The Secret Rose-第4章

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f　my　hope。

and　then　he　told　the　lad　this　story；　but　with　always　more　frequent　pauses；　and；　while　he　told　it；　the　rose　shone　a　deep　blood？colour　in　the　firelight；　and　the　lad　stuck　the　cocks　feathers　in　the　earth　in　front　of　him；　and　moved　them　about　as　though　he　made　them　actors　in　the　play。

i　live　in　a　land　far　from　this；　and　was　one　of　the　knights　of　st。　john；　said　the　old　man；　but　i　was　one　of　those　in　the　order　who　always　longed　for　more　arduous　labours　in　the　service　of　the　most　high。　at　last　there　came　to　us　a　knight　of　palestine；　to　whom　the　truth　of　truths　had　been　revealed　by　god　himself。　he　had　seen　a　great　rose　of　fire；　and　a　voice　out　of　the　rose　had　told　him　how　men　would　turn　from　the　light　of　their　own　hearts；　and　bow　down　before　outer　order　and　outer　fixity；　and　that　then　the　light　would　cease；　and　none　escape　the　curse　except　the　foolish　good　man　who　could　not；　and　the　passionate　wicked　man　who　would　not；　think。

already；　the　voice　told　him；　the　wayward　light　of　the　heart　was　shining　out　upon　the　world　to　keep　it　alive；　　with　a　less　clear　lustre；　and　that；　as　it　paled；　a　strange　infection　was　touching　the　stars　and　the　hills　and　the　grass　and　the　trees　with　corruption；　and　that　none　of　those　who　had　seen　clearly　the　truth　and　the　ancient　way　could　enter　into　the　kingdom　of　god；　which　is　in　the　heart　of　the　rose；　if　they　stayed　on　willingly　in　the　corrupted　world；　and　so　they　must　prove　their　anger　against　the　powers　of　corruption　by　dying　in　the　service　of　the　rose　of　god。　while　the　knight　of　palestine　was　telling　us　these　things　we　seemed　to　see　in　a　vision　a　crimson　rose　spreading　itself　about　him；　so　that　he　seemed　to　speak　out　of　its　heart；　and　the　air　was　filled　with　fragrance。　by　this　we　knew　that　it　was　the　very　voice　of　god　which　spoke　to　us　by　the　knight；　and　we　gathered　about　him　and　bade　him　direct　us　in　all　things；　and　teach　us　how　to　obey　the　voice。　so　he　bound　us　with　an　oath；　and　gave　us　signs　and　words　whereby　we　might　know　each　other　even　after　many　years；　and　he　appointed　places　of　meeting；　and　he　sent　us　out　in　troops　into　the　world　to　seek　good　causes；　and　die　in　doing　battle　for　them。　at　first　we　thought　to　die　more　readily　by　fasting　to　death　in　honour　of　some　saint；　but　this　he　told　us　was　evil；　for　we　did　it　for　the　sake　of　death；　and　thus　took　out　of　the　hands　of　god　the　choice　of　the　time　and　manner　of　our　death；　and　by　so　doing　made　his　power　the　less。　we　must　choose　our　service　for　its　excellence；　and　for　this　alone；　and　leave　it　to　god　to　reward　us　at　his　own　time　and　in　his　own　manner。　and　after　this　he　pelled　us　to　eat　always　two　at　a　table　to　watch　each　other　lest　we　fasted　unduly；　for　some　among　us　said　that　if　one　fasted　for　a　love　of　the　holiness　of　saints　and　then　died；　the　death　would　be　acceptable。　and　the　years　passed；　and　one　by　one　my　fellows　died　in　the　holy　land；　or　in　warring　upon　the　evil　princes　of　the　earth；　or　in　clearing　the　roads　of　robbers；　and　among　them　died　the　knight　of　palestine；　and　at　last　i　was　alone。　i　fought　in　every　cause　where　the　few　contended　against　the　many；　and　my　hair　grew　white；　and　a　terrible　fear　lest　i　had　fallen　under　the　displeasure　of　god　came　upon　me。　but；　hearing　at　last　how　this　western　isle　was　fuller　of　wars　and　rapine　than　any　other　land；　i　came　hither；　and　i　have　found　the　thing　i　sought；　and；　behold！　i　am　filled　with　a　great　joy。

