow was puckered together +as though he pondered; his hands were thin and delicate, and there was +something almost womanly about his whole air. + +Presently he walked into the little lane that bordered his garden. He +heard the sound of wheels coming slowly along the white chalky road; he +waited to look, and saw a sad sight. In the cart was a truss of hay, and +sunk upon it sate a man, his face down on his breast, deadly pale; as +the cart moved, he swayed a little from side to side. The driver of the +cart walked beside, sullenly and slowly; and by him walked a girl, just +grown a woman, as pale as death, looking at the man that sate in the +cart with a look of terror and love; sometimes she would take his +helpless hand, and murmur a word; but the man heeded not, and sate lost +in his pain. As they passed him he could see a great bandage on the +man's chest that was red with blood. He asked the waggoner what this +was, and he told him that it was a young man of the country-side that +had been hurt in a fight; he was but newly married, and it was thought +he could not live. The cart had stopped, and the woman pulled a little +cup out of a jug of water that stood in the straw, and put it to the +wounded man's lips, who opened his eyes, all dark and dazed with pain, +but with no look of recognition in them, and drank greedily, sinking +back into his sick dream again. The girl put the cup back, and clasped +her hands over her eyes, and then across her breast with a low moan, as +though her heart would break. The tears came into Sir Henry's eyes; and +fumbling in his pockets he took out some coins and gave them to the +woman, with a kind word. "Let him be well bestowed," he said. The woman +took the coins, hardly heeding him; and presently the cart started +again, a shoot of pain darting across the wounded man's face as the +wheels grated on the stones. + +Sir Henry stood long looking after them; and it came into his heart that +war was a foul and evil thing; though he half envied the poor soul that +had fought his best, and was now sinking into the shadow of death. + +While he thus lingered there sprang into his mind a thought that made +him suddenly grow erect. + +He walked swiftly along the lane with its high hedges and tall elms. The +lane was at the foot of the down, but raised a little above the plain, +so that he could see the rich woodland with its rolling lines, and far +away the faint line of the Northern hills. It was very still, and there +seemed not a care in the great world; it seemed all peace and happy +quiet life; yet the rumbling of the cart-wheels which he still heard at +a distance, now low and now loud, told him of the sorrow that lay hidden +under those dreaming woods; was it all thus? And then he thought of the +great armies that were so near, and of all the death they meant to deal +each other. And yet God sat throned aloft watching all things, he +thought, with a calm and quiet eye, waiting, waiting. But for what? Was +His heart indeed pitiful and loving, as His priests said? and did He +hold in His hand, for those that passed into the forgetful gate, some +secret of joyful peace that would all in a moment make amends? + +He stopped beside a little stile--there, in front of him, over the tops +of an orchard, the trees of which were all laden with white and rosy +flowers, lay a small high-shouldered church, with a low steeple of wood. +The little windows of the tower seemed to regard him as with dark sad +eyes. He went by a path along the orchard edge, and entered the +churchyard, full of old graves, among which grew long tumbled grass. He +thought with a throb, that was almost of joy, of all those that had laid +down their weary bones there in the dust, husband by wife, child by +mother. They were waiting too, and how quietly! It was all over for +them, the trouble and the joy alike; and for a moment the death that all +dread seemed to him like a simple and natural thing, the one thing +certain. There at length they slept, a quiet sleep, waiting for the +dawn, if dawn there were. + +He crossed the churchyard and entered the church; the coolness and the +dark and the ancient holy smell was sweet after the brightness and the +heat outside. Every line of the place was familiar to him from his +childhood. He walked slowly up the little aisle and passed within the +screen. The chancel was very dark, only lighted by two or three deep-set +windows. He made a reverence and then drew near to the altar. + +All the furniture of the church was most simple and old; but over the +altar there was a long unusual-looking shelf; he went up to it, and +stood for awhile gazing upon it. Along the shelf lay a rude and ancient +sword of a simple design, in a painted scabbard of wood; and over it was +a board with a legend painted on it. + +The legend was in an old form of French words, long since disused in the +land. But it said: + +_Unsheathe me and die thyself, but the battle shall be stayed._ + +He had known the look of the sword, and the words on the board from a +child. The tale was that there had been in days long past a great battle +on the hill, and that the general of one of the armies had been told, +in a dream or vision, that if he should himself be slain, then should +his men have the victory; but that if he lived through the battle, then +should his men be worsted. Now before the armies met, while they stood +and looked upon each other, the general, so said the tale, had gone out +suddenly and alone, with his sword bare in his hand, and his head +uncovered; and that as he advanced, one of his foes had drawn a bow and +pierced him through the brain, so that he fell in his blood between the +armies; and that then a kind of fury had fallen upon his men to avenge +his death, and they routed the foe with a mighty slaughter. But the +sword had been set in the church with this legend above it; and there it +had lain many a year. + +So Sir Henry disengaged the sword from its place very tenderly and +carefully. It had been there so long that it was all covered with dust; +and then, holding it in his hands, he knelt down and made a prayer in +his heart that he might have strength for what he had a mind to do; and +then he walked softly down the church, looking about him with a sort of +secret tenderness, as though he were bidding it all farewell; his own +father and mother were buried in the church; and he stopped for awhile +beside their grave, and then, holding the sword by his side--for he +wished it not to be seen of any--he went back to his house, and put the +sword away in a great chest, that no one might know where it was laid. + +Then he tarried not, but went softly out; and all that afternoon he +walked about his own lands, every acre of them; for he did not think to +see them again; and his mind went back to the old days; he had not +thought that all could be so full of little memories. In this place he +remembered being set on a horse by his father, who held him very +lovingly and safely while he led the great beast about; he remembered +how proud he had been, and how he had fancied himself a mighty warrior. +On this little pond, with all its reeds and waterlilies, he had sailed a +boat on a summer day, his mother sitting near under a tree to see that +he had no danger; and thus it was everywhere; till, as he walked in the +silent afternoon, he could almost have believed that there were others +that walked with him unseen, to left and right; for at every place some +little memory roused itself, as the flies that rise buzzing from the +leaves when you walk in an alley, until he felt like a child again, with +all the years before him. + +Then he came to the house again, and did the same for every room. He +left one room for the last, a room where dwelt an old and simple woman +that had nursed him; she was very frail and aged now, and went not much +abroad, but sate and did little businesses; and it was ever a delight to +her if he asked her to do some small task for him. He found her sitting, +smiling for pleasure that he should come to her thus; and he kissed +her, and sate beside her for awhile, and they talked a little of the +childish days, for he was still ever a child to her. Then he rose to +leave her, and she asked him, as was her wont, if there was anything +that she could do for him, for it shamed her, she said, to sit and idle, +when she had been so busy once, and when there was still so much to do. +And he said, "No, dear nurse, there is nothing at this time." And he +hesitated for an instant, and then said, "There is indeed one thing; I +have a business to do to-night, that is hard and difficult; and I do not +know what the end will be; will you say a prayer for your boy to-night, +that he may be strong?" She looked at him quickly and was silent; and +then she said, "Yes, dear child, but I ever do that--and I have no skill +to make new prayers--but I will say my prayer over and over if that will +avail." And he said, smiling at her, though the tears were in his eyes, +"Yes, it will avail," and so he kissed her and went away, while she +fell to her prayers. + +Now the day had all this while grown stiller and hotter, till there was +not a breath stirring; and now out to the eastwards there came on an +angry blackness in the sky, with a pale redness beneath it, where the +thunder dwelt. Sir Henry sate down, for he was weary of his walking, and +in a little he fell asleep; his thoughts still ran upon the sword, for +he dreamed that he had it with him in a wood that he knew not, that was +dark with the shade of leaves; and he hung the sword upon a tree, and +went on, to win out of the wood if he could, for it seemed very close +and heavy in the forest; sometimes through the trees he saw a space of +open ground, with ferns glistening in the sun; but he could not find the +end of the wood; so he came back in his dream to where he had left the +sword; and while he stood watching it, he saw that something dark +gathered at the scabbard end, and presently fell with a little sound +among the leaves. Then with a shock of terror he saw that it was blood; +and he feared to take the sword back; but looking downwards he perceived +that where the blood had fallen, there were red flowers growing among +the leaves of a rare beauty, which seemed to be born of the blood. So he +gathered a handful, and wreathed the sword with them; and then came a +gladness into his mind, with which he awoke, and found it evening; he +came back to himself with a kind of terror, and a fear darted into his +breast; the windows were open, and there came in a scent of flowers; and +he felt a great love for the beautiful earth, and for his quiet life; +and he looked at the chest; and there came into his mind a strong desire +to take the sword out, and lay it back in the church, and let things be +as they had been; and so he sate and mused. + +Presently his old serving-man came in and told him he had set his +supper; so Henry went into the parlour, and made some pretence to be +about to eat; sending the old man away, who babbled a little to him of +the war, of the barons' army that drew nearer, and of how the king was +sore bested. When he was gone Sir Henry ate a little bread and drank a +sup of wine; and then he rose up, like one who had made up his mind. He +went to the chest and drew out the sword; and then he went softly out of +the house, and presently walking swiftly he came out on the down. + +It was now nearly dusk; the sky lay clear and still, fading into a sort +of delicate green, but all the west was shrouded in a dim blackness, the +cloud being spread out, like a great dark bird winging its way slowly up +the sky. Then far down in the west there leapt, as it were, interlacing +streams of fire out of the cloud, and then followed a low rolling of +thunder. + +But all the while he mounted the down, up a little track that gleamed +white in the grass; and now he could see the huge plain, with a few +lights twinkling out of farms; far down to the west there was a little +redness of light, and he thought that this was doubtless where the army +of the barons lay; but he seemed to himself to have neither wonder nor +fear left in his mind; he only went like one that had a task to perform; +and soon he came to the top. + +Here all was bare, save for some bushes of furze that grew blackly in +the gloom; he stepped through them, and he came at last to where a great +mound stood, that was held to be the highest place in all the down, a +mound that marked the place of a battle, or that was perhaps the +burying-place of some old tribe--for it was called the Barrow of the +Seven Kings. + +He came quickly to the mound, and went to the top; and then he laid the +sword upon the turf by him, and kneeled down; once again came a great +outpouring of fire from heaven in the west, and a peal of thunder +followed hard upon it; and indeed the storm was near at hand; he could +see the great wings of the cloud moving now, and a few large drops +splashed in the grass about him, and one fell upon his brow. + +And now a great fear fell upon Henry of he knew not what. He seemed to +himself to be in the presence of some vast and fearful thing, that was +passing swiftly by; and yet seemed, for all its haste, to have espied +him, and to have been, as it were, stayed by him; there came into his +mind a recollection of how he had once, on a summer's day, joined the +mowers in one of the fields, and had mowed a few swathes with them for +the pleasure of seeing the rich seeded grass fall before the gleaming +scythe. At one of his strokes, he remembered, he had uncovered a little +field-mouse, that sate in the naked field, its high covert having been +swept bare from above it, and watched him with bright eyes of fear, +while he debated whether he should crush it; he had done so, he +remembered, carelessly, with his foot, and now he wished that he had +spared it, for it was even so that he himself felt. + +So to strengthen himself in his purpose, he made a prayer aloud, though +it was a thing that in his idle life he had much foregone; and he said: + +"Lord God, if Thou indeed hearest and seest me, make me strong to do +what I have a mind to do; I have lived foolishly and for myself, and I +have little to give. I have despised life, and it is as an empty husk to +me. I have put love away from me, and my heart is dry; I have had +friends and I have wearied of them. I have profited nothing; I have +wasted my strength in foolish dreams of pleasure, and I have not found +it. I am as a weed that cumbers the fair earth." + +Then he stayed for a moment, for he was afraid; for it seemed to him as +though somewhat stood near to listen. Then he said again:-- + +"But, Lord, I do indeed love my fellow men a little; and I would have +the waste of life stayed. It is a pitiful thing that I have to offer, +but it is all that I have left--an empty life, which yet I love. I will +not promise, Lord, to yield my life to the service of men, for I love my +ease too well, and I should not keep my word--so I offer my life freely +into Thy hand, and let it avail that which it may avail." + +Then the blackness seemed to gather all about him, and he felt with his +hand in the turf and found the sword; then he drew the scabbard off, and +flung it down beside him, and he raised the sword in his hands. + +Then it seemed as though the heavens opened above him, but he saw not +the fire, nor heard the shouting of the thunder that followed; he fell +on his face in the turf without a sound and moved no more. + +Now it happened that about the time that he unsheathed the sword, it +came into the heart of the king to send a herald to the barons; for he +saw the host spread out below him on the plain, and he feared to meet +them; and the barons, too, were weary of fighting; and the king bound +himself by a great oath to uphold the law of the realm, and so the land +had peace. + +The next day came a troop of men-at-arms along the hill; and they +wondered exceedingly to see a man lie on the mound with a sword in his +hand unsheathed, and partly molten. He lay stiff and cold, but they +could not tell how he came by his death, and they knew not what he had +done for the land; his hand was so tightly clenched upon the sword, that +they took it not out, but they buried him there upon the hill-top, very +near the sky, and passed on; and no man knew what had become of him. But +God, who made him and had need of him, knoweth. + + + + + * * * * * + + + + +Renatus + + + +Renatus was a Prince of Saxony that was but newly come to his princedom; +his father had died while he was a boy, and the realm had been +administered by his father's brother, a Duke of high courage and +prudence. The Duke was deeply anxious for the fate of the princedom and +his nephew's fortunes, for they lived in troubled times; the Barons of +the province were strong and haughty men, with little care for the +Prince, and no thought of obedience; each of them lived in his castle, +upon a small realm of his own; the people were much discontented with +the rule of the Barons, and the Duke saw plainly enough that if a prince +could arise who could win the confidence of the people, the Barons would +have but little power left. Thus his care was so to bring up the Prince +Renatus that he should understand how hard a task was before him; but +the boy, though quick of apprehension, was fond of pleasure and +amusement, and soon wearied of grave instructions; so the Duke did not +persist overmuch, but strove to make the little Prince love him and +confide in him, hoping that, when the day of trial came, he might be apt +to ask advice rather than act hastily and perhaps foolishly; but yet in +this the Duke had not perfectly succeeded, as he was by nature grave and +austere, and even his face seemed to have in it a sort of rebuke for +lively and light-minded persons. Still the Prince, though he was not at +ease with the Duke, trusted him exceedingly, and thought him wise and +good, even more than the Duke imagined. + +The days had been full of feasting and pageants, and Renatus was greatly +excited and eager at finding himself in so great a place. He had borne +himself with much courtesy and dignity in his receiving of embassies and +such compliments; he had, too, besides the sweet gifts of youth and +beauty, a natural affectionateness, which led him to wish to please +those about him; and the Duke's heart was full of love and admiration +for the graceful boy, though there lay in the back of his mind a shadow +of fear; and this grew very dark when he saw two of the most turbulent +Barons speaking together in a corner, with sidelong glances at the +Prince, at one of the Court assemblies, and divined that they thought +the boy would be but a pretty puppet in their hands. + +The custom was that the Prince, on the eve of his enthroning, should +watch for two hours alone in the chapel of the castle, from eleven to +one at night, and should there consecrate himself to God; the guests of +the evening were departed; and a few minutes before eleven the Duke sate +with the Prince in a little room off the chapel, waiting till it was +time for the Prince to enter the building. Renatus was in armour, as the +custom was, with a white robe over all. He sate restlessly in a chair, +and there was a mischievous and dancing light of pleasure in his eye, +that made the Duke doubly grave. The Duke, after some discourse of other +matters, made a pause; and then, saying that it was the last time that +he should take the privilege of guardianship--to offer advice unless it +were sought--said: "And now, Renatus, you know that I love you as a dear +son; and I would have you remember that all these things are but shows, +and that there sits behind them a grave and holy presence of duty; these +pomps are but the signs that you are truly the Prince of this land; and +you must use your power well, and to God's glory; for it is He that +makes us to be what we are, and truly calls us thereto." Renatus heard +him with a sort of courteous impatience, and then, with a smile, said: +"Yes, dear uncle, I know it; but the shows are very brave; and you will +forgive me if my head is full of them just now. Presently, when the +pageants are all over, I shall settle down to be a sober prince enough. +I think you do not trust me wholly in the matter--but I would not seem +ungrateful," he added rather hastily, seeing the gravity in the Duke's +face--"for indeed you have been as a true father to me." + +The Duke said no more at that time, for he cared not to give untimely +advice, and a moment after, a bell began to toll in the silence, and the +chaplain came habited to conduct the Prince to his chapel. So they went +the three of them together. + +It was dark and still within the church; in front of the altar-steps +were set a faldstool and a chair, where the Duke might pray, or sit if +he were weary; two tall wax lights stood beside, and lit up the crimson +cloth and the gold fringes, so that it seemed like a rare flower +blossoming in the dark. A single light, in a silver lamp hung by a +silver chain, burnt before the altar; all else was dim; but they could +see the dark stalls of the choir, with their carven canopies, over which +hung the banners of old knights, that moved softly to and fro; beyond +were the pillars of the aisles, glimmering faintly in a row. The roof +and windows were dark, save where here and there a rib of stone or a +tracery stood out very rich and dim. All about there was a kind of holy +smell, of wood and carven stone and incense-smoke. + +The chaplain knelt beneath the altar; and the Prince knelt down at the +faldstool, the Duke beside him on the floor. And just as the old bell of +the castle tolled the hour, and died away in a soft hum of sound, as +sweet as honey, the chaplain said an ancient prayer, the purport of +which was that the Christian must watch and pray; that only the pure +heart might see God; and asking that the Prince might be blest with +wisdom, as the Emperor Solomon was, to do according to the will of the +Father. + +Then the chaplain and the Duke withdrew; but as the Duke rose up, he +laid his hand on the Prince's head and said, "God be with you, dear son, +and open your eyes." And Renatus looked up at him and smiled. + +Then the Duke went back to the little room, and prayed abundantly. It +was arranged that he should wait there until the Prince's vigil was +over, when he would go to attend him forth; and so the Prince was left +by himself. + +For a time Renatus prayed, gathering up the strength of his mind to pray +earnestly; but other thoughts kept creeping in, like children peeping +and beckoning from a door. So he rose up after a little, and looked +about him; and something of the solemnity of the night and the place +came into his mind. + +Then, after a while, he sate, his armour clinking lightly as he moved; +and wrapping his robe about him--for it grew chill in the church--he +thought of what had been and what should be. The time flew fast; and +presently Renatus heard the great bell ring the hour of midnight; so he +knelt and prayed again, with all his might, that God would bless him and +open his eyes. + +Then he rose again to his feet; and now the moon was risen and made a +very pure and tender radiance through one of the high windows; and +Renatus looking about him, was conscious of a thrill of fear that passed +through him, as though there were some great presence near him in the +gloom; then his eyes fell on a little door on his right, opposite to the +door by which they had entered, which he knew led out into the castle +court; but underneath the door, between it and the sill, there gleamed +a line of very golden light, such as might come from a fire without. The +Prince had no foolish terrors, as he was by nature courageous, and the +holy place that he was in made him feel secure. But the light, which now +began to grow in clearness, and to stream, like a rippling flow of +brightness, into the church, surprised him exceedingly. So he rose up +and went to the little door, expecting that he would find it closed; but +it opened to his hand. + +He had thought to see the dark court of the castle as he had often seen +it, with its tall chimneys and battlements, and with lights in the +windows. But to his amazement he saw that he was on the edge of a vast +and dizzy space, so vast that he had not thought there could be anything +in the world so great. The church and he seemed to float together in the +space, for the solid earth was all gone--and it came into his head that +the great building in which he stood, so fair and high, was no larger +than a mote that swims in the strong beams of the sun. The space was +all misty and dim at first, but over it hung a light like the light of +dawn, that seemed to gush from a place in the cloud, near at hand and +yet leagues away. Then as his sight became more used to the place, he +saw that it was all sloping upwards and downwards, and built up of great +steps or stairs, that ran across the space and were lost at last in +cloud; and that the light came from the head of the steps. Then with a +sudden shock of surprise he saw that there were persons kneeling on the +steps; and