友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

the story of the glittering plain-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




woman:  is it not so?〃



Then Hallblithe reddened at first; as though he were angry; then he

said:  〃Yea; it is so。〃



Said the Grandfather in a musing way:  〃I wonder if before long I

shall think of it as thou dost。〃



Then Hallblithe gazed at him marvelling; and studied to see wherein

lay the gibe against himself; and the Grandfather beheld him; and

laughed as well as he might; and said:  〃Son; son; didst thou not

wish me youth?〃



〃Yea;〃 said Hallblithe; 〃but what ails thee to laugh so?  What is it

I have said or done?〃



〃Nought; nought;〃 said the elder; laughing still more; 〃only thou

lookest so mazed。  And who knoweth what thy wish may bring forth?〃



Thereat was Hallblithe sore puzzled; but while he set himself to

consider what the old carle might mean; uprose the hale and how of

the mariners; they cast off the hawsers from the shore; ran out the

sweeps; and drave the ship through the haven…gates。  It was a bright

sunny day; within; the green water was oily…smooth; without the

rippling waves danced merrily under a light breeze; and Hallblithe

deemed the wind to be fair; for the mariners shouted joyously and

made all sail on the ship; and she lay over and sped through the

waves; casting off the seas from her black bows。  Soon were they

clear of those swart cliffs; and it was but a little afterwards that

the Isle of Ransom was grown deep blue behind them and far away。







CHAPTER IX:  THEY COME TO THE LAND OF THE GLITTERING PLAIN







As in the hall; so in the ship; Hallblithe noted that the folk were

merry and of many words one with another; while to him no man cast a

word save the Grandfather。  As to Hallblithe; though he wondered much

what all this betokened; and what the land was whereto he was

wending; he was no man to fear an unboded peril; and he said to

himself that whatever else betid; he should meet the Hostage on the

Glittering Plain; so his heart rose and he was of good cheer; and as

the Grandfather had foretold; he was a merry faring…fellow to him。

Many a gibe the old man cast at him; and whiles Hallblithe gave him

back as good as he took; and whiles he laughed as the stroke went

home and silenced him; and whiles he understood nought of what the

elder said。  So wore the day and still the wind held fair; though it

was light; and the sun set in a sky nigh cloudless; and there was

nowhere any forecast of peril。  But when night was come; Hallblithe

lay down on a fair bed; which was dight for him in the poop; and he

soon fell asleep and dreamed not save such dreams as are but made up

of bygone memories; and betoken nought; and are not remembered。



When he awoke; day lay broad on the sea; and the waves were little;

the sky had but few clouds; the sun shone bright; and the air was

warm and sweet…breathed。



He looked aside and saw the old man sitting up in his bed; as ghastly

as a dead man dug up again:  his bushy eyebrows were wrinkled over

his bleared old eyes; the long white hair dangled forlorn from his

gaunt head:  yet was his face smiling and he looked as happy as the

soul within him could make the half…dead body。  He turned now to

Hallblithe and said:



〃Thou art late awake:  hadst thou been waking earlier; the sooner had

thine heart been gladdened。  Go forward now; and gaze thy fill and

come and tell me thereof。〃



〃Thou art happy; Grandfather;〃 said Hallblithe; 〃what good tidings

hath morn brought us?〃



〃The Land! the Land!〃 said the Long…hoary; 〃there are no longer tears

in this old body; else should I be weeping for joy。〃



Said Hallblithe:  〃Art thou going to meet some one who shall make

thee glad before thou diest; old man?〃



〃Some one?〃 said the elder; 〃what one?  Are they not all gone?

burned; and drowned; and slain and died abed?  Some one; young man?

