child christopher-第25节

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ey　knew　not　what　to　make　of　it。　　And　Christopher's　host；　when　they　saw　them　hang　back；　brake　out　into　mocking　whoops　and　shouts；　and　words　were　heard　in　them：　　〃Come　and　dine　at　Brimside；　good　fellows！　Come　up　to　the　Tofts　for　supper　and　bed！　A　Christopher！　A　Christopher！〃　and　so　forth。　　Now　all　King　Christopher's　men　were　afoot；　saving　a　band　of　the　riders　of　Brimside；　who　bestrode　strong　and　tall　horses；　and　bore　jack　and　sallet　and　spear；　but　no　heavy　armour。

So　Christopher　heard　and　saw；　and　the　heart　rose　high　in　him；　and　he　sent　messengers　to　the　right　and　the　left；　and　bade　the　captains　watch　till　he　waved　his　sword　aloft；　and　then　all　down　the　bent　together；　and　he　bade　the　Brimside　riders　edge　a　little　outward　and　downward；　and　be　ready　for　the　chase；　and　suffer　not　any　of　the　foemen　to　gather　together　when　once　they　fell　to　running；　for　he　knew　in　his　heart　that　the　folk　before　him　would　never　abide　their　onfall。　　And　the　day　was　yet　young；　and　it　lacked　four　hours　of　noon。

King　Christopher　abode　ill　he　saw　the　foemen　were　come　off　the　level　ground；　and　were　mounting　the　bent　slowly；　and　not　in　very　good　order　or　in　ranks　closely　serried。　　Then　he　strode　forth　three　paces；　and　waved　his　sword　high　above　his　head；　and　cried　out：　　〃A　Christopher！　A　Christopher！　Forward；　banner　of　the　Realm！〃　And　forth　he　went；　steady　and　strong；　and　a　great　shout　arose　behind　him；　and　none　shrank　or　lagged；　but　spears　and　bills；　and　axes　and　swords；　all　came　on　like　a　wall　of　steel；　so　that　to　the　foemen　the　earth　seemed　alive　with　death；　and　they　made　no　show　of　abiding　the　onset；　but　all　turned　and　ran；　save　Walter　the　White　and　a　score　of　his　knights；　who　forsooth　were　borne　down　in　a　trice；　and　were　taken　to　mercy；　those　of　them　who　were　not　slain　at　the　first　crash　of　weapons。

There　then　ye　might　have　seen　great　clumps　of　men　making　no　defence；　but　casting　down　their　weapons　and　crying　mercy；　and　forsooth　so　great　was　the　throng；　that　no　great　many　were　slain；　but　on　the　other　hand；　but　few　gat　away　across　the　water；　and　on　them　presently　fell　the　Brimside　riders；　and　hewed　down　and　slew　and　took　few　to　mercy。　　And　some　few　besides　the　first　laggards　of　the　bowmen；　it　might　be　three　hundreds　in　all；　escaped；　and　gat　to　Woodwall；　but　when　they　of　the　town　saw　them；　they　made　up　their　minds　speedily；　and　shut　their　gates；　and　the　poor　fleers　found　but　the　points　of　shafts　and　the　heads　of　quarrels　before　them。

But　on　the　field　of　deed　those　captives　were　somewhat　fearful　as　to　what　should　be　done　with　them；　and　they　spake　one　to　the　other　about　it；　that　they　would　be　willing　to　serve　the　new　King；　since　he　was　so　mighty。　　And　amidst　of　their　talk　came　the　captains　of　King　Christopher；　and　they　drew　into　a　ring　around　them；　and　the　lords　bade　them　look　to　it　whether　they　would　be　the　foemen　of　the　King；　the　son　of　that　King　Christopher　the　Old。　　〃If　so　ye　be；〃　said　they；　〃ye　may　escape　this　time；　but　ye　see　how　valiant　a　man　he　is；　and　how　lucky　withal；　and　happy　shall　they　be　whom　he　calleth　friends。　　Now　what　say　ye；　will　ye　take　up　your　weapons　again；　and　be　under　the　best　of　kings　and　a　true　one；　or　will　ye　depart　and　take　the　chance　of　his　wrath　in　the　coming　days？　We　say；　how　many　of　you　will　serve　King　Christopher。

