the deliverance-第59部分

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Christopher　shook　his　head；　smiling　indifferently。　〃Not　enough　to　want　blood　sacrifices；〃　he　responded；　and　fell　into　a　detached　and　thoughtful　silence。　The　vision　of　Lila　in　her　radiant　happiness　remained　with　him　like　a　picture　that　one　has　beheld　by　some　rare　chance　in　a　vivid　and　lovely　light；　and　it　was　still　before　him　when　he　left　the　house　presently　and　strolled　slowly　down　to　meet　Maria　by　the　poplar　spring。

The　bloom　of　the　meadows　filled　his　nostrils　with　a　delicate　fragrance；　and　from　the　bough　of　an　old　apple…tree　in　the　orchard　he　heard　the　low　afternoon　murmurs　of　a　solitary　thrush。　May　was　on　the　earth；　and　it　had　entered　into　him　as　into　the　piping　birds　and　the　spreading　trees。　It　was　at　last　good　to　be　alive　to　breathe　the　warm；　sweet　air；　and　to　watch　the　sunshine　slanting　on　the　low；　green　hill。　So　closely　akin　were　his　moods　to　those　of　the　changing　seasons　that；　at　the　instant；　he　seemed　to　feel　the　current　of　his　being　flow　from　the　earth　beneath　his　feetas　if　his　physical　nature　drew　strength　and　nourishment　from　that　genial　and　abundant　source。

When　he　reached　the　spring　he　saw　Maria　appear　on　the　brow　of　the　hill；　and　with　a　quick；　joyous　bound　his　heart　leaped　up　to　meet　her。　As　she　came　toward　him　her　white　dress　swept　the　tall　grass　from　her　feet；　and　her　shadow　flew　like　a　winged　creature　straight　before　her。　There　was　a　vivid　softness　in　her　facea　look　at　once　bright　and　wistfulwhich　moved　him　with　a　new　and　strange　tenderness。

〃I　was　a　little　late；〃　she　explained；　as　they　met　before　the　long　bench　and　she　laid　her　books　upon　it；　〃and　I　am　very　warm。　May　I　have　a　drink？〃

〃From　a　bramble　cup？〃

〃How　else？〃　She　took　off　her　hat　and　tossed　it　on　the　grass　at　her　feet；　then；　going　to　the　spring；　she　waited　while　he　plucked　a　leaf　from　the　bramble　and　bent　it　into　shape。　When　he　filled　it　and　held　it　out；　she　placed　her　lips　to　the　edge　of　the　leaf　and　looked　up　at　him　with　smiling　eyes　while　she　drank　slowly　from　his　hand。

〃It　holds　only　a　drop；　but　how　delicious！〃　she　said；　seating　herself　again　upon　the　bench　and　leaning　back　against　the　great　body　of　a　poplar。　Then　her　eyes　fell　upon　his　clothes。　〃Why；　how　very　much　dressed　you　look！〃　she　added。

〃Oh；　there's　a　reason　besides　SundayI've　just　come　from　a　wedding。　Lila　has　married　after　twelve　years　of　waiting。〃

〃Your　pretty　sister！　And　to　whom？〃

〃To　Jim　Weatherbyold　Jacob's　son；　you　know。　Now；　don't　tell　me　that　you　disapprove。　I　count　on　your　good　sense　to　see　the　wisdom　of　it。〃

〃So　it　is　your　pretty　sister；〃　she　said　slowly；　〃the　woman　I　passed　in　the　road　the　other　day　and　held　my　breath　as　I　did　before　Botticelli's　Venus。〃

〃Is　that　so？　Well；　she　doesn't　know　much　about　pictures；　nor　does　Jim。　She　has　thrown　herself　away；　Cynthia　says；　but　what　could　she　have　waited　for；　after　all？　Nothing　had　ever　come　to　her；　and　she　had　lived　thirty　years。　Besides；　she　will　be　very　happy；　and　that's　a　good　deal；　isn't　it？〃

〃It's　everything；〃　said　Maria　quietly；　looking　down　into　her　lap。

〃Everything？　And　if　you　had　been　born　in　her　place？〃

〃I　am　not　in　her　place　and　never　could　be；　but　six　years　ago；　if　I　had　been　told　that　I　must　live　here　all　my　life；　I　think　I　should　have　fretted　myself　to　death；　that　would　have　happened　six　years　ago；　for　I　was　born　with　a　great　aching　for　life；　and　I　thought　then　that　one　could　live　only　in　the　big　outside　world。〃