every moment his sight became clearer and clearer, so that he +could see the persons nearest to him, their robes and hands, and even +the very lineaments of their faces. + +Very near him there were three figures kneeling, not together in a +group, but with some space between them. And, in some way that he could +not explain, he felt that all the three were unconscious both of each +other and of himself. + +Looking intently upon them, he saw that they were kings, in royal +robes. The nearest to him was an ancient man, with white hair; he knelt +very upright and strong; his face was like parchment, with heavy lines, +but his eyes glowed like a fire. Renatus thought he had never seen so +proud a look. He had an air of command, and Renatus seemed to know that +he had been a warrior in his youth. In his hands he held a crown of fine +golden work, filled with jewels of great rarity and price; and the king +held the crown as though he knew its worth; he seemed, as it were, to be +proffering it, but as a gift of mighty value, the worthiest thing that +he had to offer. + +On a step below him at a little distance knelt the second; he was a +younger man, in the prime of life; he had the look more of a student +than a warrior, of one who was busied in many affairs, and who pondered +earnestly over high matters of policy and state. He had a wiser face +than the older man, but his brow was drawn by lines, as though he had +often doubted of himself and others; and he had a crown in one hand, +which he held a little irresolutely, as though he half loved it, and +were yet half wearied of it; as though he was fain to lay it down, and +yet not wholly glad to part with it. + +Then Renatus turned a little to the third; and he was more richly +apparelled than the others; his hands were clasped in prayer; and by his +knee there lay a splendid diadem, an Emperor's crown, with few jewels, +but each the price of a kingdom. And Renatus saw that he was very young, +scarce older than himself; and that he had the most beautiful face he +had ever seen, with large soft eyes, clear-cut features, and a mouth +that looked both pure and strong; but in his face there was such a +passion of holiness and surrender, that Renatus fell to wondering what +it was that a man could so adore. He was the only one of the three who +looked, as it were, rapt out of himself; and the crown lay beside him +as if he had forgotten its very existence. + +Then there came upon the air a great sound of jubilant and tender music +like the voice of silver trumpets--and the cloud began to lift and draw +up on every side, and revealed at last, very far off and very high, yet +strangely near and clear, a Throne at the head of the steps. But Renatus +dared not look thereon, for he felt that the time was not come; but he +saw, as it were reflected in the eyes of the kings, that they looked +upon a sight of awful splendour and mystery. Then he saw that the two +that still held their crowns laid them down upon the ground with a sort +of fearful haste, as though they were constrained; but the youngest of +the kings smiled, as though he were satisfied beyond his dearest wish. + +Then Renatus felt that somewhat was to be done too bright and holy for a +mortal eye to behold, and so he drew back and softly closed the door; +and it was a pain to find himself within the dark church again; it was +as though he had lost the sight of something that a man might desire +above all things to see--but he dared look no longer; and the music came +again, but this time more urgently, in a storm of sound. + +Then Renatus went back to his place, that seemed to him very small and +humble beside what he had seen outside. And all the pride was emptied +out of his heart, for he knew that he had looked upon the truth, and +that it was wider than he had dreamed; and then he knelt and prayed that +God would keep him humble and diligent and brave; but then he grew +ashamed of his prayer, for he remembered that, after all, he was but +still praying for himself; and he had a thought of the young Emperor's +face, and he knew that there was something deeper and better still than +humility and diligence and courage; what it was he knew not; but he +thought that he had been, as it were, asking God for those fair things, +like flower-blooms or jewels, which a man may wear for his own pride; +but that they must rather rise and blossom, like plants out of a rich +soil. So he ended by praying that God would empty him of all unworthy +thoughts, and fill him full of that good and great thing, which, in the +Gospel story, Martha went near to miss, but Mary certainly divined. + +That was a blessed hour, to the thought of which Renatus afterwards +often turned in darker and more weary days. But it drew swiftly to an +end, and as he knelt, the bell beat one, and his vigil was over. + +Presently the Duke came to attend him back; and Renatus could not speak +of the vision, but only told the Duke that he had seen a wonderful +thing, and he added a few words of grateful love, holding the Duke's +hand close in his own. + +On the next day, before Renatus came to be enthroned, the Barons came to +do him homage; and Renatus, asking God to give him words that he might +say what was in his heart, spoke to them, the Duke standing by; he said +that he well knew that it appeared strange that one so young as himself +should receive the homage of those who were older and wiser and more +strong, adding: "But I believe that I am truly called, under God, to +rule this land for the welfare of all that dwell therein, and I will +rule it with diligence. Nay--for it is not well that a land should have +many masters--I purpose that none shall rule it but myself, under God." +And at that the Barons looked upon one another, but Renatus, leaning a +little forward, with his hand upon his sword-hilt, said: "I think, my +Lords, that there be some here that are saying to themselves, _He hath +learnt his lesson well_, and I hope that it may be seen that it is +so--but it is God and not man who hath put it into my heart to say this; +it is from Him that I receive this throne. Counsel will I ask, and that +gladly; but remembering the account that I must one day make, I will +rule this realm for the welfare of the people thereof, and I will have +all men do their parts; so see that your homage be of the heart and not +of the lips, for it is to God that you make it, and not to me, who am +indeed unworthy; but He that hath set me in this place will strengthen +my hands. I have spoken this," he said, "not willingly; but I would have +no one mistake my purpose in the matter." + +Then the Barons came silently to do obeisance; and so Renatus came to +his own; but more of him I must not here say, save that he ruled his +realm wisely and well, and ever gave God the glory. + + + + + * * * * * + + + + +The Slype House + + + +In the town of Garchester, close to St. Peter's Church, and near the +river, stood a dark old house called the Slype House, from a narrow +passage of that name that ran close to it, down to a bridge over the +stream. The house showed a front of mouldering and discoloured stone to +the street, pierced by small windows, like a monastery; and indeed, it +was formerly inhabited by a college of priests who had served the +Church. It abutted at one angle upon the aisle of the church, and there +was a casement window that looked out from a room in the house, +formerly the infirmary, into the aisle; it had been so built that any +priest that was sick might hear the Mass from his bed, without +descending into the church. Behind the house lay a little garden, +closely grown up with trees and tall weeds, that ran down to the stream. +In the wall that gave on the water, was a small door that admitted to an +old timbered bridge that crossed the stream, and had a barred gate on +the further side, which was rarely seen open; though if a man had +watched attentively he might sometimes have seen a small lean person, +much bowed and with a halting gait, slip out very quietly about dusk, +and walk, with his eyes cast down, among the shadowy byways. + +The name of the man who thus dwelt in the Slype House, as it appeared in +the roll of burgesses, was Anthony Purvis. He was of an ancient family, +and had inherited wealth. A word must be said of his childhood and +youth. He was a sickly child, an only son, his father a man of +substance, who lived very easily in the country; his mother had died +when he was quite a child, and this sorrow had been borne very heavily +by his father, who had loved her tenderly, and after her death had +become morose and sullen, withdrawing himself from all company and +exercise, and brooding angrily over his loss, as though God had +determined to vex him. He had never cared much for the child, who had +been peevish and fretful; and the boy's presence had done little but +remind him of the wife he had lost; so that the child had lived alone, +nourishing his own fancies, and reading much in a library of curious +books that was in the house. The boy's health had been too tender for +him to go to school; but when he was eighteen, he seemed stronger, and +his father sent him to a university, more for the sake of being relieved +of the boy's presence than for his good. And there, being unused to the +society of his equals, he had been much flouted and despised for his +feeble frame; till a certain bitter ambition sprang up in his mind, like +a poisonous flower, to gain power and make himself a name; and he had +determined that as he could not be loved he might still be feared; so he +bided his time in bitterness, making great progress in his studies; +then, when those days were over, he departed eagerly, and sought and +obtained his father's leave to betake himself to a university of Italy, +where he fell into somewhat evil hands; for he made a friendship with an +old doctor of the college, who feared not God and thought ill of man, +and spent all his time in dark researches into the evil secrets of +nature, the study of poisons that have enmity to the life of man, and +many other hidden works of darkness, such as intercourse with spirits of +evil, and the black influences that lie in wait for the soul; and he +found Anthony an apt pupil. There he lived for some years till he was +nearly thirty, seldom visiting his home, and writing but formal letters +to his father, who supplied him gladly with a small revenue, so long as +he kept apart and troubled him not. + +Then his father had died, and Anthony came home to take up his +inheritance, which was a plentiful one; he sold his land, and visiting +the town of Garchester, by chance, for it lay near his home, he had +lighted upon the Slype House, which lay very desolate and gloomy; and as +he needed a large place for his instruments and devices, he had bought +the house, and had now lived there for twenty years in great loneliness, +but not ill-content. + +To serve him he had none but a man and his wife, who were quiet and +simple people and asked no questions; the wife cooked his meals, and +kept the rooms, where he slept and read, clean and neat; the man moved +his machines for him, and arranged his phials and instruments, having a +light touch and a serviceable memory. + +The door of the house that gave on the street opened into a hall; to +the right was a kitchen, and a pair of rooms where the man and his wife +lived. On the left was a large room running through the house; the +windows on to the street were walled up, and the windows at the back +looked--on the garden, the trees of which grew close to the casements, +making the room dark, and in a breeze rustling their leaves or leafless +branches against the panes. In this room Anthony had a furnace with +bellows, the smoke of which discharged itself into the chimney; and here +he did much of his work, making mechanical toys, as a clock to measure +the speed of wind or water, a little chariot that ran a few yards by +itself, a puppet that moved its arms and laughed--and other things that +had wiled away his idle hours; the room was filled up with dark lumber, +in a sort of order that would have looked to a stranger like disorder, +but so that Anthony could lay his hand on all that he needed. From the +hall, which was paved with stone, went up the stairs, very strong and +broad, of massive oak; under which was a postern that gave on the +garden; on the floor above was a room where Anthony slept, which again +had its windows to the street boarded up, for he was a light sleeper, +and the morning sounds of the awakening city disturbed him. + +The room was hung with a dark arras, sprinkled with red flowers; he +slept in a great bed with black curtains to shut out all light; the +windows looked into the garden; but on the left of the bed, which stood +with its head to the street, was an alcove, behind the hangings, +containing the window that gave on the church. On the same floor were +three other rooms; in one of these, looking on the garden, Anthony had +his meals. It was a plain panelled room. Next was a room where he read, +filled with books, also looking on the garden; and next to that was a +little room of which he alone had the key. This room he kept locked, +and no one set foot in it but himself. There was one more room on this +floor, set apart for a guest who never came, with a great bed and a +press of oak. And that looked on the street. Above, there was a row of +plain plastered rooms, in which stood furniture for which Anthony had no +use, and many crates in which his machines and phials came to him; this +floor was seldom visited, except by the man, who sometimes came to put a +box there; and the spiders had it to themselves; except for a little +room where stood an optic glass through which on clear nights Anthony +sometimes looked at the moon and stars, if there was any odd +misadventure among them, such as an eclipse; or when a fiery-tailed +comet went his way silently in the heavens, coming from none might say +whence and going none knew whither, on some strange errand of God. + +Anthony had but two friends who ever came to see him. One was an old +physician who had ceased to practise his trade, which indeed was never +abundant, and who would sometimes drink a glass of wine with Anthony, +and engage in curious talk of men's bodies and diseases, or look at one +of Anthony's toys. Anthony had come to know him by having called him in +to cure some ailment, which needed a surgical knife; and that had made a +kind of friendship between them; but Anthony had little need thereafter +to consult him about his health, which indeed was now settled enough, +though he had but little vigour; and he knew enough of drugs to cure +himself when he was ill. The other friend was a foolish priest of the +college, that made belief to be a student but was none, who thought +Anthony a very wise and mighty person, and listened with open mouth and +eyes to all that he said or showed him. This priest, who was fond of +wonders, had introduced himself to Anthony by making believe to borrow a +volume of him; and then had grown proud of the acquaintance, and +bragged greatly of it to his friends, mixing up much that was fanciful +with a little that was true. But the result was that gossip spread wide +about Anthony, and he was held in the town to be a very fearful person, +who could do strange mischief if he had a mind to; Anthony never cared +to walk abroad, for he was of a shy habit, and disliked to meet the eyes +of his fellows; but if he did go about, men began to look curiously +after him as he went by, shook their heads and talked together with a +dark pleasure, while children fled before his face and women feared him; +all of which pleased Anthony mightily, if the truth were told; for at +the bottom of his restless and eager spirit lay a deep vanity unseen, +like a lake in woods; he hungered not indeed for fame, but for +repute--_monstrari digito_, as the poet has it; and he cared little in +what repute he was held, so long as men thought him great and +marvellous; and as he could not win renown by brave deeds and words, he +was rejoiced to win it by keeping up a certain darkness and mystery +about his ways and doings; and this was very dear to him, so that when +the silly priest called him Seer and Wizard, he frowned and looked +sideways; but he laughed in his heart and was glad. + +Now, when Anthony was near his fiftieth year, there fell on him a +heaviness of spirit which daily increased upon him. He began to question +of his end and what lay beyond. He had always made pretence to mock at +religion, and had grown to believe that in death the soul was +extinguished like a burnt-out flame. He began, too, to question of his +life and what he had done. He had made a few toys, he had filled vacant +hours, and he had gained an ugly kind of fame--and this was all. Was he +so certain, he began to think, after all, that death was the end? Were +there not, perhaps, in the vast house of God, rooms and chambers beyond +that in which he was set for awhile to pace to and fro? About this time +he began to read in a Bible that had lain dusty and unopened on a shelf. +It was his mother's book, and he found therein many little tokens of her +presence. Here was a verse underlined; at some gracious passages the +page was much fingered and worn; in one place there were stains that +looked like the mark of tears; then again, in one page, there was a +small tress of hair, golden hair, tied in a paper with a name across it, +that seemed to be the name of a little sister of his mother's that died +a child; and again there were a few withered flowers, like little sad +ghosts, stuck through a paper on which was written his father's +name--the name of the sad, harsh, silent man whom Anthony had feared +with all his heart. Had those two, indeed, on some day of summer, walked +to and fro, or sate in some woodland corner, whispering sweet words of +love together? Anthony felt a sudden hunger of the heart for a woman's +love, for tender words to soothe his sadness, for the laughter and +kisses of children--and he began to ransack his mind for memories of his +mother; he could remember being pressed to her heart one morning when +she lay abed, with her fragrant hair falling about him. The worst was +that he must bear his sorrow alone, for there were none to whom he could +talk of such things. The doctor was as dry as an old bunch of herbs, and +as for the priest, Anthony was ashamed to show anything but contempt and +pride in his presence. + +For relief he began to turn to a branch of his studies that he had long +disused; this was a fearful commerce with the unseen spirits. Anthony +could remember having practised some experiments of this kind with the +old Italian doctor; but he remembered them with a kind of disgust, for +they seemed to him but a sort of deadly juggling; and such dark things +as he had seen seemed like a dangerous sport with unclean and coltish +beings, more brute-like than human. Yet now he read in his curious books +with care, and studied the tales of necromancers, who had indeed seemed +to have some power over the souls of men departed. But the old books +gave him but little faith, and a kind of angry disgust at the things +attempted. And he began to think that the horror in which such men as +made these books abode, was not more than the dark shadow cast on the +mirror of the soul by their own desperate imaginings and timorous +excursions. + +One day, a Sunday, he was strangely sad and heavy; he could settle to +nothing, but threw book after book aside, and when he turned to some +work of construction, his hand seemed to have lost its cunning. It was a +grey and sullen day in October; a warm wet wind came buffeting up from +the West, and roared in the chimneys and eaves of the old house. The +shrubs in the garden plucked themselves hither and thither as though in +pain. Anthony walked to and fro after his midday meal, which he had +eaten hastily and without savour; at last, as though with a sudden +resolution, he went to a secret cabinet and got out a key; and with it +he went to the door of the little room that was ever locked. + +He stopped at the threshold for a while, looking hither and thither; and +then he suddenly unlocked it and went in, closing and locking it behind +him. The room was as dark as night, but Anthony going softly, his hands +before him, went to a corner and got a tinder-box which lay there, and +made a flame. + +A small dark room appeared, hung with a black tapestry; the window was +heavily shuttered and curtained; in the centre of the room stood what +looked like a small altar, painted black; the floor was all bare, but +with white marks upon it, half effaced. Anthony looked about the room, +glancing sidelong, as though in some kind of doubt; his breath went and +came quickly, and he looked paler than was his wont. + +Presently, as though reassured by the silence and calm of the place, he +went to a tall press that stood in a corner, which he opened, and took +from it certain things--a dish of metal, some small leathern bags, a +large lump of chalk, and a book. He laid all but the chalk down on the +altar, and then opening the book, read in it a little; and then he went +with the chalk and drew certain marks upon the floor, first making a +circle, which he went over again and again with anxious care; at times +he went back and peeped into the book as though uncertain. Then he +opened the bags, which seemed to hold certain kinds of powder, this +dusty, that in grains; he ran them through his hands, and then poured a +little of each into his dish, and mixed them with his hands. Then he +stopped and looked about him. Then he walked to a place in the wall on +the further side of the altar from the door, and drew the arras +carefully aside, disclosing a little alcove in the wall; into this he +looked fearfully, as though he was afraid of what he might see. + +In the alcove, which was all in black, appeared a small shelf, that +stood but a little way out from the wall. Upon it, gleaming very white +against the black, stood the skull of a man, and on either side of the +skull were the bones of a man's hand. It looked to him, as he gazed on +it with a sort of curious disgust, as though a dead man had come up to +the surface of a black tide, and was preparing presently to leap out. On +either side stood two long silver candlesticks, very dark with disuse; +but instead of holding candles, they were fitted at the top with flat +metal dishes; and in these he poured some of his powders, mixing them as +before with his fingers. Between the candlesticks and behind the skull +was an old and dark picture, at which he gazed for a time, holding his +taper on high. The picture represented a man fleeing in a kind of +furious haste from a wood, his hands spread wide, and his eyes staring +out of the picture; behind him everywhere was the wood, above which was +a star in the sky--and out of the wood leaned a strange pale horned +thing, very dim. The horror in the man's face was skilfully painted, and +Anthony felt a shudder pass through his veins. He knew not what the +picture meant; it had been given to him by the old Italian, who had +smiled a wicked smile when he gave it, and told him that it had a very +great virtue. When Anthony had asked him of the subject of the picture, +the old Italian had said, "Oh, it is as appears; he hath been where he +ought not, and he hath seen somewhat he doth not like." When Anthony +would fain have known more, and especially what the thing was that +leaned out of the wood, the old Italian had smiled cruelly and said, +"Know you not? Well, you will know some day when you have seen him;" and +never a word more would he say. + +When Anthony had put all things in order, he opened the book at a +certain place, and laid it upon the altar; and then it seemed as though +his courage failed him, for he drew the curtain again over the alcove, +unlocked the door, set the tinder-box and the candle back in their +place, and softly left the room. + +He was very restless all the evening. He took down books from the +shelves, turned them over, and put them back again. He addressed himself +to some unfinished work, but soon threw it aside; he paced up and down, +and spent a long time, with his hands clasped behind him, looking out +into the desolate garden, where a still, red sunset burnt behind the +leafless trees. He was like a man who has made up his mind to a grave +decision, and shrinks back upon the brink. When his food was served he +could hardly touch it, and he drank no wine as his custom was to do, but +only water, saying to himself that his head must be clear. But in the +evening he went to his bedroom, and searched for something in a press +there; he found at last what he was searching for, and unfolded a long +black robe, looking gloomily upon it, as though it aroused unwelcome +thoughts; while he was pondering, he heard a hum of music behind the +arras; he put the robe down, and stepped through the hangings, and stood +awhile in the little oriel that looked down into the church. Vespers +were proceeding; he saw the holy lights dimly through the dusty panes, +and heard the low preluding of the organ; then, solemn