Then　arose　from　them　a　mighty　shout：　　〃All！　All！　One　and　All！〃　Albeit　some　there　were　who　slunk　away　and　said　nought；　and　none　heeded　them。

So　then　all　the　sergeants　and　the　common　folk　swore　allegiance　to　King　Christopher；　but　of　the　knights　who　were　left　alive；　some　said　Yea；　and　some　Nay；　and　these　last　were　suffered　to　depart；　but　must　needs　ride　unarmed。

Now　by　the　time　all　was　done；　and　the　new　men　had　dined　along　with　the　rest　of　the　host；　and　of　the　new…comers　tale　had　been　taken；　the　day　was　wearing；　so　they　set　off　for　Woodwall；　and　on　the　way　they　met　the　Mayor　and　Aldermen　thereof；　who　came　before　King　Christopher　and　knelt　to　him；　and　gave　him　the　keys　of　their　town；　so　he　was　gracious　to　them；　and　thanked　them；　and　bade　see　to　the　victual　and　lodging　of　the　host；　and　that　all　should　be　paid　thereafter。　And　they　said　that　they　had　seen　to　all　this　before　they　came　forth　of　the　town；　and　that　if　the　Lord　King　would　ride　forth；　he　would　find　fair　lodging　in　the　good　town。　　So　King　Christopher　was　pleased；　and　bade　the　burgesses　ride　beside　him；　and　he　talked　merrily　with　them　on　the　way；　so　that　their　hearts　rejoiced　over　the　kindness　of　their　lord。

So　they　came　to　the　gate；　and　there　the　King　made　stay　till　Goldilind　was　fetched　to　him；　so　that　they　might　ride　into　the　good　town　side　by　side。　　And　in　the　street　was　much　people　thronging；　and　the　sun　was　scarce　set；　so　that　the　folk　could　see　their　King　and　Queen　what　they　were；　and　they　who　were　nighest　unto　them；　they　let　their　shouts　die　out；　so　were　their　hearts　touched　with　the　sight　of　them　and　the　love　of　their　beauty。

Thus　rode　they　in　triumph　through　the　street　till　they　were　come　to　their　lodging；　which　was　great　and　goodly　as　for　a　cheaping　town；　and　so　the　day　was　gone　and　the　night　was　come；　and　the　council　and　the　banquet　were　over；　then　were　the　King　and　Goldilind　together　again；　like　any　up…country　lad　and　lass。　　But　she　stood　before　him　and　said：　　〃O　thou　King　and　mighty　warrior；　surely　I　ought　to　fear　thee　now；　but　it　is　not　so；　so　sore　as　I　desire　thee；　but　yet　it　maketh　both　laughter　and　tears　come　to　me　when　I　think　of　the　day　we　rode　away　from　Greenharbour　with　thee；　and　I　seemed　to　myself　a　great　lady；　though　I　were　unhappy；　and　though　I　loved　thy　body；　I　feared　lest　the　churl's　blood　in　thee　might　shame　me　perchance；　and　I　was　proud　and　unkind　to　thee；　and　I　hurt　thee　sorely；　and　now　I　will　say　it；　and　confess；　that　somewhat　I　joyed　to　see　thine　anguish；　for　I　knew　that　it　meant　thy　love　for　me　and　thy　desire　to　me。　　Lo　now；　wilt　thou　forgive　me　this；　or　wilt　thou　punish　me；　O　Lord　King？〃

