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idylls of the king-第17章

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With eyes to find you out however far;
And ears to hear you even in his dreams。'

   With that he turned and looked as keenly at her
As careful robins eye the delver's toil;
And that within her; which a wanton fool;
Or hasty judger would have called her guilt;
Made her cheek burn and either eyelid fall。
And Geraint looked and was not satisfied。 

   Then forward by a way which; beaten broad;
Led from the territory of false Limours
To the waste earldom of another earl;
Doorm; whom his shaking vassals called the Bull;
Went Enid with her sullen follower on。
Once she looked back; and when she saw him ride
More near by many a rood than yestermorn;
It wellnigh made her cheerful; till Geraint
Waving an angry hand as who should say
'Ye watch me;' saddened all her heart again。
But while the sun yet beat a dewy blade;
The sound of many a heavily…galloping hoof
Smote on her ear; and turning round she saw
Dust; and the points of lances bicker in it。
Then not to disobey her lord's behest;
And yet to give him warning; for he rode
As if he heard not; moving back she held
Her finger up; and pointed to the dust。
At which the warrior in his obstinacy;
Because she kept the letter of his word;
Was in a manner pleased; and turning; stood。
And in the moment after; wild Limours;
Borne on a black horse; like a thunder…cloud
Whose skirts are loosened by the breaking storm;
Half ridden off with by the thing he rode;
And all in passion uttering a dry shriek;
Dashed down on Geraint; who closed with him; and bore
Down by the length of lance and arm beyond
The crupper; and so left him stunned or dead;
And overthrew the next that followed him;
And blindly rushed on all the rout behind。
But at the flash and motion of the man
They vanished panic…stricken; like a shoal
Of darting fish; that on a summer morn
Adown the crystal dykes at Camelot
Come slipping o'er their shadows on the sand;
But if a man who stands upon the brink
But lift a shining hand against the sun;
There is not left the twinkle of a fin
Betwixt the cressy islets white in flower;
So; scared but at the motion of the man;
Fled all the boon companions of the Earl;
And left him lying in the public way;
So vanish friendships only made in wine。

   Then like a stormy sunlight smiled Geraint;
Who saw the chargers of the two that fell
Start from their fallen lords; and wildly fly;
Mixt with the flyers。  'Horse and man;' he said;
'All of one mind and all right…honest friends!
Not a hoof left:  and I methinks till now
Was honestpaid with horses and with arms;
I cannot steal or plunder; no nor beg:
And so what say ye; shall we strip him there
Your lover? has your palfrey heart enough
To bear his armour? shall we fast; or dine?
No?then do thou; being right honest; pray
That we may meet the horsemen of Earl Doorm;
I too would still be honest。'  Thus he said:
And sadly gazing on her bridle…reins;
And answering not one word; she led the way。

   But as a man to whom a dreadful loss
Falls in a far land and he knows it not;
But coming back he learns it; and the loss
So pains him that he sickens nigh to death;
So fared it with Geraint; who being pricked
In combat with the follower of Limours;
Bled underneath his armour secretly;
And so rode on; nor told his gentle wife
What ailed him; hardly knowing it himself;
Till his eye darkened and his helmet wagged;
And at a sudden swerving of the road;
Though happily down on a bank of grass;
The Prince; without a word; from his horse fell。

   And Enid heard the clashing of his fall;
Suddenly came; and at his side all pale
Dismounting; loosed the fastenings of his arms;
Nor let her true hand falter; nor blue eye
Moisten; till she had lighted on his wound;
And tearing off her veil of faded silk
Had bared her forehead to the blistering sun;
And swathed the hurt that drained her dear lord's life。
Then after all was done that hand could do;
She rested; and her desolation came
Upon her; and she wept beside the way。

   And many past; but none regarded her;
For in that realm of lawless turbulence;
A woman weeping for her murdered mate
Was cared as much for as a summer shower:
One took him for a victim of Earl Doorm;
Nor dared to waste a perilous pity on him:
Another hurrying past; a man…at…arms;
Rode on a mission to the bandit Earl;
Half whistling and half singing a coarse song;
He drove the dust against her veilless eyes:
Another; flying from the wrath of Doorm
Before an ever…fancied arrow; made
The long way smoke beneath him in his fear;
At which her palfrey whinnying lifted heel;
And scoured into the coppices and was lost;
While the great charger stood; grieved like a man。