Yea; forsooth some one indeed!  Yea; the great warrior of the Wasters

of the Shore; the Sea…eagle who bore the sword and the torch and the

terror of the Ravagers over the coal…blue sea。  It is myself; MYSELF

that I shall find on the Land of the Glittering Plain; O young

lover!〃



Hallblithe looked on him wondering as he raised his wasted arms

towards the bows of the ship pitching down the slope of the sunlit

sea; or climbing up it。  Then again the old man fell back on his bed

and muttered:  〃What fool's work is this! that thou wilt draw me on

to talk loud; and waste my body with lack of patience。  I will talk

with thee no more; lest my heart swell and break; and quench the

little spark of life within me。〃



Then Hallblithe arose to his feet; and stood looking at him;

wondering so much at his words; that for a while he forgat the land

which they were nearing; though he had caught glimpses of it; as the

bows of the round…ship fell downward into the hollow of the sea。  The

wind was but light; as hath been said; and the waves little under it;

but there was still a smooth swell of the sea which came of breezes

now dead; and the ship wallowed thereon and sailed but slowly。



In a while the old man opened his eyes again; and said in a low

peevish voice:  〃Why standest thou staring at me? why hast thou not

gone forward to look upon the land?  True it is that ye Ravens are

short of wits。〃



Said Hallblithe:  〃Be not wrath; chieftain; I was wondering at thy

words; which are exceeding marvellous; tell me more of this land of

the Glittering Plain。〃



Said the Grandfather:  〃Why should I tell it thee? ask of the

mariners。  They all know more than thou dost。〃



〃Thou knowest;〃 said Hallblithe; 〃that these men speak not to me; and

take no more heed of me than if I were an image which they were

carrying to sell to the next mighty man they may hap on。  Or tell me;

thou old man;〃 said he fiercely; 〃is it perchance a thrall…market

whereto they are bringing me?  Have they sold her there; and will

they sell me also in the same place; but into other hands。〃



〃Tush!〃 said the Grandfather somewhat feebly; 〃this last word of

thine is folly; there is no buying or selling in the land whereto we

are bound。  As to thine other word; that these men have no fellowship

with thee; it is true:  thou art my fellow and the fellow of none

else aboard。  Therefore if I feel might in me; maybe I will tell thee

somewhat。〃



Then he raised his head a little and said:  〃The sun grows hot; the

wind faileth us; and slow and slow are we sailing。〃



Even as he spoke there was a stir amidships; and Hallblithe looked

and beheld the mariners handling the sweeps; and settling themselves

on the rowing…benches。  Said the elder:  〃There is noise amidships;

what are they doing?〃



The old man raised himself a little again; and cried out in his

shrill voice:  〃Good lads! brave lads!  Thus would we do in the old

time when we drew anear some shore; and the beacons were sending up

smoke by day; and flame benights; and the shore…abiders did on their

helms and trembled。  Thrust her through; lads!  Thrust her along!〃

Then he fell back again; and said in a weak voice:  〃Make no more

delay; guest; but go forward and look upon the land; and come back

and tell me thereof; and then the tale may flow from me。  Haste;

haste!〃  So Hallblithe went down from the poop; and in to the waist;

where now the rowers were bending to their oars; and crying out

fiercely as they tugged at the quivering ash; and he clomb on to the

forecastle and went forward right to the dragon…head; and gazed long

upon the land; while the dashing of the oar…blades made the semblance

of a gale about the ship's black sides。  Then he came back again to

the Sea…eagle; who said to him:  〃Son; what hast thou seen?〃



〃Right ahead lieth the land; and it is still a good way off。  High

rise the mountains there; but by seeming there is no snow on them;

and though they be blue they are not blue like the mountains of the

Isle of Ransom。  Also it seemed to me as if fair slopes of woodland

and meadow come down to the edge of the sea。  But it is yet far

away。〃



〃Yea;〃 said the elder; 〃is it so?  Then will I not wear myself with

making words for thee。  I will rest rather; and gather might。  Come

again when an hour hath worn; and tell me what thou seest; and may

happen then thou shalt have my tale!〃  And he laid him down therewith

and seemed to be asleep at once。  And Hallblithe might not amend it;

so he waited patiently till the hour had worn; and then went forward

again; and looked long and carefully; and came back and said to the

Sea…eagle; 〃The hour is worn。〃



The old chieftain turned himself about and said 〃What hast thou seen?



Said Hallblithe:  〃The mountains are pale and high; and below them

are hills dark with wood; and betwixt them and the sea is a fair

space of meadowland; and methought it was wide。〃



Said the old man:  〃Sawest thou a rocky skerry rising high out of the

sea anigh the shore?〃



〃Nay;〃 said Hallblithe; 〃if there be; it is all blended with the

meadows
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!