He　laughed。　　〃Sweetling；〃　he　said；　〃meseemeth　now　all　day　long　I　have　been　fighting　against　raiment　rather　than　men；　no　man　withstood　me　in　the　battle；　for　that　they　feared　the　crown　on　my　helm　and　the　banner　over　my　head；　and　when　those　good　men　of　the　town　brought　me　the　keys；　how　should　I　have　known　them　from　borrel　folk　but　for　their　scarlet　gowns　and　fur　hoods？　And　meseemed　that　when　they　knelt　to　me；　it　was　the　scarlet　gowns　kneeling　to　the　kingly　armour。　　Therefore；　sweetheart；　if　thou　fearest　that　the　King　should　punish　thee　for　so　wounding　the　poor　Christopher　of　those　few　days　ago；　as　belike　thou　deservest　it；　bid　the　King　do　off　his　raiment；　and　do　thou　in　likewise；　and　then　there　shall　be　no　King　to　punish；　and　no　King's　scather　to　thole　the　punishment；　but　only　Christopher　and　Goldilind；　even　as　they　met　erewhile　on　the　dewy　grass　of　Littledale。〃

She　blushed　blood…red；　but　ere　his　words　were　done；　her　hands　were　busy　with　girdle　and　clasp；　and　her　raiment　fell　from　her　to　the　earth；　and　his　kingly　raiment　was　cast　from　him；　and　he　took　her　by　the　hand　and　led　her　to　the　bed　of　honour；　that　their　love　might　have　increase　that　night　also。



CHAPTER　XXXV。

AN　OLD　ACQUAINTANCE　AND　AN　EVIL　DEED。


When　morning　was；　and　it　was　yet　early；　the　town　was　all　astir　and　the　gates　were　thrown　open；　and　weaponed　men　thronged　into　it　crying　out　for　Christopher　the　King。　Then　the　King　came　forth；　and　Jack　o'　the　Tofts　and　his　sons；　and　Oliver　Marson；　and　the　captains　of　Brimside；　and　the　host　was　blown　together　to　the　market…place；　and　there　was　a　new　tale　of　them　taken；　and　they　were　now　hard　on　seventy　hundreds　of　men。　　So　then　were　new　captains　appointed；　and　thereafter　they　tarried　not　save　to　eat　a　morsel；　but　went　out　a…gates　faring　after　the　banners　to　Oakenrealm；　all　folk　blessing　them　as　they　went。

Nought　befell　them　of　evil　that　day；　but　ever　fresh　companies　joined　them　on　the　road；　and　they　gat　harbour　in　another　walled　town；　hight　Sevenham；　and　rested　there　in　peace　that　night；　and　were　now　grown　to　eighty　hundreds。

Again　on　the　morrow　they　were　on　the　road　betimes；　and　again　much　folk　joined　them；　and　they　heard　no　tidings　of　any　foeman　faring　against　them；　whereat　Jack　o'　the　Tofts　marvelled；　for　he　and　others　had　deemed　that　now　at　last　would　Rolf　the　traitor　come　out　against　them。　　Forsooth；　when　they　had　gone　all　day　and　night　was　at　hand；　it　seemed　most　like　to　the　captains　that　he　would　fall　upon　them　that　night；　whereas　they　were　now　in　a　somewhat　perilous　pass；　for　they　must　needs　rest　at　a　little　thorpe　amidst　of　great　and　thick　woods；　which　lay　all　round　about　the　frank　of　Oakenham　as　a　garland　about　a　head。　　So　there　they　kept　watch　and　ward　more　heedfully　than　their　wont　was；　and　King　Christopher　lodged　with　Goldilind　at　the　house　of　a　good　man　of　the　thorpe。

Now　when　it　lacked　but　half　an　hour　of　midnight；　and　Jack　o'　the　Tofts　and　Oliver　Marson　and　the　Captain　of　Woodwall　had　just　left　him；　after　they　had　settled　the　order　of　the　next　day's　journey；　and　Goldilind　lay　abed　in　the　inner　chamber；　there　entered　one　of　the　men　of　the　watch　and　said：　　〃Lord　King；　here　is　a　man　hereby　who　would　see　thee；　he　is　weaponed；　and　he　saith　that　he　hath　a　gift　for　thee：　　what　shall　we　do　with　him？〃

Said　Christopher：　　〃Bring　him　in　hither；　good　fellow。〃　　And　the　man　went　back；　and　came　in　again　le