and slow, rose +the sound of a chanted psalm on the air; he carefully unfastened the +casement which opened inward and unclosed it, standing for a while to +listen, while the air, fragrant with incense smoke, drew into the room +along the vaulted roof. There were but a few worshippers in the church, +who stood below him; two lights burnt stilly upon the altar, and he saw +distinctly the thin hands of a priest who held a book close to his face. +He had not set foot within a church for many years, and the sight and +sound drew his mind back to his childhood's days. At last with a sigh he +put the window to very softly, and went to his study, where he made +pretence to read, till the hour came when he was wont to retire to his +bed. He sent his servant away, but instead of lying down, he sate, +looking upon a parchment, which he held in his hand, while the bells of +the city slowly told out the creeping hours. + +At last, a few minutes before midnight, he rose from his place; the +house was now all silent, and without the night was very still, as +though all things slept tranquilly. He opened the press and took from it +the black robe, and put it round him, so that it covered him from head +to foot, and then gathered up the parchment, and the key of the locked +room, and went softly out, and so came to the door. This he undid with a +kind of secret and awestruck haste, locking it behind him. Once inside +the room, he wrestled awhile with a strong aversion to what was in his +mind to do, and stood for a moment, listening intently, as though he +expected to hear some sound. But the room was still, except for the +faint biting of some small creature in the wainscot. + +Then with a swift motion he took up the tinder-box and made a light; he +drew aside the curtain that hid the alcove; he put fire to the powder in +the candlesticks, which at first spluttered, and then swiftly kindling +sent up a thick smoky flame, fragrant with drugs, burning hotly and red. +Then he came back to the altar; cast a swift glance round him to see +that all was ready; put fire to the powder on the altar, and in a low +and inward voice began to recite words from the book, and from the +parchment which he held in his hand; once or twice he glanced fearfully +at the skull, and the hands which gleamed luridly through the smoke; the +figures in the picture wavered in the heat; and now the powders began to +burn clear, and throw up a steady light; and still he read, sometimes +turning a page, until at last he made an end; and drawing something from +a silver box which lay beside the book, he dropped it in the flame, and +looked straight before him to see what might befall. The thing that fell +in the flame burned up brightly, with a little leaping of sparks, but +soon it died down; and there was a long silence, in the room, a +breathless silence, which, to Anthony's disordered mind, was not like +the silence of emptiness, but such silence as may be heard when unseen +things are crowding quietly to a closed door, expecting it to be opened, +and as it were holding each other back. + +Suddenly, between him and the picture, appeared for a moment a pale +light, as of moonlight, and then with a horror which words cannot attain +to describe, Anthony saw a face hang in the air a few feet from him, +that looked in his own eyes with a sort of intent fury, as though to +spring upon him if he turned either to the right hand or to the left. +His knees tottered beneath him, and a sweat of icy coldness sprang on +his brow; there followed a sound like no sound that Anthony had ever +dreamed of hearing; a sound that was near and yet remote, a sound that +was low and yet charged with power, like the groaning of a voice in +grievous pain and anger, that strives to be free and yet is helpless. +And then Anthony knew that he had indeed opened the door that looks into +the other world, and that a deadly thing that held him in enmity had +looked out. His reeling brain still told him that he was safe where he +was, but that he must not step or fall outside the circle; but how he +should resist the power of the wicked face he knew not. He tried to +frame a prayer in his heart; but there swept such a fury of hatred +across the face that he dared not. So he closed his eyes and stood +dizzily waiting to fall, and knowing that if he fell it was the end. + +Suddenly, as he stood with closed eyes, he felt the horror of the spell +relax; he opened his eyes again, and saw that the face died out upon the +air, becoming first white and then thin, like the husk that stands on a +rush when a fly draws itself from its skin, and floats away into the +sunshine. + +Then there fell a low and sweet music upon the air, like a concert of +flutes and harps, very far away. And then suddenly, in a sweet clear +radiance, the face of his mother, as she lived in his mind, appeared in +the space, and looked at him with a kind of heavenly love; then beside +the face appeared two thin hands which seemed to wave a blessing towards +him, which flowed like healing into his soul. + +The relief from the horror, and the flood of tenderness that came into +his heart, made him reckless. The tears came into his eyes, not in a +rising film, but a flood hot and large. He took a step forwards round +the altar; but as he did so, the vision disappeared, the lights shot up +into a flare and went out; the house seemed to be suddenly shaken; in +the darkness he heard the rattle of bones, and the clash of metal, and +Anthony fell all his length upon the ground and lay as one dead. + +But while he thus lay, there came to him in some secret cell of the mind +a dreadful vision, which he could only dimly remember afterwards with a +fitful horror. He thought that he was walking in the cloister of some +great house or college, a cool place, with a pleasant garden in the +court. He paced up and down, and each time that he did so, he paused a +little before a great door at the end, a huge blind portal, with much +carving about it, which he somehow knew he was forbidden to enter. +Nevertheless, each time that he came to it, he felt a strong wish, that +constantly increased, to set foot therein. Now in the dream there fell +on him a certain heaviness, and the shadow of a cloud fell over the +court, and struck the sunshine out of it. And at last he made up his +mind that he would enter. He pushed the door open with much difficulty, +and found himself in a long blank passage, very damp and chilly, but +with a glimmering light; he walked a few paces down it. The flags +underfoot were slimy, and the walls streamed with damp. He then thought +that he would return; but the great door was closed behind him, and he +could not open it. This made him very fearful; and while he considered +what he should do, he saw a tall and angry-looking man approaching very +swiftly down the passage. As he turned to face him, the other came +straight to him, and asked him very sternly what he did there; to which +Anthony replied that he had found the door open. To which the other +replied that it was fast now, and that he must go forward. He seized +Anthony as he spoke by the arm, and urged him down the passage. Anthony +would fain have resisted, but he felt like a child in the grip of a +giant, and went forward in great terror and perplexity. Presently they +came to a door in the side of the wall, and as they passed it, there +stepped out an ugly shadowy thing, the nature of which he could not +clearly discern, and marched softly behind them. Soon they came to a +turn in the passage, and in a moment the way stopped on the brink of a +dark well, that seemed to go down a long way into the earth, and out of +which came a cold fetid air, with a hollow sound like a complaining +voice. Anthony drew back as far as he could from the pit, and set his +back to the wall, his companion letting go of him. But he could not go +backward, for the thing behind him was in the passage, and barred the +way, creeping slowly nearer. Then Anthony was in a great agony of mind, +and waited for the end. + +But while he waited, there came some one very softly down the passage +and drew near; and the other, who had led him to the place, waited, as +though ill-pleased to be interrupted; it was too murky for Anthony to +see the new-comer, but he knew in some way that he was a friend. The +stranger came up to them, and spoke in a low voice to the man who had +drawn Anthony thither, as though pleading for something; and the man +answered angrily, but yet with a certain dark respect, and seemed to +argue that he was acting in his right, and might not be interfered with. +Anthony could not hear what they said, they spoke so low, but he guessed +the sense, and knew that it was himself of whom they discoursed, and +listened with a fearful wonder to see which would prevail. The end soon +came, for the tall man, who had brought him there, broke out into a +great storm of passion; and Anthony heard him say, "He hath yielded +himself to his own will; and he is mine here; so let us make an end." +Then the stranger seemed to consider; and then with a quiet courage, and +in a soft and silvery voice like that of a child, said, "I would that +you would have yielded to my prayer; but as you will not, I have no +choice." And he took his hand from under the cloak that wrapped him, and +held something out; then there came a great roaring out of the pit, and +a zigzag flame flickered in the dark. Then in a moment the tall man and +the shadow were gone; Anthony could not see whither they went, and he +would have thanked the stranger; but the other put his finger to his lip +as though to order silence, and pointed to the way he had come, saying, +"Make haste and go back; for they will return anon with others; you know +not how dear it hath cost me." Anthony could see the stranger's face in +the gloom, and he was surprised to see it so youthful; but he saw also +that tears stood in the eyes of the stranger, and that something dark +like blood trickled down his brow; yet he looked very lovingly at him. +So Anthony made haste to go back, and found the door ajar; but as he +reached it, he heard a horrible din behind him, of cries and screams; +and it was with a sense of gratitude, that he could not put into words, +but which filled all his heart, that he found himself back in the +cloister again. And then the vision all fled away, and with a shock +coming to himself, he found that he was lying in his own room; and then +he knew that a battle had been fought out over his soul, and that the +evil had not prevailed. + +He was cold and aching in every limb; the room was silent and dark, with +the heavy smell of the burnt drugs all about it. Anthony crept to the +door, and opened it; locked it again, and made his way in the dark very +feebly to his bed-chamber; he had just the strength to get into his bed, +and then all his life seemed to ebb from him, and he lay, and thought +that he was dying. Presently from without there came the crying of +cocks, and a bell beat the hour of four; and after that, in his vigil of +weakness, it was strange to see the light glimmer in the crevices, and +to hear the awakening birds that in the garden bushes took up, one after +another, their slender piping song, till all the choir cried together. + +But Anthony felt a strange peace in his heart; and he had a sense, +though he could not say why, that it was as once in his childhood, when +he was ill, and his mother had sate softly by him while he slept. + +So he waited, and in spite of his mortal weakness that was a blessed +hour. + +When his man came to rouse him in the morning, Anthony said that he +believed that he was very ill, that he had had a fall, and that the old +doctor must be fetched to him. The man looked so strangely upon him, +that Anthony knew that he had some fear upon his mind. Presently the +doctor was brought, and Anthony answered such questions as were put to +him, in a faint voice, saying, "I was late at my work, and I slipped and +fell." The doctor, who looked troubled, gave directions; and when he +went away he heard his man behind the door asking the doctor about the +strange storm in the night, that had seemed like an earthquake, or as if +a thunderbolt had struck the house. But the doctor said very gruffly, +"It is no time to talk thus, when your master is sick to death." But +Anthony knew in himself that he would not die yet. + +It was long ere he was restored to a measure of health; and indeed he +never rightly recovered the use of his limbs; the doctor held that he +had suffered some stroke of palsy; at which Anthony smiled a little, and +made no answer. + +When he was well enough to creep to and fro, he went sadly to the dark +room, and with much pain and weakness carried the furniture out of it. +The picture he cut in pieces and burnt; and the candles and dishes, with +the book, he cast into a deep pool in the stream; the bones he buried in +the earth; the hangings he stored away for his own funeral. + +Anthony never entered his workroom again; but day after day he sate in +his chair, and read a little, but mostly in the Bible; he made a friend +of a very wise old priest, to whom he opened all his heart, and to whom +he conveyed much money to be bestowed on the poor; there was a great +calm in his spirit, which was soon written in his face, in spite of his +pain, for he often suffered sorely; but he told the priest that +something, he knew not certainly what, seemed to dwell by him, waiting +patiently for his coming; and so Anthony awaited his end. + + + + + * * * * * + + + + +Out of the Sea + + + +It was about ten of the clock on a November morning in the little +village of Blea-on-the-Sands. The hamlet was made up of some thirty +houses, which clustered together on a low rising ground. The place was +very poor, but some old merchant of bygone days had built in a pious +mood a large church, which was now too great for the needs of the place; +the nave had been unroofed in a heavy gale, and there was no money to +repair it, so that it had fallen to decay, and the tower was joined to +the choir by roofless walls. This was a sore trial to the old priest, +Father Thomas, who had grown grey there; but he had no art in gathering +money, which he asked for in a shamefaced way; and the vicarage was a +poor one, hardly enough for the old man's needs. So the church lay +desolate. + +The village stood on what must once have been an island; the little +river Reddy, which runs down to the sea, there forking into two channels +on the landward side; towards the sea the ground was bare, full of +sand-hills covered with a short grass. Towards the land was a small wood +of gnarled trees, the boughs of which were all brushed smooth by the +gales; looking landward there was the green flat, in which the river +ran, rising into low hills; hardly a house was visible save one or two +lonely farms; two or three church towers rose above the hills at a long +distance away. Indeed Blea was much cut off from the world; there was a +bridge over the stream on the west side, but over the other channel was +no bridge, so that to fare eastward it was requisite to go in a boat. +To seaward there were wide sands, when the tide was out; when it was in, +it came up nearly to the end of the village street. The people were +mostly fishermen, but there were a few farmers and labourers; the boats +of the fishermen lay to the east side of the village, near the river +channel which gave some draught of water; and the channel was marked out +by big black stakes and posts that straggled out over the sands, like +awkward leaning figures, to the sea's brim. + +Father Thomas lived in a small and ancient brick house near the church, +with a little garden of herbs attached. He was a kindly man, much worn +by age and weather, with a wise heart, and he loved the quiet life with +his small flock. This morning he had come out of his house to look +abroad, before he settled down to the making of his sermon. He looked +out to sea, and saw with a shadow of sadness the black outline of a +wreck that had come ashore a week before, and over which the white +waves were now breaking. The wind blew steadily from the north-east, and +had a bitter poisonous chill in it, which it doubtless drew from the +fields of the upper ice. The day was dark and over, hung, not with +cloud, but with a kind of dreary vapour that shut out the sun. Father +Thomas shuddered at the wind, and drew his patched cloak round him. As +he did so, he saw three figures come up to the vicarage gate. It was not +a common thing for him to have visitors in the morning, and he saw with +surprise that they were old Master John Grimston, the richest man in the +place, half farmer and half fisherman, a dark surly old man; his wife, +Bridget, a timid and frightened woman, who found life with her harsh +husband a difficult business, in spite of their wealth, which, for a +place like Blea, was great; and their son Henry, a silly shambling man +of forty, who was his father's butt. The three walked silently and +heavily, as though they came on a sad errand. + +Father Thomas went briskly down to meet them, and greeted them with his +accustomed cheerfulness. "And what may I do for you?" he said. Old +Master Grimston made a sort of gesture with his head as though his wife +should speak; and she said in a low and somewhat husky voice, with a +rapid utterance, "We have a matter, Father, we would ask you about--are +you at leisure?" Father Thomas said, "Ay, I am ashamed to be not more +busy! Let us go within the house." They did so; and even in the little +distance to the door, the Father thought that his visitors behaved +themselves very strangely. They peered round from left to right, and +once or twice Master Grimston looked sharply behind them, as though they +were followed. They said nothing but "Ay" and "No" to the Father's talk, +and bore themselves like people with a sore fear on their backs. Father +Thomas made up his mind that it was some question of money, for nothing +else was wont to move Master Grimston's mind. So he had them into his +parlour and gave them seats, and then there was a silence, while the two +men continued to look furtively about them, and the goodwife sate with +her eyes upon the priest's face. Father Thomas knew not what to make of +this, till Master Grimston said harshly, "Come, wife, tell the tale and +make an end; we must not take up the Father's time." + +"I hardly know how to say it, Father," said Bridget, "but a strange and +evil thing has befallen us; there is something come to our house, and we +know not what it is--but it brings a fear with it." A sudden paleness +came over her face, and she stopped, and the three exchanged a glance in +which terror was visibly written. Master Grimston looked over his +shoulder swiftly, and made as though to speak, yet only swallowed in his +throat; but Henry said suddenly, in a loud and woeful voice: "It is an +evil beast out of the sea." And then there followed a dreadful silence, +while Father Thomas felt a sudden fear leap up in his heart, at the +contagion of the fear that he saw written on the faces round him. But he +said with all the cheerfulness he could muster, "Come, friends, let us +not begin to talk of sea-beasts; we must have the whole tale Mistress +Grimston, I must hear the story--be content--nothing can touch us here." +The three seemed to draw a faint content from his words, and Bridget +began:-- + +"It was the day of the wreck, Father. John was up betimes, before the +dawn; he walked out early to the sands, and Henry with him--and they +were the first to see the wreck--was not that it?" At these words the +father and son seemed to exchange a very swift and secret look, and both +grew pale. "John told me there was a wreck ashore, and they went +presently and roused the rest of the village; and all that day they were +out, saving what could be saved. Two sailors were found, both dead and +pitifully battered by the sea, and they were buried, as you know, +Father, in the churchyard next day; John came back about dusk and Henry +with him, and we sate down to our supper. John was telling me about the +wreck, as we sate beside the fire, when Henry, who was sitting apart, +rose up and cried out suddenly, 'What is that?'" + +She paused for a moment, and Henry, who sate with face blanched, staring +at his mother, said, "Ay, did I--it ran past me suddenly." "Yes, but +what was it?" said Father Thomas trying to smile; "a dog or cat, +methinks." "It was a beast," said Henry slowly, in a trembling voice--"a +beast about the bigness of a goat. I never saw the like--yet I did not +see it clear; I but felt the air blow, and caught a whiff of it--it was +salt like the sea, but with a kind of dead smell behind." "Was that all +you saw?" said Father Thomas; "belike you were tired and faint, and the +air swam round you suddenly--I have known the like myself when weary." + +"Nay, nay," said Henry, "this was not like that--it was a beast, sure +enough." + +"Ay, and we have seen it since," said Bridget. "At least I have not seen +it clearly yet, but I have smelt its odour, and it turns me sick--but +John and Henry have seen it often--sometimes it lies and seems to sleep, +but it watches us; and again it is merry, and will leap in a corner--and +John saw it skip upon the sands near the wreck--did you not, John?" At +these words the two men again exchanged a glance, and then old Master +Grimston, with a dreadful look in his face, in which great anger seemed +to strive with fear, said "Nay, silly woman, it was not near the wreck, +it was out to the east." "It matters little," said Father Thomas, who +saw well enough this was no light matter. "I never heard the like of it. +I will myself come down to your house with a holy book, and see if the +thing will meet me. I know not what this is," he went on, "whether it is +a vain terror that hath hold of you; but there be spirits of evil in +the world, though much fettered by Christ and His Saints--we read of +such in Holy Writ--and the sea, too, doubtless hath its monsters; and it +may be that one hath wandered out of the waves, like a dog that hath +strayed from his home. I dare not say, till I have met it face to face. +But God gives no power to such things to hurt those who have a fair +conscience."