thereat　he　began　to　sing　in　latin；　and；　while　he　sang；　his　voice　grew　fainter　and　fainter。　then　his　eyes　closed；　and　his　lips　fell　apart；　and　the　lad　knew　he　was　dead。　he　has　told　me　a　good　tale；　he　said；　for　there　was　fighting　in　it；　but　i　did　not　understand　much　of　it；　and　it　is　hard　to　remember　so　long　a　story。

and；　taking　the　knights　sword；　he　began　to　dig　a　grave　in　the　soft　clay。　he　dug　hard；　and　a　faint　light　of　dawn　had　touched　his　hair　and　he　had　almost　done　his　work　when　a　cock　crowed　in　the　valley　below。　ah；　he　said；　i　must　have　that　bird；　and　he　ran　down　the　narrow　path　to　the　valley。

。。



THE　WISDOM　OF　THE　KING

。
the　high？queen　of　the　island　of　woods　had　died　in　childbirth；　and　her　child　was　put　to　nurse　with　a　woman　who　lived　in　a　hut　of　mud　and　wicker；　within　the　border　of　the　wood。　one　night　the　woman　sat　rocking　the　cradle；　and　pondering　over　the　beauty　of　the　child；　and　praying　that　the　gods　might　grant　him　wisdom　equal　to　his　beauty。　there　came　a　knock　at　the　door；　and　she　got　up；　not　a　little　wondering；　for　the　nearest　neighbours　were　in　the　dun　of　the　high？　king　a　mile　away；　and　the　night　was　now　late。　who　is　knocking？　she　cried；　and　a　thin　voice　answered；　open！　for　i　am　a　crone　of　the　grey　hawk；　and　i　e　from　the　darkness　of　the　great　wood。　in　terror　she　drew　back　the　bolt；　and　a　grey？clad　woman；　of　a　great　age；　and　of　a　height　more　than　human；　came　in　and　stood　by　the　head　of　the　cradle。　the　nurse　shrank　back　against　the　wall；　unable　to　take　her　eyes　from　the　woman；　for　she　saw　by　the　gleaming　of　the　firelight　that　the　feathers　of　the　grey　hawk　were　upon　her　head　instead　of　hair。　but　the　child　slept；　and　the　fire　danced；　for　the　one　was　too　ignorant　and　the　other　too　full　of　gaiety　to　know　what　a　dreadful　being　stood　there。　open！　cried　another　voice；　for　i　am　a　crone　of　the　grey　hawk；　and　i　watch　over　his　nest　in　the　darkness　of　the　great　wood。　the　nurse　opened　the　door　again；　though　her　fingers　could　scarce　hold　the　bolts　for　trembling；　and　another　grey　woman；　not　less　old　than　the　other；　and　with　like　feathers　instead　of　hair；　came　in　and　stood　by　the　first。　in　a　little；　came　a　third　grey　woman；　and　after　her　a　fourth；　and　then　another　and　another　and　another；　until　the　hut　was　full　of　their　immense　bodies。　they　stood　a　long　time　in　perfect　silence　and　stillness；　for　they　were　of　those　whom　the　dropping　of　the　sand　has　never　troubled；　but　at　last　one　muttered　in　a　low　thin　voice：　sisters；　i　knew　him　far　away　by　the　redness　of　his　heart　under　his　silver　skin；　and　then　another　spoke：　sisters；　i　knew　him　because　his　heart　fluttered　like　a　bird　under　a　net　of　silver　cords　；　and　then　another　took　up　the　word：　sisters；　i　knew　　him　because　his　heart　sang　like　a　bird　that　is　happy　in　a　silver　cage。　and　after　that　they　sang　together；　those　who　were　nearest　rocking　the　cradle　with　long　wrinkled　fingers；　and　their　voices　were　now　tender　and　caressing；　now　like　the　wind　blowing　in　the　great　wood；　and　this　was　their　song：　out　of　sight　is　out　of　mind：　long　have　man　and　woman？kind；　heavy　of　will　and　light　of　mood；　taken　away　our　wheaten　food；　taken　away　our　altar　stone；　hail　and　rain　and　thunder　alone；　and　red　hearts　we　turn　to　grey；　are　true　till　time　gutter　away。

