child christopher-第28节

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re　arming　against　each　other；　and　will　presently　be　warring；　but　if　thou　look　to　it；　because　all　this　is　for　lack　of　thee。　　But　if　thou　wilt　vouchsafe　to　come　to　Meadhamstead；　and　sit　on　thy　throne　for　a　little　while；　commanding　and　forbidding；　and　if　thou　wilt　appoint　one　of　the　lords　for　thine　Earl　there；　and　others　for　thy　captains；　and　governors　and　burgreves　and　so　forth；　then　if　the　people　see　thee　and　hear　thee；　the　swords　will　go　into　their　sheaths；　and　the　spears　will　hang　on　the　wall　again；　and　we　shall　have　peace　in　Meadham；　for　all　will　do　thy　bidding。　　Wherefore；　Lady　and　Queen；　I　beseech　thee　to　come　to　us；　and　stave　off　the　riot　and　ruin。　　What　sayest　thou？〃

Goldilind　made　answer　in　a　while：　　〃Sir　Guisebert；　true　it　is　that　I　long　to　see　my　people；　and　to　look　once　more　on　my　father's　house；　and　the　place　where　he　was　born　and　died。　But　how　know　I　but　this　is　some　wile　of　Earl　Geoffrey；　for　he　hath　not　been　abounding　in　trustiness　toward　us？〃

But　Sir　Guisebert　swore　on　his　salvation　that　there　was　no　guile　therein；　and　they　were　undone　save　Goldilind　came　unto　them。　　Then　spake　Christopher：　　〃Sir　Knight；　I　am　willing　to　pleasure　my　Lady；　who；　as　I　can　see；　longeth　to　behold　her　own　land　and　people；　and　also　by　thy　voice　and　thy　face　I　deem　that　thou　art　not　lying　unto　me；　and　that　no　harm　will　befall　the　Lady；　yet　will　I　ask　thee　right　out　what　thou　and　thy　lord　would　think　thereof　if　she　come　into　Meadham　accompanied；　to　wit；　if　I　rode　with　her；　and　had　five　hundreds　of　good　riders　at　my　back；　would　ye　have　guesting　for　so　many　and　such　stark　lads？〃

The　Knight　took　up　the　word　eagerly；　and　said：　　〃Wilt　thou　but　come；　dearlord；　and　bring　a　thousand　or　more；　then　the　surer　and　the　safer　it　would　be　for　us。〃

Said　the　King；　smiling：　　〃Well；　it　shall　be　thought　on；　and　meantime　be　thou　merry　with　us；　for　indeed　I　deem　of　thee；　that　but　for　thy　helping　my　life　had　been　cast　away　that　morning　in　Littledale。〃

So　they　made　much　of　the　Meadham　man　for　three　days；　and　thereafter　they　rode　into　Meadham　and　to　Meadhamstead；　Christopher；　and　Jack　of　the　Tofts；　and　Goldilind；　in　all　honour　and　triumph；　they　and　seven　hundreds　of　spears；　and　never　were　lords　received　with　such　joy　and　kindness　as　were　they；　but　it　were　on　the　day　when　Christopher　and　his　entered　Oakenham。

The　Earl　Geoffrey　was　not　amongst　them　that　met　them；　but　whenas　they　sat　at　the　banquet　in　the　hall；　and　Goldilind　was　in　the　high…seat；　gloriously　clad　and　with　the　kingly　crown　on　her　head；　there　came　a　tall　man　up　to　the　dais；　grey…headed　and　keen…eyed；　and　he　was　unarmed；　without　so　much　as　a　sword　by　his　side；　and　clad　in　simple　black；　and　he　knelt　before　Goldilind；　and　laid　his　head　on　her　lap；　and　spake：　　〃Lady　and　Queen；　here　is　my　head　to　do　with　as　thou　wilt；　for　I　have　been　thy　dastard；　and　I　crave　thy　pardon；　if　so　it　may　be；　for　I　am　Geoffrey。〃

She　looked　kindly　on　him；　and　raised　him　up；　and　then　she　turned　to　the　chief　of　the　serving…men；　and　said：　　〃Fetch　me　a　sword　with　its　sheath　and　its　girdle；　and　see　that　it　be　a　good　blade；　and　all　well…adorned；　both　sword　and　sheath　and　girdle。〃　　Even　so　it　was　done；　and　when　she　had　the　sword；　she　bade　Sir　Geoffrey　kneel　again　before　her；　and　she　girt　him　with　the　said　sword　and　spake：　　〃Sir　Geoffrey；　all　the　wrong　which　thou　didest　to　me；　I　forgive　it　thee　and　forget　it；　but　wherein　thou　hast　done　well；　I　will　remember　it；　for　thou　hast　given　me　a　mighty　King　to　be　my　man；　nay；　the　mightiest　and　the　loveliest　on　earth；　wherefore　I　bless　thee；　and　will　make　thee　my　Earl　to　rule　all　Meadham　under　me；　if　so　be　the　folk　gainsay　it　not。　　Wherefore　now　let　these　folk　fetch　thee　seemly　garments　and　array　thee；　and　then　come　sit　amongst　us；　and　eat　and　drink　on　this　high　day；　for　a　happy　day　it　is　when　once　again　I　sit　in　my　father's　house；　and　see　the　faces　of　my　folk　that　loveth　me。〃