--And here he made a stop, and looked at the three; Bridget +sate regarding him with a hope in her face; but the other two sate +peering upon the ground; and the priest divined in some secret way that +all was not well with them. "But I will come at once," he said rising, +"and I will see if I can cast out or bind the thing, whatever it be--for +I am in this place as a soldier of the Lord, to fight with works of +darkness." He took a clasped book from a table, and lifted up his hat, +saying, "Let us set forth." Then he said as they left the room, "Hath it +appeared to-day?" "Yes, indeed," said Henry, "and it was ill content. +It followed us as though it were angered." "Come," said Father Thomas +turning upon him, "you speak thus of a thing, as you might speak of a +dog--what is it like?" "Nay," said Henry, "I know not; I can never see +it clearly; it is like a speck in the eye--it is never there when you +look upon it--it glides away very secretly; it is most like a goat, I +think. It seems to be horned, and hairy; but I have seen its eyes, and +they were yellow, like a flame." + +As he said these words Master Grimston went in haste to the door, and +pulled it open as though to breathe the air. The others followed him and +went out; but Master Grimston drew the priest aside, and said like a man +in a mortal fear, "Look you, Father, all this is true--the thing is a +devil--and why it abides with us I know not; but I cannot live so; and +unless it be cast out it will slay me--but if money be of avail, I have +it in abundance." "Nay," said Father Thomas, "let there be no talk of +money--perchance if I can aid you, you may give of your gratitude to +God." "Ay, ay," said the old man hurriedly, "that was what I +meant--there is money in abundance for God, if he will but set me free." + +So they walked very sadly together through the street. There were few +folk about; the men and the children were all abroad--a woman or two +came to the house doors, and wondered a little to see them pass so +solemnly, as though they followed a body to the grave. + +Master Grimston's house was the largest in the place. It had a walled +garden before it, with a strong door set in the wall. The house stood +back from the road, a dark front of brick with gables; behind it the +garden sloped nearly to the sands, with wooden barns and warehouses. +Master Grimston unlocked the door, and then it seemed that his terrors +came over him, for he would have the priest enter first. Father Thomas, +with a certain apprehension of which he was ashamed, walked quickly in, +and looked about him. The herbage of the garden had mostly died down in +the winter, and a tangle of sodden stalks lay over the beds. A flagged +path edged with box led up to the house, which seemed to stare at them +out of its dark windows with a sort of steady gaze. Master Grimston +fastened the door behind them, and they went all together, keeping close +one to another, up to the house, the door of which opened upon a big +parlour or kitchen, sparely furnished, but very clean and comfortable. +Some vessels of metal glittered on a rack. There were chairs, ranged +round the open fireplace. There was no sound except that the wind +buffeted in the chimney. It looked a quiet and homely place, and Father +Thomas grew ashamed of his fears. "Now," said he in his firm voice, +"though I am your guest here, I will appoint what shall be done. We will +sit here together, and talk as cheerfully as we may, till we have +dined. Then, if nothing appears to us,"--and he crossed himself--"I will +go round the house, into every room, and see if we can track the thing +to its lair: then I will abide with you till evensong; and then I will +soon return, and lie here to-night. Even if the thing be wary, and dares +not to meet the power of the Church in the day-time, perhaps it will +venture out at night; and I will even try a fall with it. So come, good +people, and be comforted." + +So they sate together; and Father Thomas talked of many things, and told +some old legends of saints; and they dined, though without much cheer; +and still nothing appeared. Then, after dinner, Father Thomas would view +the house. So he took his book up, and they went from room to room. On +the ground floor there were several chambers not used, which they +entered in turn, but saw nothing; on the upper floor was a large room +where Master Grimston and his wife slept; and a further room for Henry, +and a guest-chamber in which the priest was to sleep if need was; and a +room where a servant-maid slept. And now the day began to darken and to +turn to evening, and Father Thomas felt a shadow grow in his mind. There +came into his head a verse of Scripture about a spirit which found a +house "empty, swept and garnished," and called his fellows to enter in. + +At the end of the passage was a locked door; and Father Thomas said: +"This is the last room--let us enter." "Nay, there is no need to do +that," said Master Grimston in a kind of haste; "it leads nowhither--it +is but a room of stores." "It were a pity to leave it unvisited," said +the Father--and as he said the word, there came a kind of stirring from +within. "A rat, doubtless," said the Father, striving with a sudden +sense of fear; but the pale faces round him told another tale. "Come, +Master Grimston, let us be done with this;" said Father Thomas +decisively; "the hour of vespers draws nigh." So Master Grimston slowly +drew out a key and unlocked the door, and Father Thomas marched in. It +was a simple place enough. There were shelves on which various household +matters lay, boxes and jars, with twine and cordage. On the ground stood +chests. There were some clothes hanging on pegs, and in a corner was a +heap of garments, piled up. On one of the chests stood a box of rough +deal, and from the corner of it dripped water, which lay in a little +pool on the floor. Master Grimston went hurriedly to the box and pushed +it further to the wall. As he did so, a kind of sound came from Henry's +lips. Father Thomas turned and looked at him; he stood pale and +strength-less, his eyes fixed on the corner--at the same moment +something dark and shapeless seemed to slip past the group, and there +came to the nostrils of Father Thomas a strange sharp smell, as of the +sea, only that there was a taint within it, like the smell of +corruption. + +They all turned and looked at Father Thomas together, as though seeking +a comfort from his presence. He, hardly knowing what he did, and in the +grasp of a terrible fear, fumbled with his book; and opening it, read +the first words that his eye fell upon, which was the place where the +Blessed Lord, beset with enemies, said that if He did but pray to His +Father, He should send Him forthwith legions of angels to encompass Him. +And the verse seemed to the priest so like a message sent instantly from +heaven that he was not a little comforted. + +But the thing, whatever the reason was, appeared to them no more at that +time. Yet the thought of it lay very heavy on Father Thomas's heart. In +truth he had not in the bottom of his mind believed that he would see +it, but had trusted in his honest life and his sacred calling to protect +him. He could hardly speak for some minutes,--moreover the horror of +the thing was very great--and seeing him so grave, their terrors were +increased, though there was a kind of miserable joy in their minds that +some one, and he a man of high repute, should suffer with them. + +Then Father Thomas, after a pause--they were now in the parlour--said, +speaking very slowly, that they were in a sore affliction of Satan, and +that they must withstand him with a good courage--"and look you," he +added, turning with a great sternness to the three, "if there be any +mortal sin upon your hearts, see that you confess it and be shriven +speedily--for while such a thing lies upon the heart, so long hath Satan +power to hurt--otherwise have no fear at all." + +Then Father Thomas slipped out to the garden, and hearing the bell +pulled for vespers, he went to the church, and the three would go with +him, because they would not be left alone. So they went together; by +this time the street was fuller, and the servant-maid had told tales, +so that there was much talk in the place about what was going forward. +None spoke with them as they went, but at every corner you might see one +check another in talk, and a silence fall upon a group, so that they +knew that their terrors were on every tongue. There was but a handful of +worshippers in the church, which was dark, save for the light on Father +Thomas' book. He read the holy service swiftly and courageously, but his +face was very pale and grave in the light of the candle. When the +vespers were over, and he had put off his robe, he said that he would go +back to his house, and gather what he needed for the night, and that +they should wait for him at the churchyard gate. So he strode off to his +vicarage. But as he shut to the door, he saw a dark figure come running +up the garden; he waited with a fear in his mind, but in a moment he saw +that it was Henry, who came up breathless, and said that he must speak +with the Father alone. Father Thomas knew that somewhat dark was to be +told him. So he led Henry into the parlour and seated himself, and said, +"Now, my son, speak boldly." So there was an instant's silence, and +Henry slipped on to his knees. + +Then in a moment Henry with a sob began to tell his tale. He said that +on the day of the wreck his father had roused him very early in the +dawn, and had told him to put on his clothes and come silently, for he +thought there was a wreck ashore. His father carried a spade in his +hand, he knew not then why. They went down to the tide, which was moving +out very fast, and left but an inch or two of water on the sands. There +was but a little light, but, when they had walked a little, they saw the +black hull of a ship before them, on the edge of the deeper water, the +waves driving over it; and then all at once they came upon the body of a +man lying on his face on the sand. There was no sign of life in him, but +he clasped a bag in his hand that was heavy, and the pocket of his coat +was full to bulging; and there lay, moreover, some glittering things +about him that seemed to be coins. They lifted the body up, and his +father stripped the coat off from the man, and then bade Henry dig a +hole in the sand, which he presently did, though the sand and water +oozed fast into it. Then his father, who had been stooping down, +gathering somewhat up from the sand, raised the body up, and laid it in +the hole, and bade Henry cover it with the sand. And so he did till it +was nearly hidden. Then came a horrible thing; the sand in the hole +began to move and stir, and presently a hand was put out with clutching +fingers; and Henry had dropped the spade, and said, "There is life in +him," but his father seized the spade, and shovelled the sand into the +hole with a kind of silent fury, and trampled it over and smoothed it +down--and then he gathered up the coat and the bag, and handed Henry the +spade. By this time the town was astir, and they saw, very faintly, a +man run along the shore eastward; so, making a long circuit to the west, +they returned; his father had put the spade away and taken the coat +upstairs; and then he went out with Henry, and told all he could find +that there was a wreck ashore. + +The priest heard the story with a fierce shame and anger, and turning to +Henry he said, "But why did you not resist your father, and save the +poor sailor?" "I dared not," said Henry shuddering, "though I would have +done so if I could; but my father has a power over me, and I am used to +obey him." Then said the priest, "This is a dark matter. But you have +told the story bravely, and now will I shrive you, my son." So he gave +him shrift. Then he said to Henry, "And have you seen aught that would +connect the beast that visits you with this thing?" "Ay, that I have," +said Henry, "for I watched it with my father skip and leap in the water +over the place where the man lies buried." Then the priest said, "Your +father must tell me the tale too, and he must make submission to the +law." "He will not," said Henry. "Then will I compel him," said the +priest. "Not out of my mouth," said Henry, "or he will slay me too." And +then the priest said that he was in a strait place, for he could not use +the words of confession of one man to convict another of his sin. So he +gathered his things in haste, and walked back to the church; but Henry +went another way, saying "I made excuse to come away, and said I went +elsewhere; but I fear my father much--he sees very deep; and I would not +have him suspect me of having made confession." + +Then the Father met the other two at the church gate; and they went down +to the house in silence, the Father pondering heavily; and at the door +Henry joined them, and it seemed to the Father that old Master Grimston +regarded him not. So they entered the house in silence, and ate in +silence, listening earnestly for any sound. And the Father looked oft on +Master Grimston, who ate and drank and said nothing, never raising his +eyes. But once the Father saw him laugh secretly to himself, so that the +blood came cold in the Father's veins, and he could hardly contain +himself from accusing him. Then the Father had them to prayers, and +prayed earnestly against the evil, and that they should open their +hearts to God, if he would show them why this misery came upon them. + +Then they went to bed; and Henry asked that he might lie in the priest's +room, which he willingly granted. And so the house was dark, and they +made as though they would sleep; but the Father could not sleep, and he +heard Henry weeping silently to himself like a little child. + +But at last the Father slept--how long he knew not--and suddenly brake +out of his sleep with a horror of darkness all about him, and knew that +there was some evil thing abroad. So he looked upon the room. He heard +Henry mutter heavily in his sleep as though there was a dark terror upon +him; and then, in the light of the dying embers, the Father saw a thing +rise upon the hearth, as though it had slept there, and woke to stretch +itself. And then in the half-light it seemed softly to gambol and play; +but whereas when an innocent beast does this in the simple joy of its +heart, and seems a fond and pretty sight, the Father thought he had +never seen so ugly a sight as the beast gambolling all by itself, as if +it could not contain its own dreadful joy; it looked viler and more +wicked every moment; then, too, there spread in the room the sharp scent +of the sea, with the foul smell underneath it, that gave the Father a +deadly sickness; he tried to pray, but no words would come, and he felt +indeed that the evil was too strong for him. Presently the beast +desisted from its play, and looking wickedly about it, came near to the +Father's bed, and seemed to put up its hairy forelegs upon it; he could +see its narrow and obscene eyes, which burned with a dull yellow light, +and were fixed upon him. And now the Father thought that his end was +near, for he could stir neither hand nor foot, and the sweat rained down +his brow; but he made a mighty effort, and in a voice which shocked +himself, so dry and husky and withal of so loud and screaming a tone it +was, he said three holy words. The beast gave a great quiver of rage, +but it dropped down on the floor, and in a moment was gone. Then Henry +woke, and raising himself on his arm, said somewhat; but there broke out +in the house a great outcry and the stamping of feet, which seemed very +fearful in the silence of the night. The priest leapt out of his bed all +dizzy, and made a light, and ran to the door, and went out, crying +whatever words came to his head. The door of Master Grimston's room was +open, and a strange and strangling sound came forth; the Father made his +way in, and found Master Grimston lying upon the floor, his wife bending +over him; he lay still, breathing pitifully, and every now and then a +shudder ran through him. In the room there seemed a strange and shadowy +tumult going forward; but the Father saw that no time could be lost, and +kneeling down beside Master Grimston, he prayed with all his might. + +Presently Master Grimston ceased to struggle and lay still, like a +man who had come out of a sore conflict. Then he opened his eyes, and +the Father stopped his prayers, and looking very hard at him he said, +"My son, the time is very short--give God the glory." Then Master +Grimston, rolling his haggard eyes upon the group, twice strove to speak +and could not; but the third time the Father, bending down his head, +heard him say in a thin voice, that seemed to float from a long way off, +"I slew him ... my sin." Then the Father swiftly gave him shrift, and as +he said the last word, Master Grimston's head fell over on the side, and +the Father said, "He is gone." And Bridget broke out into a terrible cry, +and fell upon Henry's neck, who had entered unseen. + +Then the Father bade him lead her away, and put the poor body on the +bed; as he did so he noticed that the face of the dead man was strangely +bruised and battered, as though it had been stamped upon by the hoofs of +some beast. Then Father Thomas knelt, and prayed until the light came +filtering in through the shutters; and the cocks crowed in the village, +and presently it was day. But that night the Father learnt strange +secrets, and something of the dark purposes of God was revealed to him. + +In the morning there came one to find the priest, and told him that +another body had been thrown up on the shore, which was strangely +smeared with sand, as though it had been rolled over and over in it; +and the Father took order for its burial. + +Then the priest had long talk with Bridget and Henry. He found them +sitting together, and she held her son's hand and smoothed his hair, as +though he had been a little child; and Henry sobbed and wept, but +Bridget was very calm. "He hath told me all," she said, "and we have +decided that he shall do whatever you bid him; must he be given to +justice?" and she looked at the priest very pitifully. "Nay, nay," said +the priest. "I hold not Henry to account for the death of the man; it +was his father's sin, who hath made heavy atonement--the secret shall be +buried in our hearts." + +Then Bridget told him how she had waked suddenly out of her sleep, and +heard her husband cry out; and that then followed a dreadful kind of +struggling, with the scent of the sea over all; and then he had all at +once fallen to the ground and she had gone to him--and that then the +priest had come. + +Then Father Thomas said with tears that God had shown them deep things +and visited them very strangely; and they would henceforth live humbly +in his sight, showing mercy. + +Then lastly he went with Henry to the store-room; and there, in the box +that had dripped with water, lay the coat of the dead man, full of +money, and the bag of money too; and Henry would have cast it back into +the sea, but the priest said that this might not be, but that it should +be bestowed plentifully upon shipwrecked mariners unless the heirs +should be found. But the ship appeared to be a foreign ship, and no +search ever revealed whence the money had come, save that it seemed to +have been violently come by. + +Master Grimston was found to have left much wealth. But Bridget would +sell the house and the land, and it mostly went to rebuild the church to +God's glory. Then Bridget and Henry removed to the vicarage and served +Father Thomas faithfully, and they guarded their secret. And beside the +nave is a little high turret built, where burns a lamp in a lantern at +the top, to give light to those at sea. + +Now the beast troubled those of whom I write no more; but it is easier +to raise up evil than to lay it; and there are those that say that to +this day a man or a woman with an evil thought in their hearts may see +on a certain evening in November, at the ebb of the tide, a goatlike +thing wade in the water, snuffing at the sand, as though it sought but +found not. But of this I know nothing. + + + + + * * * * * + + + + +Paul the Minstrel + + + +I + + +The old House of Heritage stood just below the downs, in the few meadows +that were all that was left of a great estate. The house itself was of +stone, very firmly and gravely built; and roofed with thin slabs of +stone, small at the roof-ridge, and increasing in size towards the +eaves. Inside, there were a few low panelled rooms opening on a large +central hall; there was little furniture, and that of a sturdy and solid +kind--but the house needed nothing else, and had all the beauty that +came of a simple austerity. + +Old Mistress Alison, who abode there, was aged and poor. She had but +one house-servant, a serious and honest maid, whose only pride was to +keep the place sweet, and save her mistress from all care. But Mistress +Alison was not to be dismayed by poverty; she was a tranquil and loving +woman, who had never married; but who, as if to compensate her for the +absence of nearer ties, had a simple and wholesome love of all created +things. She was infirm now, but was quite content, when it was fine, to +sit for long hours idle for very love, and look about her with a +peaceful and smiling air; she prayed much, or rather held a sweet +converse in her heart with God; she thought little of her latter end, +which she knew could not be long delayed, but was content to leave it in +the hands of the Father, sure that He, who had made the world so +beautiful and so full of love, would comfort her when she came to enter +in at the dark gate. + +There was also an old and silent man who looked after the cattle and +the few hens that the household kept; at the back of the house was a +thatched timbered grange, where he laid his tools; but he spent his time +mostly in the garden, which sloped down to the fishpond, and was all +bordered with box; here was a pleasant homely scent, on hot days, of the +good herbs that shed their rich smell in the sun; and here the flies, +that sate in the leaves, would buzz at the sound of a footfall, and then +be still again, cleaning their hands together in their busy manner. + +The only other member of the quiet household was the boy Paul, who was +distantly akin to Mistress Alison. He had neither father nor mother, and +had lived at Heritage all of his life that he could remember; he was a +slender, serious boy, with delicate features, and large grey eyes that +looked as if they held a secret; but if they had, it was a secret of his +forefathers; for the boy had led a most quiet and innocent life; he had +been taught to read in a fashion, but he had no schooling; sometimes a +neighbouring goodwife would say to Mistress Alison that the boy should +be sent to school, and Mistress Alison would open her peaceful eyes and +say, "Nay, Paul is not like other boys--he would get all the hurt and +none of the good of school; when there is work for him he will do +it--but I am not for making all toil alike. Paul shall grow up like the +lilies of the field. God made not all things to be busy." And the +goodwife would shake her head and wonder; for it was not easy to answer +Mistress Alison, who indeed was often right in the end. + +So Paul grew up as he would; sometimes he would help the old gardener, +when there was work to be done; for he loved to serve others, and was +content with toil if it was sweetened with love; but often he rambled by +himself for hours together; he cared little for company, because the +earth was to him full of wonder and of sweet sights and sounds. He loved +to climb the down, and lie feasting his eyes on the rich plain, spread +out like a map; the farms in their closes, the villages from which went +up the smoke at evening, the distant blue hills, like the hills of +heaven, the winding river, and the lake that lay in the winter twilight +like a shield of silver. He loved to see the sun flash on the windows of +the houses so distant that they could not themselves be seen, but only +sparkled like stars. He loved to loiter on the edge of the steep hanging +woods in summer, to listen to the humming of the flies deep in the +brake, and to catch a sight of lonely flowers; he loved the scent of the +wind blowing softly out of the copse, and he wondered what the trees +said to each other, when they stood still and happy in the heat of +midday. He loved, too, the silent night, full of stars, when the wood +that topped the hill lay black against the sky. The whole world seemed +to him to be full of a mysterious and beautiful life of which he could +never quite catch the secret; these innocent flowers, these dreaming +trees seemed, as it were, to hold him smiling at arm's length, while +they guarded their joy from him. The birds and the beasts seemed to him +to have less of this quiet joy, for they were fearful and careful, +working hard to find a living, and dreading the sight of man; but +sometimes in the fragrant eventide the nightingale would say a little of +what was in her heart. "Yes," Paul would say to himself, "it is like +that." + +One other chief delight the boy had; he knew the magic of sound, which +spoke to his heart in a way that it speaks to but few; the sounds of the +earth gave up their sweets to him; the musical fluting of owls, the +liquid notes of the cuckoo, the thin pipe of dancing flies, the mournful +creaking of the cider-press, the horn of the oxherd wound far off on the +hill, the tinkling of sheep-bells--of all these he knew the notes; and +not only these, but the rhythmical swing of the scythes sweeping +through the grass, the flails heard through the hot air from the barn, +the clinking of the anvil in the village forge, the bubble of the stream +through the weir--all these had a tale to tell him. Sometimes, for days +together, he would hum to himself a few notes that pleased him by their +sweet cadence, and he would string together some simple words to them, +and sing them to himself with gentle content. The song of the reapers on +the upland, or the rude chanting in the little church had a magical +charm for him; and Mistress Alison would hear the boy, in his room +overhead, singing softly to himself for very gladness of heart, like a +little bird of the dawn, or tapping out some tripping beat of time; when +she would wonder and speak to God of what was in her heart. + +As Paul grew older--he was now about sixteen--a change came slowly over +his mind; he began to have moods of a silent discontent, a longing for +something far away, a desire of he knew not what. His old dreams began +to fade, though they visited him from time to time; but he began to care +less for the silent beautiful life of the earth, and to take more +thought of men. He had never felt much about himself before; but one +day, lying beside a woodland pool at the feet of the down, he caught a +sight of his own face; and when he smiled at it, it seemed to smile back +at him; he began to wonder what the world was like, and what all the +busy people that lived therein said and thought; he began to wish to +have a friend, that he might tell him what was in his heart--and yet he +knew not what it was that he would say. He began, too, to wonder how +people regarded him--the people who had before been but to him a distant +part of the shows of the world. Once he came in upon Mistress Alison, +who sate talking with a gossip of hers; when he entered, there was a +sudden silence, and a glance passed between the two; and Paul divined +that they had been speaking of himself, and desired to know what they +had said. + +One day the old gardener, in a more talkative mood than was his wont, +told him a tale of one who had visited the Wishing Well that lay a few +miles away, and, praying for riches, had found the next day, in digging, +an old urn of pottery, full of ancient coins. Paul was very urgent to +know about the well, and the old man told him that it must be visited at +noonday and alone. That