The Secret Rose-第9章

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els　cannot　touch　you　as　they　pass　over　your　heads；　where　the　hair　of　demons　cannot　sweep　about　you　as　they　pass　under　your　feet；　i　lay　upon　you　a　curse；　and　change　you　to　an　example　for　ever　and　ever；　you　shall　bee　grey　herons　and　stand　pondering　in　grey　pools　and　flit　over　the　world　in　that　hour　when　it　is　most　full　of　sighs；　having　forgotten　the　flame　of　the　stars　and　not　yet　found　the　flame　of　the　sun；　and　you　shall　preach　to　the　other　herons　until　they　also　are　like　you；　and　are　an　example　for　ever　and　ever；　and　your　deaths　shall　e　to　you　by　chance　and　unforeseen；　that　no　fire　of　certainty　may　visit　your　hearts。〃

the　voice　of　the　old　man　of　learning　became　still；　but　the　voteen　bent　over　his　gun　with　his　eyes　upon　the　ground；　trying　in　vain　to　understand　something　of　this　tale；　and　he　had　so　bent；　it　may　be　for　a　long　time；　had　not　a　tug　at　his　rosary　made　him　start　out　of　his　dream。　the　old　man　of　learning　had　crawled　along　the　grass；　and　was　now　trying　to　draw　the　cross　down　low　enough　for　his　lips　to　reach　it。

you　must　not　touch　my　blessed　beads；　cried　the　voteen；　and　struck　the　long　withered　fingers　with　the　barrel　of　his　gun。　he　need　not　have　trembled；　for　the　old　man　fell　back　upon　the　grass　with　a　sigh　and　was　still。　he　bent　down　and　began　to　consider　the　black　and　green　clothes；　for　his　fear　had　begun　to　pass　away　when　he　came　to　understand　that　he　had　something　the　man　of　learning　wanted　and　pleaded　for；　and　now　that　the　blessed　beads　were　safe；　his　fear　had　nearly　all　gone；　and　surely；　he　thought；　if　that　big　cloak；　and　that　little　tight？fitting　cloak　under　it；　were　warm　and　without　holes；　saint　patrick　would　take　the　enchantment　out　of　them　and　leave　them　fit　for　human　use。　but　the　black　and　green　clothes　fell　away　wherever　his　fingers　touched　them；　and　while　this　was　a　new　wonder；　a　slight　wind　blew　over　the　pool　and　crumbled　the　old　man　of　learning　and　all　his　ancient　gear　into　a　little　heap　of　dust；　and　then　made　the　little　heap　less　and　less　until　there　was　nothing　but　the　smooth　green　grass。

．．



WHERE　THERE　IS　NOTHING；　THERE　IS　GOD

；小；说；〃；网
the　little　wicker　houses　at　tullagh；　where　the　brothers　were　accustomed　to　pray；　or　bend　over　many　handicrafts；　when　twilight　had　driven　them　from　the　fields；　were　empty；　for　the　hardness　of　the　winter　had　brought　the　brotherhood　together　in　the　little　wooden　house　under　the　shadow　of　the　wooden　chapel；　and　abbot　malathgeneus；　brother　dove；　brother　bald　fox；　brother　peter；　brother　patrick；　brother　bittern；　brother　fair？brows；　and　many　too　young　to　have　won　names　in　the　great　battle；　sat　about　the　fire　with　ruddy　faces；　one　mending　lines　to　lay　in　the　river　for　eels；　one　fashioning　a　snare　for　birds；　one　mending　the　broken　handle　of　a　spade；　one　writing　in　a　large　book；　and　one　shaping　a　jewelled　box　to　hold　the　book；　and　among　the　rushes　at　their　feet　lay　the　scholars；　who　would　one　day　be　brothers；　and　whose　school？house　it　was；　and　for　the　succour　of　whose　tender　years　the　great　fire　was　supposed　to　leap　and　flicker。　one　of　these；　a　child　of　eight　or　nine　years；　called　olioll；　lay　upon　his　back　looking　up　through　the　hole　in　the　roof；　through　which　the　smoke　went；　and　watching　the　stars　appearing　and　disappearing　in　the　smoke　with　mild　eyes；　like　the　eyes　of　a　beast　of　the　field。　he　turned　presently　to　the　brother　who　wrote　in　the　big　book；　and　whose　duty　was　to　teach　the　children；　and　said；　brother　dove；　to　what　are　the　stars　fastened？　the　brother；　rejoicing　to　see　so　much　curiosity　in　the　stupidest　of　his　scholars；　laid　down　the　pen　and　said；　there　are　nine　crystalline　spheres；　and　on　the　first　the　moon　is　fastened；　on　the　second　the　planet　mercury；　on　the　third　the　planet　venus；　on　the　fourth　the　sun；　on　the　fifth　the　planet　mars；　on　the　sixth　the　planet　jupiter；　on　the　seventh　the　planet　saturn；　these　are　the　wandering　stars；　and　on　the　eighth　are　fastened　the　fixed　stars；　but　the　ninth　sphere　is　a　sphere　of　the　substance　on　which　the　breath　of　god　moved　in　the　beginning。