   But at the point of noon the huge Earl Doorm;
Broad…faced with under…fringe of russet beard;
Bound on a foray; rolling eyes of prey;
Came riding with a hundred lances up;
But ere he came; like one that hails a ship;
Cried out with a big voice; 'What; is he dead?'
'No; no; not dead!' she answered in all haste。
'Would some of your people take him up;
And bear him hence out of this cruel sun?
Most sure am I; quite sure; he is not dead。'

   Then said Earl Doorm:  'Well; if he be not dead;
Why wail ye for him thus? ye seem a child。
And be he dead; I count you for a fool;
Your wailing will not quicken him:  dead or not;
Ye mar a comely face with idiot tears。
Yet; since the face is comelysome of you;
Here; take him up; and bear him to our hall:
An if he live; we will have him of our band;
And if he die; why earth has earth enough
To hide him。  See ye take the charger too;
A noble one。'
             He spake; and past away;
But left two brawny spearmen; who advanced;
Each growling like a dog; when his good bone
Seems to be plucked at by the village boys
Who love to vex him eating; and he fears
To lose his bone; and lays his foot upon it;
Gnawing and growling:  so the ruffians growled;
Fearing to lose; and all for a dead man;
Their chance of booty from the morning's raid;
Yet raised and laid him on a litter…bier;
Such as they brought upon their forays out
For those that might be wounded; laid him on it
All in the hollow of his shield; and took
And bore him to the naked hall of Doorm;
(His gentle charger following him unled)
And cast him and the bier in which he lay
Down on an oaken settle in the hall;
And then departed; hot in haste to join
Their luckier mates; but growling as before;
And cursing their lost time; and the dead man;
And their own Earl; and their own souls; and her。
They might as well have blest her:  she was deaf
To blessing or to cursing save from one。

   So for long hours sat Enid by her lord;
There in the naked hall; propping his head;
And chafing his pale hands; and calling to him。
Till at the last he wakened from his swoon;
And found his own dear bride propping his head;
And chafing his faint hands; and calling to him;
And felt the warm tears falling on his face;
And said to his own heart; 'She weeps for me:'
And yet lay still; and feigned himself as dead;
That he might prove her to the uttermost;
And say to his own heart; 'She weeps for me。'

   But in the falling afternoon returned
The huge Earl Doorm with plunder to the hall。
His lusty spearmen followed him with noise:
Each hurling down a heap of things that rang
Against his pavement; cast his lance aside;
And doffed his helm:  and then there fluttered in;
Half…bold; half…frighted; with dilated eyes;
A tribe of women; dressed in many hues;
And mingled with the spearmen:  and Earl Doorm
Struck with a knife's haft hard against the board;
And called for flesh and wine to feed his spears。
And men brought in whole hogs and quarter beeves;
And all the hall was dim with steam of flesh:
And none spake word; but all sat down at once;
And ate with tumult in the naked hall;
Feeding like horses when you hear them feed;
Till Enid shrank far back into herself;
To shun the wild ways of the lawless tribe。
But when Earl Doorm had eaten all he would;
He rolled his eyes about the hall; and found
A damsel drooping in a corner of it。
Then he remembered her; and how she wept;
And out of her there came a power upon him;
And rising on the sudden he said; 'Eat!
I never yet beheld a thing so pale。
God's curse; it makes me mad to see you weep。
Eat!  Look yourself。  Good luck had your good man;
For were I dead who is it would weep for me?
Sweet lady; never since I first drew breath
Have I beheld a lily like yourself。
And so there lived some colour in your cheek;
There is not one among my gentlewomen
Were fit to wear your slipper for a glove。
But listen to me; and by me be ruled;
And I will do the thing I have not done;
For ye shall share my earldom with me; girl;
And we will live like two birds in one nest;
And I will fetch you forage from all fields;
For I compel all creatures to my will。'

   He spoke:  the brawny spearman let his cheek
Bulge with the unswallowed piece; and turning stared;
While some; whose souls the old serpent long had drawn
Down; as the worm draws in the withered leaf
And makes it earth; hissed each at other's ear
What shall not be recordedwomen they;
Women; or what had been those gracious things;
But now desired the humbling of their bes
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