〃And　now？〃　he　questioned；　for　she　paused　and　sat　smiling　gravely　at　the　book　she　held。

〃Now　I　know　that　the　fulness　of　life　does　not　come　from　the　things　outside　of　us；　and　that　we　ourselves　must　create　the　beauty　in　which　we　live。　Oh；　I　have　learned　so　much　from　misery；〃　she　went　on　softly；　〃and　worst　of　all；　I　have　learned　what　it　is　to　starve　for　bread　in　the　midst　of　sugar…plums。〃

〃And　it　was　worth　learning？〃

〃The　knowledge　that　I　gained？　Oh；　yes；　yes；　for　it　taught　me　how　to　be　happy。　I　went　down　into　hell；〃　she　said　passionately；　〃and　I　came　outclean。　I　saw　evil　such　as　I　had　never　heard　of；　I　went　close　to　it；　I　even　touched　it；　but　I　always　kept　my　soul　very　far　away；　and　I　was　like　a　person　in　a　dream。　The　more　I　saw　of　sin　and　ugliness　the　more　I　dreamed　of　peace　and　beauty。　I　builded　me　my　own　refuge；　I　fed　on　my　own　strength　day　and　night　and　I　am　what　I　am〃

〃The　loveliest　woman　on　God's　earth；〃　he　said。

〃You　do　not　know　me；　〃she　answered；　and　opened　the　book　before　her。　〃It　was　the　story　of　the　Holy　Grail；〃　she　added；　〃and　we　left　off　here。　Oh；　those　brave　days　of　King　Arthur！　It　was　always　May　then。〃

He　touched　the　page　lightly　with　a　long　blade　of　grass。

〃Read　yourselfthis　once；〃　he　pleaded；　〃and　let　me　listen。〃

Leaning　a　little　forward；　she　looked　down　and　slowly　turned　the　pages；　her　head　bent　over　the　book；　her　long　lashes　shading　the　faint　flush　in　her　cheeks。　Over　her　white　dress　fell　a　delicate　lacework　from　the　young　poplar　leaves；　flecked　here　and　there　with　pale　drops　of　sunshine；　which　filtered　through　the　thickly　clustered　boughs。　When　the　wind　passed　in　the　high　tree…tops；　the　shadows；　soft　and　fine　as　cobweb；　rippled　over　her　dress；　and　a　loose　strand　of　her　dark　hair　waved　gently　about　her　ear。　The　lifethe　throbbing　vitality　withinher　seemed　to　vivify　the　very　air　she　breathed；　and　he　felt　all　at　once　that　the　glad　thrill　which　stirred　his　blood　was　but　a　response　to　the　fervent　spirit　which　spoke　in　her　voice。

〃For　it　giveth　unto　all　lovers　courage；　that　lusty　month　of　May；〃　she　read；　〃in　something　to　constrain　him　to　some　manner　of　thing　more　in　that　month　than　in　any　other　monthfor　then　all　herbs　and　trees　renew　a　man　and　woman；　and　in　likewise　lovers　call　again　to　mind　old　gentleness　and　old　service　and　many　kind　deeds　that　were　forgotten　by　negligence。〃

The　words　went　like　wine　to　his　head；　and　he　saw　her　shadowy　figure　recede　and　dissolve　suddenly　as　in　a　mist。　A　lump　rose　in　his　throat；　his　heart　leaped；　and　he　felt　his　pulses　beating　madly　in　his　temples。　He　drew　back；　closing　his　eves　to　shut　out　her　face；　but　the　next　instant；　as　she　stirred　slightly　to　hold　down　the　rippling　leaves；　he　bent　forward　and　laid　his　hand　upon　the　one　that　held　the　open　book。

Her　voice　fluttered　into　silence；　and；　raising　her　head；　she　looked　up　in　tremulous　surprise。　He　saw　her　face　pale　slowly；　her　lids　quiver　and　droop　above　her　shining　eyes；　and　her　teeth　gleam　milk　white　between　her　parted　lips。　A　tremor　of　alarm　ran　through　her；　and　she　made　a　swift　movement　to　escape；　then；　lifting　her　eyes　again；　she　looked　full　into　his　own；　and；　stooping　quickly；　he　kissed　her　on　the　mouth。

An　instant　afterward　the　book　fell　to　the　ground；　and　he　rose　to　his　feet　and　stood　trembling　against　the　body　of　the　poplar。