what　is　beyond　that？　said　the　child。　there　is　nothing　beyond　that；　there　is　god。

and　then　the　childs　eyes　strayed　to　the　jewelled　box；　where　one　great　ruby　was　gleaming　in　the　light　of　the　fire；　and　he　said；　why　has　brother　peter　put　a　great　ruby　on　the　side　of　the　box？

the　ruby　is　a　symbol　of　the　love　of　god。

why　is　the　ruby　a　symbol　of　the　love　of　god？

because　it　is　red；　like　fire；　and　fire　burns　up　everything；　and　where　there　is　nothing；　there　is　god。

the　child　sank　into　silence；　but　presently　sat　up　and　said；　there　is　somebody　outside。

no；　replied　the　brother。　it　is　only　the　wolves；　i　have　heard　them　moving　about　in　the　snow　for　some　time。

they　are　growing　very　wild；　now　that　the　winter　drives　them　from　the　mountains。　they　broke　into　a　fold　last　night　and　carried　off　many　sheep；　and　if　we　are　not　careful　they　will　devour　everything。

no；　it　is　the　footstep　of　a　man；　for　it　is　heavy；　but　i　can　hear　the　footsteps　of　the　wolves　also。

he　had　no　sooner　done　speaking　than　somebody　rapped　three　times；　but　with　no　great　loudness。

i　will　go　and　open；　for　he　must　be　very　cold。

do　not　open；　for　it　may　be　a　man？wolf；　and　he　may　devour　us　all。

but　the　boy　had　already　drawn　back　the　heavy　wooden　bolt；　and　all　the　faces；　most　of　them　a　little　pale；　turned　towards　the　slowly？opening　door。

he　has　beads　and　a　cross；　he　cannot　be　a　man？wolf；　said　the　child；　as　a　man　with　the　snow　heavy　on　his　long；　ragged　beard；　and　on　the　matted　hair；　that　fell　over　his　shoulders　and　nearly　to　his　waist；　and　dropping　from　the　tattered　cloak　that　but　half？covered　his　withered　brown　body；　came　in　and　looked　from　face　to　face　with　mild；　ecstatic　eyes。　standing　some　way　from　the　fire；　and　with　eyes　that　had　rested　at　last　upon　the　abbot　malathgeneus；　he　cried　out；　o　blessed　abbot；　let　me　e　to　the　fire　and　warm　myself　and　dry　the　snow　from　my　beard　and　my　hair　and　my　cloak；　that　i　may　not　die　of　the　cold　of　the　mountains；　and　anger　the　lord　with　a　wilful　martyrdom。

e　to　the　fire；　said　the　abbot；　and　warm　yourself；　and　eat　the　food　the　boy　olioll　will　bring　you。　it　is　sad　indeed　that　any　for　whom　christ　has　died　should　be　as　poor　as　you。