he that would have his wish must throw a gift +into the water, and drink of the well, and then, turning to the sun, +must wish his wish aloud. Paul asked him many more questions, but the +old man would say no more. So Paul determined that he would visit the +place for himself. + +The next day he set off. He took with him one of his few possessions, a +little silver coin that a parson hard by had given him. He went his way +quickly among the pleasant fields, making towards the great bulk of +Blackdown beacon, where the hills swelled up into a steep bluff, with a +white road, cut in the chalk, winding steeply up their green smooth +sides. It was a fresh morning with a few white clouds racing merrily +overhead, the shadows of which fell every now and then upon the down and +ran swiftly over it, like a flood of shade leaping down the sides. There +were few people to be seen anywhere; the fields were full of grass, with +large daisies and high red sorrel. By midday he was beneath the front of +Blackdown, and here he asked at a cottage of a good-natured woman, that +was bustling in and out, the way to the well. She answered him very +kindly and described the path--it was not many yards away--and then +asked where he came from, saying briskly, "And what would you wish for? +I should have thought you had all you could desire." "Why, I hardly +know;" said Paul smiling. "It seems that I desire a thousand things, and +can scarcely give a name to one." "That is ever the way," said the +woman, "but the day will come when you will be content with one." Paul +did not understand what she meant, but thanked her and went on his way; +and wondered that she stood so long looking after him. + +At last he came to the spring. It was a pool in a field, ringed round by +alders. Paul thought he had never seen a fairer place. There grew a +number of great kingcups round the brim, with their flowers like +glistening gold, and with cool thick stalks and fresh leaves. Inside the +ring of flowers the pool looked strangely deep and black; but looking +into it you could see the sand leaping at the bottom in three or four +cones; and to the left the water bubbled away in a channel covered with +water-plants. Paul could see that there was an abundance of little +things at the bottom, half covered with sand--coins, flowers, even +little jars--which he knew to be the gifts of wishers. So he flung his +own coin in the pool, and saw it slide hither and thither, glancing in +the light, till it settled at the dark bottom. Then he dipped and drank, +turned to the sun, and closing his eyes, said out loud, "Give me what I +desire." And this he repeated three times, to be sure that he was heard. +Then he opened his eyes again, and for a moment the place looked +different, with a strange grey light. But there was no answer to his +prayer in heaven or earth, and the very sky seemed to wear a quiet +smile. + +Paul waited a little, half expecting some answer; but presently he +turned his back upon the pool and walked slowly away; the down lay on +one side of him, looking solemn and dark over the trees which grew very +plentifully; Paul thought that he would like to walk upon the down; so +he went up a little leafy lane that seemed to lead to it. Suddenly, as +he passed a small thicket, a voice hailed him; it was a rich and +cheerful voice, and it came from under the trees. He turned in the +direction of the voice, which seemed to be but a few yards off, and saw, +sitting on a green bank under the shade, two figures. One was a man of +middle age, dressed lightly as though for travelling, and Paul thought +somewhat fantastically. His hat had a flower stuck in the band. But Paul +thought little of the dress, because the face of the man attracted him; +he was sunburnt and strong-looking, and Paul at first thought he must be +a soldier; he had a short beard, and his hair was grown rather long; his +face was deeply lined, but there was something wonderfully good-natured, +friendly, and kind about his whole expression. He was smiling, and his +smile showed small white teeth; and Paul felt in a moment that he could +trust him, and that the man was friendly disposed to himself and all the +world; friendly, not in a servile way, as one who wished to please, but +in a sort of prodigal, royal way, as one who had great gifts to bestow, +and was liberal of them, and looked to be made welcome. The other +figure was that of a boy rather older than himself, with a merry ugly +face, who in looking at Paul, seemed yet to keep a sidelong and +deferential glance at the older man, as though admiring him, and +desiring to do as he did in all things. + +"Where go you, pretty boy, alone in the noontide?" said the man. + +Paul stopped and listened, and for a moment could not answer. Then he +said, "I am going to the down, sir, and I have been"--he hesitated for a +moment--"I have been to the Wishing Well." + +"The Wishing Well?" said the man gravely. "I did not know there was one +hereabouts. I thought that every one in this happy valley had been too +well content--and what did you wish for, if I may ask?" + +Paul was silent and grew red; and then he said, "Oh, just for my heart's +desire." + +"That is either a very cautious or a very beautiful answer," said the +man, "and it gives me a lesson in manners; but will you not sit a little +with us in the shade?--and you shall hear a concert of music such as I +dare say you shall hardly hear out of France or Italy. Do you practise +music, child, the divine gift?" + +"I love it a little," said Paul, "but I have no skill." + +"Yet you look to me like one who might have skill," said the man; "you +have the air of it--you look as though you listened, and as though you +dreamed pleasant dreams. But, Jack," he said, turning to his boy, "what +shall we give our friend?--shall he have the 'Song of the Rose' first?" + +The boy at this word drew a little metal pipe out of his doublet, and +put it to his lips; and the man reached out his hand and took up a small +lute which lay on the bank beside him. He held up a warning finger to +the boy. "Remember," he said, "that you come in at the fifth chord, +together with the voice--not before." He struck four simple chords on +the lute, very gently, and with a sort of dainty preciseness; and then +at the same moment the little pipe and his own voice began; the pipe +played a simple descant in quicker time, with two notes to each note of +the song, and the man in a brisk and simple way, as it were at the edge +of his lips, sang a very sweet little country song, in a quiet homely +measure. + +There seemed to Paul to be nothing short of magic about it. There was a +beautiful restraint about the voice, which gave him a sense both of +power and feeling held back; but it brought before him a sudden picture +of a garden, and the sweet life of the flowers and little trees, taking +what came, sunshine and rain, and just living and smiling, breathing +fragrant breath from morning to night, and sleeping a light sleep till +they should waken to another tranquil day. He listened as if +spellbound. There were but three verses, and though he could not +remember the words, it seemed as though the rose spoke and told her +dreams. + +He could have listened for ever; but the voice made a sudden stop, not +prolonging the last note, but keeping very closely to the time; the pipe +played a little run, like an echo of the song, the man struck a brisk +chord on the lute--and all was over. "Bravely played, Jack!" said the +singer; "no musician could have played it better. You remembered what I +told you, to keep each note separate, and have no gliding. This song +must trip from beginning to end, like a brisk bird that hops on the +grass." Then he turned to Paul and, with a smile, said, "Reverend sir, +how does my song please you?" + +"I never heard anything more beautiful," said Paul simply. "I cannot say +it, but it was like a door opened;" and he looked at the minstrel with +intent eyes;--"may I hear it again?" "Boy," said the singer gravely, "I +had rather have such a look as you gave me during the song than a golden +crown. You will not understand what I say, but you paid me the homage of +the pure heart, the best reward that the minstrel desires." + +Then he conferred with the other boy in a low tone, and struck a very +sad yet strong chord upon his lute; and then, with a grave face, he sang +what to Paul seemed like a dirge for a dead hero who had done with +mortal things, and whose death seemed more a triumph than a sorrow. When +he had sung the first verse, the pipe came softly and sadly in, like the +voice of grief that could not be controlled, the weeping of those on +whom lay the shadow of loss. To Paul, in a dim way,--for he was but a +child--the song seemed the voice of the world, lamenting its noblest, +yet triumphing in their greatness, and desirous to follow in their +steps. It brought before him all the natural sorrows of death, the call +to quit the sweet and pleasant things of the world--a call that could +not be denied, and that was in itself indeed stronger and even sweeter +than the delights which it bade its listeners leave. And Paul seemed to +walk in some stately procession of men far off and ancient, who followed +a great king to the grave, and whose hearts were too full of wonder to +think yet what they had lost. It was an uplifting sadness; and when the +sterner strain came to an end, Paul said very quietly, putting into +words the thoughts of his full heart, "I did not think that death could +be so beautiful." And the minstrel smiled, but Paul saw that his eyes +were full of tears. + +Then all at once the minstrel struck the lute swiftly and largely, and +sang a song of those that march to victory, not elated nor excited, but +strong to dare and to do; and Paul felt his heart beat within him, and +he longed to be of the company. After he had sung this to an end, there +was a silence, and the minstrel said to Paul, yet as though half +speaking to himself, "There, my son, I have given you a specimen of my +art; and I think from your look that you might be of the number of those +that make these rich jewels that men call songs; and should you try to +do so, be mindful of these two things: let them be perfect first. You +will make many that are not perfect. In some the soul will be wanting; +in others the body, in a manner of speaking, will be amiss; for they are +living things, these songs, and he that makes them is a kind of god. +Well, if you cannot mend one, throw it aside and think no more of it. Do +not save it because it has some gracious touch, for in this are the +masters of the craft different from the mere makers of songs. The master +will have nothing but what is perfect within and without, while the +lesser craftsman will save a poor song for the sake of a fine line or +phrase. + +"And next, you must do it for the love of your art, and not for the +praise it wins you. That is a poisoned wine, of which if you drink, you +will never know the pure and high tranquillity of spirit that befits a +master. The master may be discouraged and troubled oft, but he must have +in his soul a blessed peace, and know the worth and beauty of what he +does; for there is nothing nobler than to make beautiful things, and to +enlighten the generous heart. Fighting is a fair trade, and though it is +noble in much, yet its end is to destroy; but the master of song mars +nought, but makes joy;--and that is the end of my sermon for the time. +And now," he added briskly, "I must be going, for I have far to fare; +but I shall pass by this way again, and shall inquire of your welfare; +tell me your name and where you live." So Paul told him, and then added +timidly enough that he would fain know how to begin to practise his art. +"Silence!" said the minstrel, rather fiercely; "that is an evil and +timorous thought. If you are worthy, you will find the way." And so in +the hot afternoon he said farewell, and walked lightly off. And Paul +stood in wonder and hope, and saw the two figures leave the flat, take +to the down, and wind up the steep road, ever growing smaller, till they +topped the ridge, where they seemed to stand a moment larger than human; +and presently they were lost from view. + +So Paul made his way home; and when he pushed the gate of Heritage open, +he wondered to think that he could recollect nothing of the road he had +traversed. He went up to the house and entered the hall. There sate +Mistress Alison, reading in a little book. She closed it as he came in, +and looked at him with a smile. Paul went up to her and said, "Mother" +(so he was used to call her), "I have heard songs to-day such as I never +dreamt of, and I pray you to let me learn the art of making music; I +must be a minstrel." "'Must' is a grave word, dear heart," said Mistress +Alison, looking somewhat serious; "but let me hear your story first." +So Paul told of his meeting with the minstrel. Mistress Alison sate +musing a long time, smiling when she met Paul's eye, till he said at +last, "Will you not speak, mother?" "I know," she said at last, "whom +you have met, dear child--that is Mark, the great minstrel. He travels +about the land, for he is a restless man, though the king himself would +have him dwell in his court, and make music for him. Yet I have looked +for this day, though it has come when I did not expect it. And now I +must tell you a story, Paul, in my turn. Many years ago there was a boy +like you, and he loved music too and the making of songs, and he grew to +great skill therein. But it was at last his ruin, for he got to love +riotous company and feasting too well; and so his skill forsook him, as +it does those that live not cleanly and nobly. And he married a young +wife, having won her by his songs, and a child was born to them. But the +minstrel fell sick and presently died, and his last prayer was that his +son might not know the temptation of song. And his wife lingered a +little, but she soon pined away, for her heart was broken within her; +and she too died. And now, Paul, listen, for the truth must be told--you +are that child, the son of sorrow and tears. And here you have lived +with me all your life; but because the tale was a sad one, I have +forborne to tell it you. I have waited and wondered to see whether the +gift of the father is given to the son; and sometimes I have thought it +might be yours, and sometimes I have doubted. And now, child, we will +talk of this no more to-day, for it is ill to decide in haste. Think +well over what I have said, and see if it makes a difference in your +wishes. I have told you all the tale." + +Now the story that Mistress Alison had told him dwelt very much in +Paul's mind that night; but it seemed to him strange and far off, and he +did not doubt what the end should be. It was as though the sight of the +minstrel, his songs and words, had opened a window in his mind, and that +he saw out of it a strange and enchanted country, of woods and streams, +with a light of evening over it, bounded by far-off hills, all blue and +faint, among which some beautiful thing was hidden for him to find; it +seemed to call him softly to come; the trees smiled upon him, the voice +of the streams bade him make haste--it all waited for him, like a +country waiting for its lord to come and take possession. + +Then it seemed to him that his soul slipped like a bird from the window, +and rising in the air over that magical land, beat its wings softly in +the pale heaven; and then like a dove that knows, by some inborn +mysterious art, which way its path lies, his spirit paused upon the +breeze, and then sailed out across the tree-tops. Whither? Paul knew +not. And so at last he slipped into a quiet sleep. + +He woke in the morning all of a sudden, with a kind of tranquil joy and +purpose; and when he was dressed, and gone into the hall, he found +Mistress Alison sitting in her chair beside the table laid for their +meal. She was silent and looked troubled, and Paul went up softly to +her, and kissed her and said, "I have chosen." She did not need to ask +him what he had chosen, but put her arm about him and said, "Then, dear +Paul, be content--and we will have one more day together, the last of +the old days; and to-morrow shall the new life begin." + +So the two passed a long and quiet day together. For to the wise and +loving-hearted woman this was the last of sweet days, and her soul went +out to the past with a great hunger of love; but she stilled it as was +her wont, saying to herself that this dear passage of life had hitherto +only been like the clear trickling of a woodland spring, while the love +of the Father's heart was as it were a great river of love marching +softly to a wide sea, on which river the very world itself floated like +a flower-bloom between widening banks. + +And indeed if any had watched them that day, it would have seemed that +she was the serener; for the thought of the life that lay before him +worked like wine in the heart of Paul, and he could only by an effort +bring himself back to loving looks and offices of tenderness. They spent +the whole day together, for the most part in a peaceful silence; and at +last the sun went down, and a cool breeze came up out of the west, laden +with scent from miles and miles of grass and flowers, which seemed to +bear with it the fragrant breath of myriads of sweet living things. + +Then they ate together what was the last meal they were to take thus +alone. And at last Mistress Alison would have Paul go to rest. And so +she took his hand in hers, and said, "Dear child, the good years are +over now; but you will not forget them; only lean upon the Father, for +He is very strong; and remember that though the voice of melody is +sweet, yet the loving heart is deeper yet." And then Paul suddenly broke +out into a passion of weeping, and kissed his old friend on hand and +cheek and lips; and then he burst away, ashamed, if the truth be told, +that his love was not deeper than he found it to be. + +He slept a light sleep that night, his head pillowed on his hand, with +many strange dreams ranging through his head. Among other fancies, some +sweet, some dark, he heard a delicate passage of melody played, it +seemed to him, by three silver-sounding flutes, so delicate that he +could hardly contain himself for gladness; but among his sadder dreams +was one of a little man habited like a minstrel who played an ugly +enchanted kind of melody on a stringed lute, and smiled a treacherous +smile at him; Paul woke in a sort of fever of the spirit; and rising +from his bed, felt the floor cool to his feet, and drew his curtain +aside; in a tender radiance of dawn he saw the barn, deep in shadow, in +the little garden; and over them a little wood-end that he knew well by +day--a simple place enough--but now it had a sort of magical dreaming +air; the mist lay softly about it like the breath of sleep; and the +trees, stretching wistfully their leafy arms, seemed to him to be full +of silent prayer, or to be hiding within them some divine secret that +might not be shown to mortal eyes. He looked long at this; and presently +went back to his bed, and shivered in a delicious warmth, while outside, +very gradually, came the peaceful stir of morning. A bird or two fluted +drowsily in the bushes; then another further away would join his slender +song; a cock crew cheerily in a distant grange, and soon it was broad +day. Presently the house began to be softly astir; and the faint +fragrance of an early kindled fire of wood stole into the room. Then +worn out by his long vigil he fell asleep again; and soon waking, knew +it to be later than was his wont, and dressed with haste. He came down, +and heard voices in the hall; he went in, and there saw Mistress Alison +in her chair; and on the hearth, talking gaily and cheerily, stood Mark +the minstrel. They made a pause when he came in. Mark extended his hand, +which Paul took with a kind of reverence. Then Mistress Alison, with her +sweet old smile, said to Paul, "So you made a pilgrimage to the Well of +the Heart's Desire, dear Paul? Well, you have your wish, and very soon; +for here is a master for you, if you will serve him." "Not a light +service, Paul," said Mark gravely, "but a true one. I can take you with +me when you may go, for my boy Jack is fallen sick with a stroke of the +sun, and must bide at home awhile." They looked at Paul, to see what he +would say. "Oh, I will go gladly," he said, "if I may." And then he +felt he had not spoken lovingly; so he kissed Mistress Alison, who +smiled, but somewhat sadly, and said, "Yes, Paul--I understand." + +So when the meal was over, Paul's small baggage was made ready, and he +kissed Mistress Alison--and then she said to Mark with a sudden look, +"You will take care of him?" "Oh, he shall be safe with me," said Mark, +"and if he be apt and faithful, he shall learn his trade, as few can +learn it." And then Paul said his good-bye, and walked away with Mark; +and his heart was so full of gladness that he stepped out lightly and +blithely, and hardly looked back. But at the turn of the road he +stopped, while Mark seemed to consider him gravely. The three that were +to abide, Mistress Alison, and the maid, and the old gardener, stood at +the door and waved their hands; the old house seemed to look fondly out +of its windows at him, as though it had a heart; and the very trees +seemed to wave him a soft farewell. Paul waved his hand too, and a tear +came into his eyes; but he was eager to be gone; and indeed, in his +heart, he felt almost jealous of even the gentle grasp of his home upon +his heart. And so Mark and Paul set out for the south. + + + + +II + + +Of the life that Paul lived with Mark I must not here tell; but before +he grew to full manhood he had learned his art well. Mark was a strict +master, but not impatient. The only thing that angered him was +carelessness or listlessness; and Paul was an apt and untiring pupil, +and learnt so easily and deftly that Mark was often astonished. "How did +you learn that?" he said one day suddenly to Paul when the boy was +practising on the lute, and played a strange soft cadence, of a kind +that Mark had never heard. The boy was startled by the question, for he +had not thought that Mark was listening to him. He looked up with a +blush and turned his eyes on Mark. "Is it not right?" he said. "I did +not learn it; it comes from somewhere in my mind." + +Paul learnt to play several instruments, both wind and string. Sometimes +he loved one sort the best, sometimes the other. The wind instruments of +wood had to him a kind of soft magic, like the voice of a gentle spirit, +a spirit that dwelt in lonely unvisited places, and communed more with +things of earth than the hearts of men. In the flutes and bassoons +seemed to him to dwell the voices of airs that murmured in the thickets, +the soft gliding of streams, the crooning of serene birds, the peace of +noonday, the welling of clear springs, the beauty of little waves, the +bright thoughts of stars. Sometimes in certain modes, they could be sad, +but it was the sadness of lonely homeless things, old dreaming spirits +of wind and wave, not the sadness of such things as had known love and +lost what they had loved, but the melancholy of such forlorn beings as +by their nature were shut out from the love that dwells about the +firelit hearth and the old roofs of homesteads. It was the sadness of +the wind that wails in desolate places, knowing that it is lonely, but +not knowing what it desires; or the soft sighing of trees that murmur +all together in a forest, dreaming each its own dream, but with no +thought of comradeship or desire. + +The metal instruments, out of which the cunning breath could draw bright +music, seemed to him soulless too in a sort, but shrill and enlivening. +These clarions and trumpets spoke to him of brisk morning winds, or the +cold sharp plunge of green waves that leap in triumph upon rocks. To +such sounds he fancied warriors marching out at morning, with the joy of +fight in their hearts, meaning to deal great blows, to slay and be +slain, and hardly thinking of what would come after, so sharp and swift +an eagerness of spirit held them; but these instruments he loved less. + +Best of all he loved the resounding strings that could be twanged by the +quill, or swept into a heavenly melody by the finger-tips, or throb +beneath the strongly-drawn bow. In all of these lay the secrets of the +heart; in these Paul heard speak the bright dreams of the child, the +vague hopes of growing boy or girl, the passionate desires of love, the +silent loyalty of equal friendship, the dreariness of the dejected +spirit, whose hopes have set like the sun smouldering to his fall, the +rebellious grief of the heart that loses what it loves, the darkening +fears that begin to roll about the ageing mind, like clouds that weep on +mountain tops, and the despair of sinners, finding the evil too strong. + +Best of all it was when all these instruments could conspire together to +weave a sudden dream of beauty that seemed to guard a secret. What was +the secret? It seemed so near to Paul sometimes, as if he were like a +man