when　the　song　had　died　out；　the　crone　who　had　first　spoken；　said：　we　have　nothing　more　to　do　but　to　mix　a　drop　of　our　blood　into　his　blood。　and　she　scratched　her　arm　with　the　sharp　point　of　a　spindle；　which　she　had　made　the　nurse　bring　to　her；　and　let　a　drop　of　blood；　grey　as　the　mist；　fall　upon　the　lips　of　the　child；　and　passed　out　into　the　darkness。　then　the　others　passed　out　in　silence　one　by　one；　and　all　the　while　the　child　had　not　opened　his　pink　eyelids　or　the　fire　ceased　to　dance；　for　the　one　was　too　ignorant　and　the　other　too　full　of　gaiety　to　know　what　great　beings　had　bent　over　the　cradle。

when　the　crones　were　gone；　the　nurse　came　to　her　courage　again；　and　hurried　to　the　dun　of　the　high？king；　and　cried　out　in　the　midst　of　the　assembly　hall　that　the　sidhe；　whether　for　good　or　evil　she　knew　not；　had　bent　over　the　child　that　night；　and　the　king　and　his　poets　and　men　of　law；　and　his　huntsmen；　and　his　cooks；　and　his　chief　warriors　went　with　her　to　the　hut　and　gathered　about　the　cradle；　and　were　as　noisy　as　magpies；　and　the　child　sat　up　and　looked　at　them。

two　years　passed　over；　and　the　king　died　fighting　against　the　fer　bolg；　and　the　poets　and　the　men　of　law　ruled　in　the　name　of　the　child；　but　looked　to　see　him　bee　the　master　himself　before　long；　for　no　one　had　seen　so　wise　a　child；　and　tales　of　his　endless　questions　about　the　household　of　the　gods　and　the　making　of　the　world　went　hither　and　thither　among　the　wicker　houses　of　the　poor。　everything　had　been　well　but　for　a　miracle　that　began　to　trouble　all　men；　and　all　women；　who；　indeed；　talked　of　it　without　ceasing。　the　feathers　of　the　grey　hawk　had　begun　to　grow　in　the　childs　hair；　and　though；　his　nurse　cut　them　continually；　in　but　a　little　while　they　would　be　more　numerous　than　ever。　this　had　not　been　a　matter　of　great　moment；　for　miracles　were　a　little　thing　in　those　days；　but　for　an　ancient　law　of　eri　that　none　who　had　any　blemish　of　body　could　sit　upon　the　throne；　and　as　a　grey　hawk　was　a　wild　thing　of　the　air　which　had　never　sat　at　the　board；　or　listened　to　the　songs　of　the　poets　in　the　light　of　the　fire；　it　was　not　possible　to　think　of　one　in　whose　hair　its　feathers　grew　as　other　than　marred　and　blasted；　nor　could　the　people　separate　from　their　admiration　of　the　wisdom　that　grew　in　him　a　horror　as　at　one　of　unhuman　blood。　yet　all　were　resolved　that　he　should　reign；　for　they　had　suffered　much　from　foolish　kings　and　their　own　disorders；　and　moreover　they　desired　to　watch　out　the　spectacle　of　his　days；　and　no　one　had　any　other　fear　but　that　his　great　wisdom　might　bid　him　obey　the　law；　and　call　some　other；　who　had　but　a　mon　mind；　to　reign　in　his　stead。