the　man　sat　over　the　fire；　and　olioll　took　away　his　now　dripping　cloak　and　laid　meat　and　bread　and　wine　before　him；　but　he　would　eat　only　of　the　bread；　and　he　put　away　the　wine；　asking　for　water。　when　his　beard　and　hair　had　begun　to　dry　a　little　and　his　limbs　had　ceased　to　shiver　with　the　cold；　he　spoke　again。

o　blessed　abbot；　have　pity　on　the　poor；　have　pity　on　a　beggar　who　has　trodden　the　bare　world　this　many　a　year；　and　give　me　some　labour　to　do；　the　hardest　there　is；　for　i　am　the　poorest　of　gods　poor。

then　the　brothers　discussed　together　what　work　they　could　put　him　to；　and　at　first　to　little　purpose；　for　there　was　no　labour　that　had　not　found　its　labourer　in　that　busy　munity；　but　at　last　one　remembered　that　brother　bald　fox；　whose　business　it　was　to　turn　the　great　quern　in　the　quern？house；　for　he　was　too　stupid　for　anything　else；　was　getting　old　for　so　heavy　a　labour；　and　so　the　beggar　was　put　to　the　quern　from　the　morrow。

the　cold　passed　away；　and　the　spring　grew　to　summer；　and　the　quern　was　never　idle；　nor　was　it　turned　with　grudging　labour；　for　when　any　passed　the　beggar　was　heard　singing　as　he　drove　the　handle　round。　the　last　gloom；　too；　had　passed　from　that　happy　munity；　for　olioll；　who　had　always　been　stupid　and　unteachable；　grew　clever；　and　this　was　the　more　miraculous　because　it　had　e　of　a　sudden。　one　day　he　had　been　even　duller　than　usual；　and　was　beaten　and　told　to　know　his　lesson　better　on　the　morrow　or　be　sent　into　a　lower　class　among　little　boys　who　would　make　a　joke　of　him。　he　had　gone　out　in　tears；　and　when　he　came　the　next　　day；　although　his　stupidity；　born　of　a　mind　that　would　listen　to　every　wandering　sound　and　brood　upon　every　wandering　light；　had　so　long　been　the　byword　of　the　school；　he　knew　his　lesson　so　well　that　he　passed　to　the　head　of　the　class；　and　from　that　day　was　the　best　of　scholars。　at　first　brother　dove　thought　this　was　an　answer　to　his　own　prayers　to　the　virgin；　and　took　it　for　a　great　proof　of　the　love　she　bore　him；　but　when　many　far　more　fervid　prayers　had　failed　to　add　a　single　wheatsheaf　to　the　harvest；　he　began　to　think　that　the　child　was　trafficking　with　bards；　or　druids；　or　witches；　and　resolved　to　follow　and　watch。　he　had　told　his　thought　to　the　abbot；　who　bid　him　e　to　him　the　moment　he　hit　the　truth；　and　the　next　day；　which　was　a　sunday；　he　stood　in　the　path　when　the　abbot　and　the　brothers　were　ing　from　vespers；　with　their　white　habits　upon　them；　and　took　the　abbot　by　the　habit　and　said；　the　beggar　is　of　the　greatest　of　saints　and　of　the　workers　of　miracle。　i　followed　olioll　but　now；　and　by　his　slow　steps　and　his　bent　head　i　saw　that　the　weariness　of　his　stupidity　was　over　him；　and　when　he　came　to　the　little　wood　by　the　quern？house　i　knew　by　the　path　broken　in　the　under？wood　and　by　the　footmarks　in　the　muddy　places　that　he　had　gone　that　way　many　times。　i　hid　behind　a　bush　where　the　path　doubled　upon　itself　at　a　sloping　place；　and　understood　by　the　tears　in　his　eyes　that　his　stupidity　was　too　old　and　his　wisdom　too　new　to　save　him　from　terror　of　the　rod。　when　he　was　in　the　quern？house　i