very near the edge of some mountain from which he may peep into an +unknown valley. Sometimes it was far away. But it was there, he doubted +not, though it hid itself. It was like a dance of fairies in a forest +glade, which a man could half discern through the screening leaves; but, +when he gains the place, he sees nothing but tall flowers with drooping +bells, bushes set with buds, large-leaved herbs, all with a silent, +secret, smiling air, as though they said, "We have seen, we could tell." + +Paul seemed very near this baffling secret at times; in the dewy silence +of mornings, just before the sun comes up, when familiar woods and trees +stand in a sort of musing happiness; at night when the sky is thickly +sown with stars, or when the moon rises in a soft hush and silvers the +sleeping pool; or when the sun goes down in a rich pomp, trailing a +great glow of splendour with him among cloudy islands, all flushed with +fiery red. When the sun withdrew himself thus, flying and flaring to +the west, behind the boughs of leafless trees, what was the hidden +secret presence that stood there as it were finger on lip, inviting yet +denying? Paul knew within himself that if he could but say or sing this, +the world would never forget. But he could not yet. + +Then, too, Paul learned the magic of words, the melodious accent of +letters, sometimes so sweet, sometimes so harsh; then the growing +phrase, the word that beckons as it were other words to join it +trippingly; the thought that draws the blood to the brain, and sets the +heart beating swiftly--he learned the words that sound like far-off +bells, or that wake a gentle echo in the spirit, the words that burn +into the heart, and make the hearer ashamed of all that is hard and low. +But he learned, too, that the craftsman in words must not build up his +song word by word, as a man fetches bricks to make a wall; but that he +must see the whole thought clear first, in a kind of divine flash, so +that when he turns for words to write it, he finds them piled to his +hand. + +All these things Paul learnt, and day by day he suffered all the sweet +surprises and joys of art. There were days that were not so, when the +strings jangled aimlessly, and seemed to have no soul in them; days when +it appeared that the cloud could not lift, as though light and music +together were dead in the world--but these days were few; and Paul +growing active and strong, caring little what he ate and drank, tasting +no wine, because it fevered him at first, and then left him ill at ease, +knowing no evil or luxurious thoughts, sleeping lightly and hardly, +found his spirits very pure and plentiful; or if he was sad, it was a +clear sadness that had something beautiful within it, and dwelt not on +any past grossness of his own, but upon the thought that all beautiful +things can but live for a time, and must then be laid away in the +darkness and in the cold. + +So Paul grew up knowing neither friendship nor love, only stirred at +the sight of a beautiful face, a shapely hand, or a slender form; by a +grateful wonder for what was so fair; untainted by any desire to master +it, or make it his own; living only for his art, and with a sort of +blind devotion to Mark, whom he soon excelled, though he knew it not. +Mark once said to him, when Paul had made a song of some old forgotten +sorrow, "How do you know all this, boy? You have not suffered, you have +not lived!" "Oh," said Paul gaily, knowing it to be praise, "my heart +tells me it is so." + +Paul, too, as he grew to manhood, found himself with a voice that was +not loud, but true--a voice that thrilled those who heard it through and +through; but it seemed strange that he felt not what he made other men +feel; rather his music was like a still pool that can reflect all that +is above it, the sombre tree, the birds that fly over, the starry +silence of the night, the angry redness of the dawn. + +It was on one of his journeys with Mark that the news of Mistress +Alison's death reached him. Mark told him very carefully and tenderly, +and while he repeated the three or four broken words in which Mistress +Alison had tried to send a last message to Paul--for the end had come +very suddenly--Mark himself found his voice falter, and his eyes fill +with tears. Paul had, at that sight, cried a little; but his life at the +House of Heritage seemed to have faded swiftly out of his thoughts; he +was living very intently in the present, scaling, as it were, day by +day, with earnest effort, the steep ladder of song. He thought a little +upon Mistress Alison, and on all her love and goodness: but it was with +a tranquil sorrow, and not with the grief and pain of loss. Mark was +very gentle with him for awhile; and this indeed did shame Paul a +little, to find himself being used so lovingly for a sorrow which he was +hardly feeling. But he said to himself that sorrow must come unbidden, +and that it was no sorrow that was made with labour and intention. He +was a little angered with himself for his dulness--but then song was so +beautiful, that he could think of nothing else; he was dazzled. + +A little while after, Mark asked him whether, as they were near at hand, +he would turn aside to see Mistress Alison's grave. And Paul said, "No; +I would rather feel it were all as it used to be!"--and then seeing that +Mark looked surprised and almost grieved, Paul, with the gentle +hypocrisy of childhood, said, "I cannot bear it yet," which made Mark +silent, and he said no more, but used Paul more gently than ever. + +One day Mark said to him, very gravely, as if he had long been pondering +the matter, "It is time for me to take another pupil, Paul. I have +taught you all I know; indeed you have learned far more than I can +teach." Then he told him that he had arranged all things meetly. That +there was a certain Duke who lacked a minstrel, and that Paul should go +and abide with him. That he should have his room at the castle, and +should be held in great honour, making music only when he would. And +then Mark would have added some words of love, for he loved Paul as a +son. But Paul seemed to have no hunger in his heart, no thought of the +days they had spent together; so Mark said them not. But he added very +gently, "And one thing, Paul, I must tell you. You will be a great +master--indeed you are so already--and I can tell you nothing about the +art that you do not know. But one thing I will tell you--that you have a +human heart within you that is not yet awake: and when it awakes, it +will be very strong; so that a great combat, I think, lies before you. +See that it overcome you not!" And Paul said wondering, "Oh, I have a +heart, but it is altogether given to song." And so Mark was silent. + +Then Paul went to the Duke's Castle of Wresting and abode with him year +after year. Here, too, he made no friend; he was gracious with all, and +of a lofty courtesy, so that he was had in reverence; and he made such +music that the tears would come into the eyes of those who heard him, +and they would look at each other, and wonder how Paul could thus tell +the secret hopes of the heart. There were many women in the castle, +great ladies, young maidens, and those that attended on them. Some of +these would have proffered love to Paul, but their glances fell before a +certain cold, virginal, almost affronted look, that he turned to meet +any smile or gesture that seemed to hold in it any personal claim, or to +offer any gift but that of an equal and serene friendship. As a maiden +of the castle once said, provoked by his coldness, "Sir Paul seems to +have everything to say to all of us, but nothing to any one of us." He +was kind to all with a sort of great and distant courtesy that was too +secure even to condescend. And so the years passed away. + + + + +III + + +It was nearly noon at the Castle of Wresting, and the whole house was +deserted, for the Duke had ridden out at daybreak to the hunt; and all +that could find a horse to ride had gone with him; and, for it was not +far afield, all else that could walk had gone afoot. So bright and +cheerful a day was it that the Duchess had sent out her pavilion to be +pitched in a lawn in the wood, and the Duke with his friends were to +dine there; none were left in the castle save a few of the elder +serving-maids, and the old porter, who was lame. About midday, however, +it seemed that one had been left; for Paul, now a tall man, strongly +built and comely, yet with a somewhat dreamful air, as though he +pondered difficult things within himself, and a troubled brow, under +which looked out large and gentle eyes, came with a quick step down a +stairway. He turned neither to right nor left, but passed through the +porter's lodge. Here the road from the town came up into the castle on +the left, cut steeply in the hill, and you could see the red roofs laid +out like a map beneath, with the church and the bridge; to the right ran +a little terrace under the wall. Paul came through the lodge, nodding +gravely to the porter, who returned his salute with a kind of reverence; +then he walked on to the terrace, and stood for a moment leaning against +the low wall that bounded it; below him lay for miles the great wood of +Wresting, now all ablaze with the brave gold of autumn leaves; here was +a great tract of beeches all rusty red; there was the pale gold of elms. +The forest lay in the plain, here and there broken by clearings or open +glades; in one or two places could be seen the roofs of villages, with +the tower of a church rising gravely among trees. On the horizon ran a +blue line of downs, pure and fine above the fretted gold of the forest. +The air was very still, with a fresh sparkle in it, and the sun shone +bright in a cloudless heaven; it was a day when the heaviest heart grows +light, and when it seems the bravest thing that can be designed to be +alive. + +Once or twice, as Paul leaned to look, there came from the wood, very +far away, the faint notes of a horn; he smiled to hear it, and it seemed +as though some merry thought came into his head, for he beat cheerfully +with his fingers on the parapet. Presently he seemed to bethink himself, +and then walked briskly to the end of the terrace, where was a little +door in the wall; he pushed this open, and found himself at the head of +a flight of stone steps, with low walls on either hand, that ran turning +and twisting according to the slope of the hill, down into the wood. + +Paul went lightly down the steps; once or twice he turned and looked up +at the grey walls and towers of the castle, rising from the steep green +turf at their foot, above the great leafless trees--for the trees on the +slope lost their leaves first in the wind. The sight pleased him, for he +smiled again. Then he stood for a moment, lower down, to watch the great +limbs and roots of a huge beech that seemed to cling to the slope for +fear of slipping downwards. He came presently to a little tower at the +bottom that guarded the steps. The door was locked; he knocked, and +there came out an old woman with a merry wrinkled face, who opened it +for him with a key, saying, "Do you go to the hunt, Sir Paul?" "Nay," he +said smiling, "only to walk a little alone in the wood." "To make music, +perhaps?" said the old woman shyly. "Perhaps," said Paul smiling, "if +the music come--but it will not always come for the wishing." + +As Paul walked in the deep places of the wood, little by little his +fresh holiday mood died away, and there crept upon him a shadow of +thought that had of late been no stranger to him. He asked himself, with +some bitterness, what his life was tending to. There was no loss of +skill in his art; indeed it was easier to him than ever; he had a rich +and prodigal store of music in him, music both of word and sound, that +came at his call. But the zest was leaving him. He had attained to his +utmost desire, and in his art there was nothing more to conquer. But as +he looked round about him and saw all the beautiful chains of love +multiplying themselves about those among whom he lived, he began to +wonder whether he was not after all missing life itself. He saw children +born, he saw them growing up; then they, too, found their own path of +love, they married, or were given in marriage; presently they had +children of their own; and even death itself, that carried well-loved +souls into the dark world, seemed to forge new chains of faith and +loyalty. All this he could say and did say in his music. He knew it, he +divined it by some magical instinct; he could put into words and sounds +the secrets that others could not utter--and there his art stopped. It +could not bring him within the charmed circle--nay, it seemed to him +that it was even like a fence that kept him outside. He looked forward +to a time when his art of itself must fade, when other minstrels should +arise with new secrets of power; and what would become of him then? + +He had by this time walked very far into the wood, and as he came down +through a little rise, covered with leafy thickets, he saw before him a +green track, that wound away among the trees. He followed it listlessly. +The track led him through a beech wood; the smooth and shapely stems, +that stood free of undergrowth, thickly roofed over by firm and glossy +autumn foliage, with the rusty fallen floor of last year's leaves +underfoot, brought back to him his delight in the sweet and fresh +world--so beautiful whatever the restless human heart desired in its +presence. + +He became presently aware that he was approaching some dwelling, he knew +not what; and then the trees grew thinner; and in a minute he was out in +a little forest clearing, where stood, in a small and seemly garden, +inclosed with hedges and low walls and a moat, a forest lodge, a long +low ancient building, ending in a stone tower. + +The place had a singular charm. The ancient battlemented house, +overgrown with ivy, the walls green and grey with lichens, seemed to +have sprung as naturally out of the soil as the trees among which it +stood, and to have become one with the place. He lingered for a moment +on the edge of the moat, looking at a little tower that rose out of the +pool, mirrored softly in the open spaces of the water, among the +lily-leaves. The whole place seemed to have a wonderful peace about it; +there was no sound but the whisper of leaves, and the doves crooning, +in their high branching fastnesses, a song of peace. + +As Paul stood thus and looked upon the garden, a door opened, and there +came out a lady, not old, but well advanced in years, with a shrewd and +kindly face; and then Paul felt a sort of shame within him, for standing +and spying at what was not his own; and he would have hurried away, but +the lady waved her hand to him with a courtly air, as though inviting +him to approach. So he came forward, and crossing the moat by a little +bridge that was hard by, he met her at the gate. He doffed his hat, and +said a few words asking pardon for thus intruding on a private place, +but she gave him a swift smile and said, "Sir Paul, no more of this--you +are known to me, though you know me not. I have been at the Duke's as a +guest; I have heard you sing--indeed," she added smiling, "I have been +honoured by having been made known to the prince of musical men--but he +hath forgotten my poor self; I am the Lady Beckwith, who welcomes you +to her poor house--the Isle of Thorns, as they call it--and will deem it +an honour that you should set foot therein; though I think that you came +not for my sake." + +"Alas, madam, no," said Paul smiling too. "I did but walk solitary in +the forest; I am lacking in courtesy, I fear; I knew not that there was +a house here, but it pleased me to see it lie like a jewel in the wood." + +"You knew not it was here, or you would have shunned it!" said the Lady +Beckwith with a smile. "Well, I live here solitary enough with my +daughters--my husband is long since dead--but to-day we must have a +guest--you will enter and tarry with us a little?" + +"Yes, very willingly," said Paul, who, like many men that care not much +for company, was tenderly courteous when there was no escape. So after +some further passages of courtesy, they went within. + +The Lady Beckwith led him into a fair tapestried room, and bade him be +seated, while she went to call upon her servants to make ready +refreshments for him. Paul seated himself in an oak chair and looked +around him. The place was but scantily furnished, but Paul had pleasure +in looking upon the old solid furniture, which reminded him of the House +of Heritage and of his far-off boyhood. He was pleased, too, with the +tapestry, which represented a wood of walnut-trees, and a man that sate +looking upon a stream as though he listened; and then Paul discerned the +figure of a brave bird wrought among the leaves, that seemed to sing; +while he looked, he heard the faint sound in a room above of some one +moving; then a lute was touched, and then there rose a soft voice, very +pure and clear, that sang a short song of long sweet notes, with a +descant on the lute, ending in a high drawn-out note, that went to +Paul's heart like wine poured forth, and seemed to fill the room with a +kind of delicate fragrance. + +Presently the Lady Beckwith returned; and they sate and talked awhile, +till there came suddenly into the room a maiden that seemed to Paul like +a rose; she came almost eagerly forward; and Paul knew in his mind that +it was she that had sung; and there passed through his heart a feeling +he had never known before; it was as though it were a string that +thrilled with a kind of delicious pain at being bidden by the touch of a +finger to utter its voice. + +"This is my daughter Margaret;" said the Lady Beckwith; "she knows your +fame in song, but she has never had the fortune to hear you sing, and +she loves song herself." + +"And does more than love it," said Paul almost tremblingly, feeling the +eyes of the maiden set upon his face; "for I heard but now a lute +touched, and a voice that sang a melody I know not, as few that I know +could have sung it." + +The maiden stood smiling at him, and then Paul saw that she carried a +lute in her hand; and she said eagerly, "Will you not sing to us, Sir +Paul?" + +"Nay," said the Lady Beckwith smiling, "but this is beyond courtesy! It +is to ask a prince to our house, and beg for the jewels that he wears." + +The maiden blushed rosy red, and put the lute by; but Paul stretched out +his hand for it. "I will sing most willingly," he said. "What is my life +for, but to make music for those who would hear?" + +He touched a few chords to see that the lute was well tuned; and the +lute obeyed his touch like a living thing; and then Paul sang a song of +spring-time that made the hearts of the pair dance with joy. When he had +finished, he smiled, meeting the smiles of both; and said, "And now we +will have a sad song--for those are ever the sweetest--joy needs not to +be made sweet." + +So he sang a sorrowful song that he had made one winter day, when he had +found the body of a little bird that had died of the frost and the hard +silence of the unfriendly earth--a song of sweet things broken and good +times gone by; and before he had finished he had brought the tears to +the eyes of the pair. The Lady Beckwith brushed them aside--but the girl +sate watching him, her hands together, and a kind of worship in her +face, with the bright tears trembling on her cheeks. And Paul thought he +had never seen a fairer thing; but wishing to dry the tears he made a +little merry song, like the song of gnats that dance up and down in the +sun, and love their silly play--so that the two smiled again. + +Then they thanked him very urgently, and Margaret said, "If only dear +Helen could hear this"; and the Lady Beckwith said, "Helen is my other +daughter, and she lies abed, and may not come forth." + +Then they put food before him; and they ate together, Margaret serving +him with meat and wine; and Paul would have forbidden it, but the Lady +Beckwith said, "That is the way of our house--and you are our guest and +must be content--for Margaret loves to serve you." The girl said little, +but as she moved about softly and deftly, with the fragrance of youth +about her, Paul had a desire to draw her to him, that made him ashamed +and ill at ease. So the hours sped swiftly. The maiden talked little, +but the Lady Beckwith had much matter for little speech; she asked Paul +many questions, and told him something of her own life, and how, while +the good Sir Harry, her husband, lived, she had been much with the +world, but now lived a quiet life, "Like a wrinkled apple-tree behind a +house," she added with a smile, "guarding my fruit, till it be plucked +from the bough." And she went on to say that though she had feared, when +she entered the quiet life, the days would hang heavy, yet there never +seemed time enough for all the small businesses that she was fain to do. + +When the day began to fall, and the shadows of the trees out of the +forest began to draw nearer across the lawn, Paul rose and said, "Come, +I will sing you a song of farewell and thanks for this day of pleasure," +and he made them a cheerful ditty; and so took his leave, the Lady +Beckwith saying that they would speak of his visit for many days--and +that she hoped that if his fancy led him again through the wood, he +would come to them; "For you will find an open door, and a warm hearth, +and friends who look for you." So Paul went, and walked through the low +red sunset with a secret joy in his heart; and never had he sung so +merrily as he sang that night in the hall of the Duke; so that the Duke +said smiling that they must often go a-hunting, and leave Sir Paul +behind, for that seemed to fill him to the brim with divine melody. + +Now Paul that night, before he laid him down to sleep, stood awhile, and +made a prayer in his heart. It must be said that as a child he had +prayed night and morning, in simple words that Mistress Alison had +taught him, but in the years when he was with Mark the custom had died +away; for Mark prayed not, and indeed had almost an enmity to churches +and to priests, saying that they made men bound who would otherwise be +free; and he had said to Paul once that he prayed the best who lived +nobly and generously, and made most perfect whatever gift he had; who +was kind and courteous, and used all men the same, whether old or young, +great or little; adding, "That is my creed, and not the creed of the +priests--but I would not have you take it from me thus--a man may not +borrow the secret of another's heart, and wear it for his own. All +faiths are good that make a man live cleanly and lovingly and +laboriously; and just as all men like not the same music, so all men are +not suited with the same faith; we all tend to the same place, but by +different ways; and each man should find the nearest way for him." +Paul, after that, had followed his own heart in the matter; and it led +him not wholly in the way of the priests, but not against them, as it +led Mark. Paul took some delight in the ordered solemnities of the +Church, the dark coolness of the arched aisles, the holy smell--he felt +there the nearer to God. And to be near to God was what Paul desired; +but he gave up praying at formal seasons, and spoke with God in his +heart, as a man might speak to his friend, whenever he was moved to +speak; he asked His aid before the making of a song; he told Him when he +was disheartened, or when he desired what he ought not; he spoke to Him +when he had done anything of which he was ashamed; and he told Him of +his dreams and of his joys. Sometimes he would speak thus for half a day +together, and feel a quiet comfort, like a strong arm round him; but +sometimes he would be silent for a long while. + +Now this night he spoke in his heart to God, and told him of the sweet +and beautiful hope that had come to him, and asked Him to make known to +him whether it was His will that he should put forth his hand, and +gather the flower of the wood--for he could not even in his secret heart +bring himself that night to speak, even to God, directly about the +maiden; but, in a kind of soft reverence, he used gentle similitudes. +And then he leaned from his window, and strove to send his spirit out +like a bird over the sleeping wood, to light upon the tower; and then +his thought leapt further, and he seemed to see the glimmering maiden +chamber where she slept, breathing evenly. But even in thought this +seemed to him too near, as though the vision were lacking in that awful +reverence, which is the herald of love. So he thought that his spirit +should sit, like a white bird, on the battlement, and send out a quiet +song. + +And then he fell asleep, and slept dreamlessly till the day came in +through the casements; when he sprang up, and joy darted into his heart, +as when a servitor fills a cup to the brim with rosy and bubbling wine. + +Now that day, and the next, and for several days, Paul thought of little +else but the house in the wood and the maiden that dwelt there. Even +while he read or wrote, pictures would flash before his