She　spake　loud　and　clear；　so　that　most　folk　in　the　hall　heard　her；　and　they　rejoiced　at　her　words；　for　Sir　Geoffrey　was　no　ill　ruler；　but　wise　and　of　great　understanding；　keen　of　wit　and　deft　of　word；　and　a　mighty　warrior　withal；　only　they　might　not　away　with　it　that　their　Lady　and　Queen　had　become　as　alien　to　them。　　So　when　they　heard　her　speak　her　will；　they　shouted　for　joy　of　the　peace　and　goodwill　that　was　to　be。

There　then　sat　Geoffrey　at　the　banquet；　and　Christopher　smiled　on　him；　and　said：　　〃See　now；　lord；　if　I　have　not　done　as　thou　badest　when　thou　gavest　me　the　treasure　of　Greenharbour；　for　I　have　brought　the　wolf…heads　to　thy　helping　and　not　to　thy　scathing。　Do　thou　as　much　for　me；　and　be　thou　a　good　earl　to　thy　Lady　and　mine；　and　then　shalt　thou　yet　live　and　die　a　happy　man；　and　my　friend。　　Or　else〃

〃There　shall　be　no　else；　Lord　King；〃　quoth　Geoffrey；　〃all　men　henceforth　shall　tell　of　me　as　a　true　man。〃

So　they　were　blithe　and　joyous　together。　　But　a　seven　days　thence　was　the　Allmen's　Mote　gathered　to　the　wood…side　without　Meadhamstead；　and　thronged　it　was：　　and　there　Goldilind　stood　up　before　all　the　folk　and　named　Sir　Geoffrey　for　Earl　to　rule　the　land　under　her；　and　none　gainsaid　it；　for　they　knew　him　meet　thereto。　　Then　she　named　from　the　baronage　and　knighthood　such　men　as　she　had　been　truly　told　were　meet　thereto　to　all　the　offices　of　the　kingdom；　and　there　was　none　whom　she　named　but　was　well…　pleasing　to　the　folk；　for　she　had　taken　counsel　beforehand　with　all　the　wisest　men　of　all　degrees。

As　for　herself；　all　loved　and　worshipped　her；　and　this　alone　seemed　hard　unto　them；　that　she　must　needs　go　back　to　Oakenrealm　in　a　few　days：　　but　when　she　heard　them　murmur　thereat；　she　behight　them；　that　once　in　every　year　she　would　come　into　Meadham　and　spend　one　whole　month　therein；　and；　were　it　possible；　ever　should　that　be　the　month　of　May。　　So　when　they　heard　that；　they　all　praised　her；　and　were　the　more　content。　　This　custom　she　kept　ever　thereafter；　and　she　lay　in　with　her　second　son　in　the　city　of　Meadhamstead；　so　that　he　was　born　therein；　and　she　named　him　to　be　King　after　her；　to　the　great　joy　of　that　folk；　and　he　grew　up　strong　and　well…liking；　and　came　to　the　kingship　while　his　mother　was　yet　alive；　and　was　a　good　man　and　well…beloved　of　his　folk。

Before　she　turned　back　with　her　man；　she　let　seek　out　Aloyse；　and　when　she　came　before　her；　gave　her　gifts　and　bade　her　come　back　with　her　to　Oakenham　and　serve　her　there　if　she　would：　　and　the　damsel　was　glad；　for　there　in　Meadhamstead　was　she　poor　and　not　well　seen　to；　whereas　it　was　rumoured　of　her　that　she　had　been　one　of　the　jailers　of　Goldilind。

When　they　came　back　to　Oakenham；　there　they　met　Gandolf；　Baron　of　Brimside；　now　whole　of　his　hurts；　and　the　King　greeted　him　kindly；　and　did　well　to　him　all　his　life；　and　found　him　ever　a　true　man。

Good　thenceforward　was　the　life　of　Child　Christopher　and　Goldilind：　　whiles　indeed　they　happed　on　unpeace　or　other　trouble；　but　never　did　fair　love　and　good　worship　depart　from　them；　either　of　each　unto　each；　or　of　the　whole　folk　unto　them　twain。

To　no　man　did　Christopher　mete　out　worse　than　his　deserts；　nay；　to　most　far　better　he　meted：　　no　man　he　feared；　nor　hated　any　save　the　tormentors　of　poor　folk；　and　but　a　little　while　abided　his　hatred　of　those；　for　it　cut　short　their　lives；　so　that　they　were　speedily　done　with　and　forgotten。　And　when　he　died　a　very　old　man　but　one　year　after　Goldilind　his　dear；　no　king　that　ever　lived　was　so　bewailed　by　his　folk　as　was　Child　Christopher。




The　End