〃Forgive　me；〃　he　said；　〃forgive　meI　have　ruined　it。〃

Standing　beside　the　bench；　she　watched　him　with　a　still；　grave　gentleness　before　which　his　gaze　dropped　slowly　to　the　ground。

〃Yes；　you　have　ruined　this；〃　she　answered；　smiling；　〃but　Latin　is　still　left。〃

〃It's　no　use；〃　he　went　on　breathlessly。　〃I　can't　do　it；　it's　no　use。〃

His　eyes　sought　hers　and　held　them　while　he　made　a　single　step　forward；　then；　turning　quickly　away；　he　went　from　her　across　the　meadow　to　the　distant　wood。



BOOK　FIVE。　The　Ancient　Law


CHAPTER　I。　Christopher　Seeks　an　Escape

A　clump　of　brambles　caught　at　his　feet；　and；　stumbling　like　a　drunken　man；　he　threw　himself　at　full　length　upon　the　ground；　pressing　his　forehead　on　the　young；　green　thorns。　A　century　seemed　to　have　passed　since　his　flight　from　the　poplar　spring；　and　yet　the　soft　afternoon　sunshine　was　still　about　him　and　the　low　murmurs　of　the　thrush　still　floated　from　the　old　apple…tree。　All　the　violence　of　his　undisciplined　nature　had　rushed　into　revolt　against　the　surrender　which　he　felt　must　come；　and　he　was　conscious　at　the　instant　that　he　hated　only　a　little　less　supremely　than　he　loved。　In　the　end　the　greater　passion　would　triumph　over　him；　he　knew；　but　as　he　lay　there　face　downward　upon　the　earth　the　last　evil　instincts　of　his　revenge　battled　against　the　remorse　which　had　driven　him　from　Maria's　presence。　He　saw　himself　clearly　for　what　he　was：　he　had　learned　at　last　to　call　his　sin　by　its　right　name；　and　yet　he　felt　that　somewhere　in　the　depths　of　his　being　he　had　not　ceased　to　love　the　evil　that　he　had　done。　He　hated　Fletcher；　he　told　himself；　as　righteously　as　ever；　but　between　himself　and　the　face　of　his　enemy　a　veil　had　fallenthe　old　wrong　no　longer　stood　out　in　a　blaze　of　light。　A　woman's　smile　divided　him　like　a　drawn　sword　from　his　brutal　past；　and　he　had　lost　the　reckless　courage　with　which　he　once　might　have　flung　himself　upon　destruction。

Rising　presently；　he　crossed　the　meadow　and　went　slowly　back　to　his　work　in　the　stables；　keeping　his　thoughts　with　an　effort　upon　his　accustomed　tasks。　A　great　weariness　for　the　endless　daily　round　of　shall　things　was　upon　him；　and　he　felt　all　at　once　that　the　emotion　struggling　within　his　heart　must　burst　forth　at　last　and　pervade　the　visible　world。　He　was　conscious　of　an　impulse　to　sing；　to　laugh；　to　talk　in　broken　sentences　to　himself；　and　any　utterance；　however　slight　and　meaningless；　seemed　to　relieve　in　a　measure　the　nervous　tension　of　his　thoughts。

In　one　instant　there　entered　into　him　a　desperate　determination　to　play　the　traitorto　desert　his　post　and　strike　out　boldly　and　alone　into　the　world。　And　with　the　next　breath　he　saw　himself　living　to　old　age　as　he　had　lived　from　boyhoodwithin　reach　of　Maria's　hand；　meeting　her　fervent　eyes；　and　yet　separated　from　her　by　a　distance　greater　than　God　or　man　could　bridge。　With　the　thought　of　her　he　saw　again　her　faint　smile　which　lingered　always　about　her　mouth；　and　his　blood　stirred　at　the　memory　of　the　kiss　which　she　had　neither　resisted　nor　returned。

Cynthia；　searching　for　him　a　few　minutes　later；　found　him　leaning　idly　against　the　mare's　stall；　looking　down　upon　a　half…finished　nest　which　a　house…wren　had　begun　to　build　upon　his　currycomb。

〃It's　a　pity　to　disturb　that；　Tucker　would　say；〃　he　observed；　motioning　toward　the　few　wisps　of　straw　on　the　ledge。

〃Oh；　she　can　start　it　somewhere　else；〃　replied　Cynthia　indifferently。　〃They　have　sent　for　you　from　the　store；　Christopherit's　something　about　one　of　the　servants；　I　believe。　They're　always　getting　into　tro