eye. He saw +Margaret stand before him, with the lute in her hand; or he would see +her as she had moved about serving him, or he would see her as she had +sate to hear him sing, or as she had stood at the door as he went +forth--and all with a sweet hunger of the heart; till it seemed to him +that this was the only true thing that the world held, and he would be +amazed that he had missed it for so long. That he was in the same world +with her; that the air that passed over the house in the wood was +presently borne to the castle; that they two looked upon the same sky, +and the same stars--this was all to him like a delicate madness that +wrought within his brain. And yet he could not bring himself to go +thither. The greater his longing the more he felt unable to go without a +cause; and yet the thought that there might be other men that visited +the Lady Beckwith, and had more of the courtly and desirable arts of +life than he, was like a bitter draught--and so the days went on; and +never had he made richer music; it seemed to rush from his brain like +the water of a full spring. + +A few days after, there was a feast at the castle and many were bidden; +and Paul thought in his heart that the Lady Beckwith would perhaps be +there. So he made a very tender song of love to sing, the song of a +heart that loves and dares not fully speak. + +When the hour drew on for the banquet, he attired himself with a care +which he half despised, and when the great bell of the castle rang, he +went down his turret stairs with a light step. The custom was for the +guests to assemble in the great hall of the castle; but they of the +Duke's household, of whom Paul was one, gathered in a little chamber off +the hall. Then, when the Duke and Duchess with their children came from +their rooms, they passed through this chamber into the hall, the +household following. When the Duke entered the hall, the minstrels in +the gallery played a merry tune, and the guests stood up; then the Duke +would go to his place and bow to the guests, the household moving to +their places; then the music would cease, and the choir sang a grace, +all standing. Paul's place was an honourable one, but he sate with his +back to the hall; and this night, as soon as he entered the hall, and +while the grace was sung, he searched with his eyes up and down the +great tables, but he could not see her whom he desired to see, and the +joy died out of his heart. Now though the Lords and Knights of the +castle honoured Paul because he was honoured by the Duke, they had +little ease with him; so to-night, when Paul took his place, a Knight +that sate next him, a shrewd and somewhat malicious man, who loved the +talk of the Court, and turned all things into a jest, said "How now, Sir +Paul? You entered to-night full of joy; but now you are like one that +had expected to see a welcome guest and saw him not." Then Paul was +vexed that his thoughts should be so easily read, and said with a forced +smile, "Nay, Sir Edwin, we musical men are the slaves of our moods; +there would be no music else; we have not the bold and stubborn hearts +of warriors born." And at this there was a smile, for Sir Edwin was not +held to be foremost in war-like exercise. But having thus said, Paul +never dared turn his head. And the banquet seemed a tedious and hateful +thing to him. + +But at last it wore to an end, and healths had been drunk, and grace +was sung; and then they withdrew to the Presence Chamber, where the Duke +and Duchess sate upon chairs of state under a canopy, and the guests +sate down on seats and benches. And presently the Duke sent courteous +word to Paul that if he would sing they would gladly hear him. So Paul +rose in his place and made obeisance, and then moved to a dais which was +set at the end of the chamber; and a page brought him his lute. But Paul +first made a signal to the musicians who were set aloft in a gallery, +and they played a low descant; and Paul sang them a war-song with all +his might, his voice ringing through the room. Then, as the voice made +an end, there was a short silence, such as those who have sung or spoken +from a full heart best love to hear--for each such moment of silence is +like a rich jewel of praise--and then a loud cry of applause, which was +hushed in a moment because of the presence of the Duke. + +Then Paul made a bow, and stood carelessly regarding the crowd; for +from long use he felt no uneasiness to stand before many eyes; and just +as he fell to touching his lute, his eye fell on a group in a corner; +the Lady Beckwith sate there, and beside her Margaret; behind whom sate +a young Knight, Sir Richard de Benoit by name, the fairest and goodliest +of all in the castle, whom Paul loved well; and he leaned over and said +some words in the maiden's ear, who looked round shyly at him with a +little smile. + +Then Paul put out all his art, as though to recover a thing that he had +nearly lost. He struck a sweet chord on the lute, and the talk all died +away and left an utter silence; and Paul, looking at but one face, and +as though he spoke but to one ear, sang his song of love. It was like a +spell of magic; men and women turned to each other and felt the love of +their youth rise in their hearts as sweet as ever. The Duke where he +sate laid a hand upon the Duchess' hand and smiled. They that were old, +and had lost what they loved, were moved to weeping--and the young men +and maidens looked upon the ground, or at the singer, and felt the hot +blood rise in their cheeks. And Paul, exulting in his heart, felt that +he swayed the souls of those that heard him, as the wind sways a field +of wheat, that bends all one way before it. Then again came the silence, +when the voice ceased; a silence into which the last chords of the lute +sank, like stones dropped into a still water. And Paul bowed again, and +stepped down from the dais--and then with slow steps he moved to where +the Lady Beckwith sate, and bowing to her, took the chair beside her. + +Then came a tumbler and played many agile tricks before them; and then a +company of mummers, with the heads of birds and beasts, danced and +sported. But the Lady Beckwith said, "Sir Paul, I will tell you a tale. +A bird of the forest alighted at our window-sill some days ago, and +sang very sweetly to us--and we spread crumbs and made it a little +feast; and it seemed to trust us, but presently it spread its wings and +flew away, and it comes not again. Tell us, what shall we do to tempt +the wild bird back?" And Paul, smiling in her face, said, "Oh, madam, +the bird will return; but he leads, maybe, a toilsome life, gathering +berries, and doing small businesses. The birds, which seem so free, live +a life of labour; and they may not always follow their hearts. But be +sure that your bird knows his friends; and some day, when he has +opportunity, he will alight again. To him his songs seem but a small +gift, a shallow twittering that can hardly please." "Nay," said the Lady +Beckwith, "but this was a nightingale that knew the power of song, and +could touch all hearts except his own; and thus, finding love so simple +a thing to win, doubtless holds it light." "Nay," said Paul, "he holds +it not light; it is too heavy for him; he knows it too well to trifle +with it." + +Then finding that the rest were silent, they two were silent. And so +they held broken discourse; and ever the young Knight spoke in +Margaret's ear, so that Paul was much distraught, but dared not seem to +intervene, or to speak with the maiden, when he had held aloof so long. + +Presently the Lady Beckwith said she had a boon to ask, and that she +would drop her parables. And she said that her daughter Helen, that was +sick, had been very envious of them, because she had not heard his +songs, but only a soft echo of them through the chamber floor. "And +perhaps, Sir Paul," she said, "if you will not come for friendship, you +will come for mercy; and sing to my poor child, who has but few joys, a +song or twain." Then Paul's heart danced within him, and he said, "I +will come to-morrow." And soon after that the Duke went out and the +guests dispersed; and then Paul greeted the Lady Margaret, and said a +few words to her; but he could not please himself in what he said; and +that night he slept little, partly for thinking of what he might have +said: but still more for thinking that he would see her on the morrow. + +So when the morning came, Paul went very swiftly through the forest to +the Isle of Thorns. It was now turning fast to winter, and the trees had +shed their leaves. The forest was all soft and brown, and the sky was a +pearly grey sheet of high cloud; but a joy as of spring was in Paul's +heart, and he smiled and sang as he went, though he fell at times into +sudden silences of wonder and delight. When he arrived, the Lady +Beckwith greeted him very lovingly, and presently led him into a small +chamber that seemed to be an oratory. Here was a little altar very +seemly draped, with stools for kneeling, and a chair or two. Near the +altar, at the side, was a little door in the wall behind a hanging; the +Lady Beckwith pulled the hanging aside, and bade Paul to follow; he +found himself in a small arched recess, lit by a single window of +coloured glass, that was screened from a larger room, of which it was a +part, by a curtain. The Lady Beckwith bade Paul be seated, and passed +beyond the curtain for an instant. The room within seemed dark, but +there came from it a waft of the fragrance of flowers; and Paul heard +low voices talking together, and knew that Margaret spake; in a moment +she appeared at the entrance, and greeted him with a very sweet and +simple smile, but laid her finger on her lips; and so slipped back into +the room again, but left Paul's heart beating strangely and fiercely. +Then the Lady Beckwith returned, and said in a whisper to Paul that it +was a day of suffering for Helen, and that she could not bear the light. +So she seated herself near him, and Paul touched his lute, and sang +songs, five or six, gentle songs of happy untroubled things, like the +voices of streams that murmur to themselves when the woods are all +asleep; and between the songs he spoke not, but played airily and +wistfully upon his lute; and for all that it seemed so simple, he had +never put more art into what he played and sang. And at last he made the +music die away to a very soft close, like an evening wind that rustles +away across a woodland, and moves to the shining west. And looking at +the Lady Beckwith, he saw that she had passed, on the wings of song, +into old forgotten dreams, and sate smiling to herself, her eyes +brimming with tears. And then he rose, and saying that he would not be +tedious, put the lute aside, and they went out quietly together. And the +Lady Beckwith took his hand in both her own and said, "Sir Paul, you are +a great magician--I could not believe that you could have so charmed an +old and sad-hearted woman. You have the key of the door of the land of +dreams; and think not that I am ungrateful; that you, for whose songs +princes contend in vain, should deign to come and sing to a maiden that +is sick--how shall I repay it?" "Oh, I am richly repaid," said Paul, +"the guerdon of the singer is the incense of a glad heart--and you may +give me a little love if you can, for I am a lonely man." Then they +smiled at each other, the smile that makes a compact without words. + +Then they went down together, and there was a simple meal set out; and +they ate together like old and secure friends, speaking little; but the +Lady Beckwith told him somewhat of her daughter Helen, how she had been +fair and strong till her fifteenth year; and that since that time, for +five weary years, she had suffered under a strange and wasting disease +that nothing could amend. "But she is patient and cheerful beneath it, +or I think my heart would break;--but I know," she added, and her mouth +quivered as she spoke, "that she can hardly see another spring, and I +would have her last days to be sweet. I doubt not," she went on, "the +good and wise purposes of God, and I think that he often sends his +bright angels to comfort her--for she is never sad--and when you sing as +you sang just now, I seem to understand, and my heart says that it is +well." + +While they spoke the Lady Margaret came into the room, with a sudden +radiance; and coming to Paul she kneeled down beside him, and kissed his +hand suddenly, and said, "Helen thanks you, and I thank you, Sir Paul, +for giving her such joy as you could hardly believe." + +There came a kind of mist over Paul's eyes, to feel the touch of the +lips that he loved so well upon his hand; but at the same time it +appeared to him like a kind of sin that he who seemed to himself, in +that moment, so stained and hard, should have reverence done him by one +so pure. So he raised her up, and said, "Nay, this is not meet"; and he +would have said many other words that rushed together in his mind, but +he could not frame them right. But presently the Lady Beckwith excused +herself and went; and then Paul for a sweet hour sate, and talked low +and softly to the maiden, and threw such worship into his voice that she +was amazed. But he said no word of love. And she told him of their +simple life, and how her sister suffered. And then Paul feared to stay +longer, and went with a mighty and tumultuous joy in his heart. + +Then for many days Paul went thus to the Isle of Thorns--and the Lady +Margaret threw aside her fear of him, and would greet him like a +brother. Sometimes he would find her waiting for him at the gate, and +then the air was suddenly full of a holy radiance. And the Lady +Beckwith, too, began to use him like a son; but the Lady Helen he never +saw--only once or twice he heard her soft voice speak in the dark room. +And Paul made new songs for her, but all the time it was for Margaret +that he sang. + +And they at the castle wondered why Sir Paul, who used formerly to sit +so much in his chamber, now went so much abroad. But he guarded his +secret, and they knew not whither he went; only he saw once, from looks +that passed between two of the maidens, that they spoke of him; and this +in times past might have made him ashamed, but now his heart was too +high, and he cared not. + +There came a day when Paul, finding himself alone with the Lady +Beckwith, opened his heart suddenly to her; but he was checked, as it +were, by a sudden hand, for there came into her face a sad and troubled +look, as though she blamed herself for something. Then she said to him, +faltering, that she knew not what to say, for she could not read her +daughter's heart--"and I think, Sir Paul," she added, "that she hath no +thought of love--love of the sort of which you speak. Nay, the maiden +loves you well, like a dear brother; she smiles at your approach, and +runs to meet you when she hears your step at the door"; and then seeing +a look of pain and terror in the face of Paul, she said, "Nay, dear +Paul, I know not. God knows how gladly I would have it so, but hearts +are very strangely made; yet you shall speak if you will, and I will +give you my prayers." And then she stooped to Paul, and kissed his brow, +and said, "There is a mother's kiss, for you are the son of my heart, +whatever befall." + +So presently the maiden came in, and Paul asked her to walk a little +with him in the garden, and she went smiling; and then he could find no +words at all to tell her what was in his heart, till she said, laughing, +that he looked strangely, and that it seemed he had nought to say. So +Paul took her hand, and told her all his love; and she looked upon him, +smiling very quietly, neither trembling nor amazed, and said that she +would be his wife if so he willed it, and that it was a great honour; +"and then," she added, "you need not go from us, but you can sing to +Helen every day." Then he kissed her; and there came into his heart a +great wave of tenderness, and he thanked God very humbly for so great a +gift. Yet he somehow felt in his heart that he was not yet content, and +that this was not how he had thought it would fall out; but he also told +himself that he would yet win the maiden's closer love, for he saw that +she loved not as he loved. Then after a little talk they went together +and told the Lady Beckwith, and she blessed them; but Paul could see +that neither was she content, but that she looked at Margaret with a +questioning and wondering look. + +Then there followed very sweet days. It was soon in the spring-time of +the year; the earth was awaking softly from her long sleep, and was by +gentle degrees arraying herself for her summer pomp. The primroses put +out yellow stars about the tree roots; the hyacinths carpeted the woods +with blue, and sent their sweet breath down the glade; and Paul felt +strange desires stir in his heart, and rise like birds upon the air; and +when he walked with the Lady Margaret among the copses, or rested awhile +upon green banks, where the birds sang hidden in the thickets, his heart +made continual melody, and rose in a stream of praise to God. But they +spoke little of love; at times Paul would try to say something of what +was in his mind; but the Lady Margaret heard him, sedately smiling, as +though she were pleased that she could give him this joy, but as though +she understood not what he said. She loved to hear of Paul's life, and +the places he had visited. And Paul, for all his joy, felt that in his +love he was, as it were, voyaging on a strange and fair sea alone, and +as though the maiden stood upon the shore and waved her hand to him. +When he kissed her or took her hand in his own, she yielded to him +gently and lovingly, like a child; and it was then that Paul felt most +alone. But none the less was he happy, and day after day was lit for him +with a golden light. + + + + +IV + + +One day there came a messenger for Paul, and brought him news that made +him wonder: the House of Heritage had fallen, on Mistress Alison's +death, to a distant kinsman of her own and of his. This man, who was +without wife or child, had lived there solitary, and it seemed that he +was now dead; and he had left in his will that if Sir Paul should wish +to redeem the house and land for a price, he should have the first +choice to do so, seeing his boyhood had been spent there. Now Paul was +rich, for he had received many great gifts and had spent little; and +there came into his heart a great and loving desire to possess the old +house. He told the Lady Beckwith and Margaret of this, and they both +advised him to go and see it. So Paul asked leave of the Duke, and told +him his business. Then the Duke said very graciously that Paul had +served him well, and that he would buy the house at his own charges, and +give it to Paul as a gift; but he added that this was a gift for past +service, and that he would in no way bind Paul; but he hoped that Paul +would still abide in the castle, at least for a part of the year, and +make music for them. "For indeed," said the Duke very royally, "it were +not meet that so divine a power should be buried in a rustic grange, but +it should abide where it can give delight. Indeed, Sir Paul, it is not +only delight! but through your music there flows a certain holy and +ennobling grace into the hearts of all who attentively hear you, and +tames our wild and brutish natures into something worthier and more +seemly." Then Paul thanked the Duke very tenderly, and said that he +would not leave him. + +So Paul journeyed alone with an old man-at-arms, whom the Duke sent with +him for his honour and security; and when he arrived at the place, he +lodged at the inn. He found the House of Heritage very desolate, +inhabited only by the ancient maid of Mistress Alison, now grown old and +infirm. So Paul purchased the house and land at the Duke's charges, and +caused it to be repaired, within and without, and hired a gardener to +dress and keep the ground. He was very impatient to be gone, but the +matter could not be speedily settled; and though he desired to return to +Wresting, and to see Margaret, of whom he thought night and day, yet he +found a great spring of tenderness rise up in his heart at the sight of +the old rooms, in which little had been changed. The thought of his +lonely and innocent boyhood came back to him, and he visited all his +ancient haunts, the fields, the wood, and the down. He thought much, +too, of Mistress Alison and her wise and gracious ways; indeed, sitting +alone, as he often did in the old room at evening, it seemed to him +almost as though she sate and watched him, and was pleased to know that +he was famous, and happy in his love; so that it appeared to him as +though she gave him a benediction from some far-off and holy place, +where she abode and was well satisfied. + +Then at last he was able to return; but he had been nearly six weeks +away. He had moved into the house and lived there; and it had filled him +with a kind of solemn happiness to picture how he would some day, when +he was free, live there with Margaret for his wife; and perhaps there +would be children too, making the house sweet with their laughter and +innocent games--children who should look at him with eyes like their +mother's. Long hours would pass thus while he sate holding a book or +his lute between his hands, the time streaming past in a happy tide of +thoughts. + +But the last night was sad, for he had gone early to his bed, as he was +to start betimes in the morning; and he dreamed that he had gone through +the wood to the Isle of Thorns, and had seen the house stand empty and +shuttered close, with no signs of life about it. In his dream he went +and beat upon the door, and heard his knocks echo in the hall; and just +as he was about to beat again, it was opened to him by an old small +woman, that looked thin and sad, with grey hair and many wrinkles, whom +he did not know. He had thrust past her, though she seemed to have +wished to stay him; and pushing on, had found Margaret sitting in the +hall, who had looked up at him, and then covered her face with her +hands, and he had seen a look of anguish upon her face. Then the dream +had slipped from him, and he dreamed again that he was in a lonely +place, a bleak mountain-top, with a wide plain spread out beneath; and +he had watched the flight of two white birds, which seemed to rise from +the rocks near him, and fly swiftly away, beating their wings in the +waste of air. + +He woke troubled, and found the dawn peeping through the chinks of the +shutter; and soon he heard the tramping of horses without, and knew that +he must rise and go. And the thought of the dream dwelt heavily with +him; but presently, riding in the cool air, it seemed to him that his +fears were foolish; and his love came back to him, so that he said the +name Margaret over many times to himself, like a charm, and sent his +thoughts forward, imagining how Margaret, newly risen, would be moving +about the quiet house, perhaps expecting him. And then he sang a little +to himself, and was pleased to see the old man-at-arms smile wearily as +he rode beside him. + +Three days after he rode into the Castle of Wresting at sundown, and +was greeted very lovingly; the Duke would not let him sing that night, +though Paul said he was willing; but after dinner he asked him many +questions of how he had fared. And Paul hoped that he might have heard +some talk of the Lady Margaret. But none spoke of her, and he dared not +ask. One thing that he noticed was that at dinner the young Sir Richard +de Benoit sate opposite him, looking very pale; and Paul, more than +once, looking up suddenly, saw that the Knight was regarding him very +fixedly, as though he were questioning of somewhat; and that each time +Sir Richard dropped his eyes as though he were ashamed. After dinner was +over, and Paul had been discharged by the Duke, he had gone back into +the hall to see if he could have speech of Sir Richard, and ask if +anything ailed him; but he found him not. + +Then on the morrow, as soon as he might, he made haste to go down to +the Isle of Thorns. As he was crossing a glade, not far from the house, +he saw to his surprise, far down the glade, a figure riding on a horse, +who seemed for a moment to be Sir Richard himself. He stood awhile to +consider, and then, going down the glade, he cried out to him. Sir +Richard, who was on a white horse, drew rein, and turned with his hand +upon the loins of the horse; and then he turned again, and, urging the +horse forward, disappeared within the wood. There came, as it were, a +chill into Paul's heart that he should be thus unkindly used; and he +vexed his brain to think in what he could have offended the Knight; but +he quickly returned to his thoughts of love; so he made haste, and soon +came down to the place. + +Now, when he came near, he thought for a moment of his dream; and shrank +back from stepping out of the trees at the corner whence he could see +the house; but chiding himself for his vain terrors, he went swiftly +out, and saw the house stand as before, with the trees all delicate +green behind it, and the smoke ascending quietly