"William Morris - The Wood Beyond the World" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morris William)

wearied of her, though it is but plain truth to say of her, that she is the wonder of all Beauties of
the World. He hath wearied of her, I say, and hath cast his eyes upon me, and if I were heedless,
he would betray me to the uttermost of the wrath of my mistress. For needs must I say of him,
though he be a goodly man, and now fallen into thralldom, that he hath no bowels of
compassion; but is a dastard, who for an hour’s pleasure would undo me, and thereafter would
stand by smiling and taking my mistress’s pardon with good cheer, while for me would be no
pardon. Seest thou, therefore, how it is with me between these two cruel fools? And moreover
there are others of whom I will not even speak to thee.”


And therewith she put her hands before her face, and wept, and murmured: “Who shall deliver
me from this death in life?”



36
But Walter cried out: “For what else am I come hither, I, I?”


And it was a near thing that he did not take her in his arms, but he remembered his pledged word,
and drew aback from her in terror, whereas he had an inkling of why she would not suffer it; and
he wept with her.


But suddenly the Maid left weeping, and said in a changed voice: “Friend, whereas thou speakest
of delivering me, it is more like that I shall deliver thee. And now I pray thy pardon for thus
grieving thee with my grief, and that more especially because thou mayst not solace thy grief
with kisses and caresses; but so it was, that for once I was smitten by the thought of the anguish
of this land, and the joy of all the world besides.”


Therewith she caught her breath in a half-sob, but refrained her and went on: “Now dear friend
and darling, take good heed to all that I shall say to thee, whereas thou must do after the teaching
of my words. And first, I deem by the monster having met thee at the gates of the land, and
refreshed thee, that the Mistress hath looked for thy coming; nay, by thy coming hither at all, that
she hath cast her net and caught thee. Hast thou noted aught that might seem to make this more
like?”


Said Walter: “Three times in full daylight have I seen go past me the images of the monster and
thee and a glorious lady, even as if ye were alive.”


And therewith he told her in few words how it had gone with him since that day on the quay at
Langton.


She said: “Then it is no longer perhaps, but certain, that thou art her latest catch; and even so I
deemed from the first: and, dear friend, this is why I have not suffered thee to kiss or caress me,
so sore as I longed for thee. For the Mistress will have thee for her only, and hath lured thee