from the chimneys. + +Then he made haste; and--for he was now used to enter unbidden--went +straight into the house; the hall and the parlours were all empty; so +that he called upon the servants; an old serving-maid came forth, and +then Paul knew in a moment that all was not well. He looked at her for a +moment, and a question seemed to be choked in his throat; and then he +said swiftly, "Is the Lady Beckwith within?" The old serving-maid said +gravely, "She is with the Lady Helen, who is very sick." Then Sir Paul +bade her tell the Lady Beckwith that he was in the house; and as he +stood waiting, there came a kind of shame into his heart, that what he +had heard was so much less than what he had for an instant feared; and +while he strove to be more truly sorry, the Lady Beckwith stood before +him, very pale. She began to speak at once, and in a low and hurried +voice told him of Helen's illness, and how that there was little to +hope; and then she put her hand on Paul's arm, and said, "My son, why +did you leave us?" adding hastily, "Nay, it could not have been +otherwise." And Paul, looking upon her face, divined in some sudden way +that she had not told him all that was in her mind. So he said, "Dear +mother, you know the cause of that--but tell me all, for I see there is +more behind." Then the Lady Beckwith put her face in her hands, and +saying, "Yes, dear Paul, there is more," fell to weeping secretly. While +they thus stood together--and Paul was aware of a deadly fear that +clutched at his heart and made all his limbs weak--the Lady Margaret +came suddenly into the room, looking so pale and worn that Paul for a +moment did not recognise her. But he put out his arms, and took a step +towards her; then he saw that she had not known he was in the house; +for she turned first red and then very pale, and stepped backwards; and +it went to Paul's heart like the stabbing of a sharp knife, that she +looked at him with a look in which there was shame mingled with a +certain fear. + +Now while Paul stood amazed and almost stupefied with what he saw, the +Lady Beckwith said quickly and almost sternly to Margaret, "Go back to +Helen--she may not be left alone." Margaret slipped from the room; and +the Lady Beckwith pointed swiftly to a chair, and herself sate down. +Then she said, "Dear Paul, I have dreaded this moment and the sight of +you for some days--and though I should wish to take thought of what I am +to say to you, and to say it carefully, it makes an ill matter worse to +dally with it--so I will even tell you at once. You must know that some +three days after you left us, the young Knight Sir Richard de Benoit +fell from his horse, when riding in the wood hard by this house, and +was grievously hurt by the fall. They carried him in here and we tended +him. I had much upon my hands, for dear Helen was in great suffering; +and so it fell out that Margaret was often with the Knight--who, indeed, +is a noble and generous youth, very pure and innocent of heart--and oh, +Paul, though it pierces my heart to say it, he loves her--and I think +that she loves him too. It is a strange and terrible thing, this love! +it is like the sword that the Lord Christ said that He came to bring on +earth, for it divides loving households that were else at one together; +and now I must say more--the maiden knew not before what love was; she +had read of it in the old books; and when you came into this quiet +house, bringing with you all the magic of song, and the might of a +gentle and noble spirit, and offered her love, she took it gladly and +sweetly, not knowing what it was that you gave; but I have watched my +child from her youth up, and the love that she gave you was the love +that she would have given to a brother--she admired you and reverenced +you. She knew that maidens were asked and given in marriage, and she +took your love, as a child might take a rich jewel, and love the giver +of it. And, indeed, she would have wedded you, and might have learned to +love you in the other way. But God willed it otherwise; and seeing the +young Knight, it was as though a door was opened in her spirit, and she +came out into another place. I am sure that no word of love has passed +between them; but it has leaped from heart to heart like a swift fire; +and all this I saw too late; but seeing it, I told Sir Richard how +matters stood; and he is an honourable youth; for from that moment he +sought how he might be taken hence, and made reasons to see no more of +the maid. But his misery I could see; and she is no less miserable; for +she has a very pure and simple spirit, and has fought a hard conflict +with herself; yet will she hold to her word. + +"And now, dear Paul, judge between us, for the matter lies in your +hands. She is yours, if you claim her; but her heart cannot be yours +awhile, though you may win it yet. It is true that both knights and +maidens have wedded, loving another; yet they have learned to love each +other, and have lived comfortably and happily; but whether, knowing what +I have been forced to tell you, you can be content that things should be +as before, I know not." + +Then the Lady Beckwith made a pause, and beat her hands together, +watching Paul's face; Paul sate very still and pale, all the light gone +out of his eyes, with his lips pressed close together. And at the sight +of him the tears came into the Lady Beckwith's eyes, and she could not +stay them. And Paul, looking darkly on her, strove to pity her, but +could not; and clasping the arms of his chair, said hoarsely, "I cannot +let her go." So they sate awhile in silence; and then Paul rose and +said, "Dear lady, you have done well to tell me this--I know deep down +in my heart what a brave and noble thing you have done: but I cannot yet +believe it--I will see the Lady Margaret and question her of the +matter." Then the lady said, "Nay, dear Paul, you will not--you think +that you would do so; but you could not speak with her face to face of +such a matter, and she could not answer you. You must think of it alone, +and to-morrow you must tell me what you decide; and whichever way you +decide it, I will help you as far as I can." And then she said, "You +will pity me a little, dear Paul, for I had rather have had a hand cut +off than have spoken with you thus." And these simple words brought Paul +a little to himself, and he rose from his place and kissed the Lady +Beckwith's hand, and said, "Dear mother, you have done well; but my +sorrow is greater than I can bear," And at that the Lady Beckwith wept +afresh; but Paul went out in a stony silence, hardly knowing what he +did. + +Then it seemed to Paul as though he went down into deep waters indeed, +which passed cold and silent, in horror and bitterness, over his soul. +He did not contend or cry out; but he knew that the light had fallen out +of his life, and had left him dark and dead. + +So he went slowly back to the castle through the wood, hating his life +and all that he was; once or twice he felt a kind of passion rise within +him, and he said to himself, "She is pledged to me, and she shall be +mine." And then there smote upon him the thought that in thinking thus +he was rather brute than man. And he fell at last into an agony of +prayer that God would lead him to the light, and show him what he should +do. When he reached the castle he put a strong constraint upon himself; +he went down to the hall; he even sang; but it was like a dream; he +seemed to be out of the body, and as it were to see himself standing, +and to hear the words falling from his own lips. The Duke courteously +praised him, and said that he was well content to hear his minstrel +again. + +As he left the hall, he passed through a little anteroom, that was hung +with arras, on the way to his chamber; and there he saw sitting on a +bench, close to the door that led to the turret stair, the young Knight, +Sir Richard; and there rose in his heart a passion of anger, so strong +that he felt as though a hand were laid upon his heart, crushing it. And +he stood still, and looked upon the Knight, who raised so pale and +haggard a face upon him, that Paul, in spite of his own misery, saw +before him a soul as much or more vexed than his own; and then the anger +died out of his heart, and left in him only the sense of the bitter +fellowship of suffering; the Knight rose to his feet, and they stood for +a moment looking at each other; and then the Knight said, pale to the +lips, "Sir Paul, we are glad to welcome you back--I have heard of the +Duke's gift, and rejoice that your inheritance should thus return to +you." And Paul bowed and said, "Ay, it is a great gift; but it seems +that in finding it I have lost a greater." And then, seeing the Knight +grow paler still, if that were possible, he said, "Sir Richard, let me +tell you a parable; there was a little bird of the wood that came to my +window, and made me glad--so that I thought of no other thing but my +wild bird, that trusted me: and while I was absent, one hath whispered +it away, and it will not return." And Sir Richard said, "Nay, Sir Paul, +you are in this unjust. What if the wild bird hath seen its mate? And, +for you know not the other side of the parable, its mate hath hid itself +in the wood, and the wild bird will return to you, if you bid it come." + +Then Sir Paul, knowing that the Knight had done worthily and like a +true knight, said, "Sir Richard, I am unjust; but you will pardon me, +for my heart is very sore." And so Paul passed on to his chamber; and +that night was a very bitter one, for he went down into the sad valley +into which men must needs descend, and he saw no light there. And once +in the night he rose dry-eyed and fevered from his bed, and twitching +the curtain aside, saw the forest lie sleeping in the cold light of the +moon; and his thought went out to the Isle of Thorns, and he saw the +four hearts that were made desolate; and he questioned in his heart why +God had made the hard and grievous thing that men call love. + +Then he went back and fell into a sort of weary sleep; and waking +therefrom, he felt a strange and terrible blackness seize upon his +spirit, so that he could hear his own heart beat furious and thick in +the darkness; and he prayed that God would release him from the prison +of the world. But while he lay, he heard the feet of a horse clatter on +the pavement, it being now near the dawn; and presently there came a +page fumbling to the door, who bore a letter from the Lady Beckwith, and +it ran;-- + +"_I would not write to you thus, dear Paul, unless my need were urgent; +but the dear Helen is near her end, and has prayed me many times that, +if it were possible, you should come and sing to her--for she fears to +go into the dark, and says that your voice can give her strength and +hope. Now if it be possible, come; but if you say nay to my messenger, I +shall well understand it. But the dear one hath done you no hurt, and +for the love of the God who made us, come and comfort us--from her who +loves you as a son, these_." + +Then Paul when he had read, pondered for awhile; and then he said to the +page, "Say that I will come." So he arrayed himself with haste, and went +swiftly through the silent wood, looking neither to left or to right, +but only to the path at his feet. And presently he came to the Isle of +Thorns; it lay in a sort of low silver mist, the house pushing through +it, as a rock out of the sea. And then a sudden chill came over Paul, +and the very marrow of his bones shuddered; for he knew in his heart +that this was nothing but the presaging of death; and he thought that +the dreadful angel stood waiting at the door, and that presently the +spirit of one that lay within must arise, leaving the poor body behind, +and go with the angel. + +In the high chamber where Helen lay burnt a light behind a curtain; and +Paul saw a form pass slowly to and fro. And he would fain have pitied +the two who must lose her whom they loved; but there passed over his +spirit a sort of bitter wind; and he could feel no pity for any soul but +his own, and his heart was dry as dust; he felt in his mind nothing but +a kind of dumb wonder as to why he had troubled himself to come. + +There must have been, he saw, a servant bidden to await his coming, +because, as his feet sounded on the flags, the door was opened to him; +and in a moment he was within the hall. At the well-known sights and +scents of the place, the scene of his greatest happiness, the old aching +came back into his stony heart, and grief, that was like a sharp sword, +thrust through him. Suddenly, as he stood, a door opened, and Margaret +came into the hall; she saw him in a moment; and he divined that she had +not known he was within, but had meant only to pass through; for she +stopped short as though irresolute, and looked at him with a wild and +imploring gaze, like a forest thing caught in a trap. + +In a moment there flowed into Paul's heart a great pity and tenderness, +and a strength so wonderful that he knew it was not his own, but the +immortal strength of God. And he stepped forward, forgetting all his +own pain and misery, and said, "Margaret, dear one, dear sister, what is +the shadow that hath fallen between us at this time? I would not," he +went on, "speak of ourselves at such an hour as this; but I see that +there is somewhat--we minstrels have a power to look in the heart of +those we love--and I think it is this--that you can love me, dear one, +as a brother, and not as a lover. Well, I am content, and so it shall +be. I love you too well, little one, to desire any love but what you can +give me--so brother and sister we will be." Then he saw a light come +into her face, and she murmured words of sorrow that he could not hear; +but he put his arm about her as a brother might, and kissed her cheek. +And then she put her hands upon his shoulder, and her face upon them, +and broke out into a passion of weeping. And Paul, saying "Even so," +kissed and comforted her, as one might comfort a child, till she looked +up, as if to inquire somewhat of him. And he said smiling, "So this is +my dear sister indeed--yes, I will be content with that--and now take me +to the dear Helen, that I may see if my art can comfort her." Then it +was very sweet to Paul's sore heart that she drew her arm within his own +and led him up from the room. Then there came in haste the Lady Beckwith +down to meet them, with a look of pain upon her face; and Paul said, +still smiling, "We are brother and sister henceforth." Then the Lady +Beckwith smiled too out of her grief and said, "Oh, it is well." + +Then they passed together through the oratory and entered the chamber of +death. And then Paul saw a heavenly sight. The room was a large one, dim +and dark. In a chair near the fire, all in white, sate a maiden like a +lily--so frail and delicate that she seemed like a pure spirit, not a +thing of earth. She sate with a hand upraised between her and the fire; +and when Paul came in, she looked at him with a smile in which appeared +nothing but a noble patience, as though she had waited long; but she +did not speak. Then they drew a chair for Paul, and he took his lute, +and sang soft and low, a song of one who sinks into sweet dreams, when +the sounds of day are hushed--and presently he made an end. Then she +made a sign that Paul should approach, and he went to her, and kneeled +beside her, and kissed her hand. And Margaret came out of the dark, and +put her hand on Paul's shoulder saying, "This is our brother." And Helen +smiled in Paul's face--and something, a kind of heavenly peace and love, +seemed to pass from her eyes and settle in Paul's heart; and it was told +him in that hour, he knew not how, that this was his bride whom he had +loved, and that he had loved Margaret for her sake; and that moment +seemed to Paul to be worth all his life that had gone before, and all +that should go after. So he knelt in the silence; and then in a moment, +he knew not where or whence, the whole air seemed full of a heavenly +music about them, such music as he had never dreamed of, the very soul +and essence of the music of earth. But Helen laid her head back, and, +smiling still, she died. And Paul laid her hand down. + +Then without a word he rose, and went from the chamber; and he stepped +out into the garden, and paced there wondering; he saw the trees stand +silent in their sleep, and the flowers like stars in their dewy beds. And +he knew that God was very near him; he put all his burdens and sorrows, +his art, and all himself within the mighty hands; and he knew that he +could never doubt again of the eternal goodness and the faithful tender +love of the Father. And all the while the dawn slowly brightened over the +wood, and came up very slowly and graciously out of the east. Then Paul +gave word that he must return to the castle, but would come back soon. +And as he mounted the steps, he saw that there was a man pacing on the +terrace above, and knew that it was the Knight Richard, whom he sought. +So he went up on the terrace, and there he saw the young Knight looking +out over the forest; Paul went softly up to him and laid his hand upon +his shoulder, and the Knight turned upon him a haggard and restless eye. +Then Paul said, "Sir Richard, I come from the Isle of Thorns--but I +have more to say to you. You are a noble Knight and have done very +worthily--and I yield to you with all my heart the dear Margaret, for we +are brother and sister, and nought else, now and henceforth." Then Sir +Richard, as though he hardly heard him aright, stood looking upon his +face; and Paul took his hand very gently in both his own, and said, "Yes, +it is even so--and we will be brothers too." Then he went within the +castle--and lying down in his chamber he slept peacefully like a little +child. + + + + +V + + +Many years have passed since that day. First Sir Richard wedded the Lady +Margaret, and dwelt at the Isle of Thorns. A boy was born to them, whom +they named Paul, and a daughter whom they called Helen. And Paul was +much with them, and had great content. He made, men said, sweeter music +than ever he had done, in those days. Then the Duke died; and Paul, +though his skill failed not, and though the King himself would have had +him to his Court, went back to the House of Heritage, and there dwelt +alone, a grave and kindly man, very simple of speech, and loving to walk +and sit alone. And Sir Richard and the Lady Margaret bought an estate +hard by and dwelt there. + +Now Paul would make no more music, save that he sometimes played a +little on the lute for the pleasure of the Lady Margaret; but he took +into his house a boy whom he taught the art; and when he was trained +and gone into the world, to make music of his own, Paul took another--so +that as the years went on, he had sent out a number of his disciples to +be minstrels; so his art was not lost; and one of these, who was a very +gracious child named Percival, he loved better than the rest, because he +saw in him that he had a love for the art more than for all the rewards +of art. And once when they sate together, the boy Percival said, "Dear +sir, may I ask you a question?" "A dozen, if it be your will," said +Paul, smiling; "but, dear child, I know not if I can answer it." Then +the boy said, "Why do you not make more music, dear sir? for it seems to +me like a well that holds its waters close and deep, and will not give +them forth." Then Paul said smiling, "Nay, I have given men music of the +best. But there are two reasons why I make no more; and I will tell you +them, if you can understand them. The first is that many years ago I +heard a music that shamed me; and that sealed the well." Then the boy +said musing, "Tell me the name of the musician, dear Sir Paul, for I +have heard that you were ever the first." Then Paul said, "Nay, I know +not the name of the maker of it." Then the boy said smiling, "Then, dear +sir, it must have been the music of the angels." And Paul said, "Ay, it +was that." Then the boy was silent, and sate in awe, while Paul mused, +touching his lute softly. Then he roused himself and said, "And the +second reason, dear child, is this. There comes a time to all that +_make_--whether it be books or music or pictures--when they can make no +new thing, but go on in the old manner, working with the fingers of age +the dreams of youth. And to me this seems as it were a profane and +unholy thing, that a man should use so divine an art thus unworthily; it +is as though a host should set stale wine before his guests, and put +into it some drug which should deceive their taste; and I think that +those who do this do it for two reasons: either they hanker for the +praise thereof, and cannot do without the honour--and that is +unworthy--or they do it because they have formed the habit of it, and +have nought to fill their vacant hours--and that is unworthy too. So +hearing the divine music of which I spoke but now, I knew that I could +attain no further; and that there was a sweet plenty of music in the +hand of God, and that he would give it as men needed it; but that my own +work was done. For each man must decide for himself when to make an end. +And further, dear child, mark this! The peril for us and for all that +follow art is to grow so much absorbed in our handiwork, so vain of it, +that we think there is nought else in the world. Into that error I fell, +and therein abode. But we are in this world like little children at +school. God has many fair things to teach us, but we grow to love our +play, and to think of nought else, so that the holy lessons fall on +unheeding ears; but now I have put aside my play, and sit awhile +listening to the voice of God, and to all that He may teach me; and the +lesson is hard to spell; but I wait upon Him humbly and quietly, till He +call me hence. And now we have talked enough, and we will go back to our +music; and you shall play me that passage over, for you played it not +deftly enough before." + +Now it happened that a few days later Paul in his sleep dreamed a dream; +and when he woke, he could scarce contain his joy; and the boy Percival, +seeing him in the morning, marvelled at the radiance that appeared in +his face; and a little later Paul bade him go across the fields to the +Lady Margaret's house, and to bid her come to him, if she would, for he +had something that he must tell her, and he might not go abroad. So +Percival told the Lady Margaret; and she wondered at the message, and +asked if Sir Paul was sick. And the boy said, "No, I never saw him so +full of joy--so that I am afraid." + +Then the Lady Margaret went to the House of Heritage; and Paul came to +greet her at the door, and brought her in, and sate for awhile in +silence, looking on her face. The Lady Margaret was now a very comely +and sedate lady, and had held her son's child in her arms; and Paul was +a grey-haired man; yet in his eyes she was still the maiden he had +known. Then Paul, speaking very softly, said, "Dear Margaret, I have +bidden you come hither, for I think I am called hence; and when I +depart, and I know not when it may be, I would close my eyes in the dear +house where I was nurtured." Then she looked at him with a sudden fear, +but he went on, "Dear one, I have dreamed very oft of late of Helen--she +stands smiling in a glory, and looks upon me. But this last night I saw +more. I know not if I slept or waked, but I heard a high and heavenly +music; and then I saw Helen stand, but she stood not alone; she held by +the hand a child, who smiled upon me; and the child was like herself; +but I presently discerned that the child had a look of myself as well; +and she loosed the child's hand from her own, and the child ran to me +and kissed me; and Helen seemed to beckon me; and then I passed into +sleep again. But now I see the truth. The love that I bear her hath +begotten, I think, a child of the spirit that hath never known a mortal +birth; and the twain wait for me." And Margaret, knowing not what to +say, but feeling that he had seen somewhat high and heavenly, sate in +silence; and presently Paul, breaking out of a muse, began to talk of +the sweet days of their youth, and of the tender mercies of God. But +while he spoke, he suddenly broke off, and held up his hand; and there +came a waft of music upon the air. And Paul smiled like a tired child, +and lay back in his chair; and as he did so a string of the lute that +lay beside him broke with a sweet sharp sound. And the Lady Margaret +fell upon her knees beside him, and took his hand; and then she seemed +to see a cloudy gate, and two that stood together--a fair woman and a +child; and up to the gate, out of a cloud, came swiftly a man, like one +that reaches his home at last; and the three went in at the gate +together, hand in hand;--and then the music came once again, and died +upon the air. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ISLES OF SUNSET*** + + +******* This file should be named 18882.txt or 18882.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/8/8/18882 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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