the golden age(署弼扮旗)-及5准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
all there。 We'll take that christening off察and call it Uncle William。 And
you can save up the curate for the next litter ─
And the motion being agreed to without a division察 the House went
into Committee of Supply。
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The Golden Age
ALARUMS AND EXCURSIONS
;Let's pretend察─ suggested Harold察 that we're Cavaliers and
Roundheads察and YOU be a Roundhead ─
;O bother察─I replied drowsily察 we pretended that yesterday察and it's
not my turn to be a Roundhead察anyhow。; The fact is察I was lazy察and the
call to arms fell on indifferent ears。 We three younger ones were
stretched at length in the orchard。 The sun was hot察 the season merry
June察 and never I thought had there been such wealth and riot of
buttercups throughout the lush grass。 Green´and´gold was the dominant
key that day。 Instead of active ;pretence; with its shouts and perspiration察
how much betterI heldto lie at ease and pretend to one's self察in green
and golden fancies察 slipping the husk and passing察 a careless lounger察
through a sleepy imaginary world all gold and green But the persistent
Harold was not to be fobbed of。
;Well察 then察─ he began afresh察 let's pretend we're Knights of the
Round Table察and with a rush _I'll_ be Lancelot ─
;I won't play unless I'm Lancelot察─I said。 I didn't mean it really察but
the game of Knights always began with this particular contest。
;O PLEASE察─ implored Harold。 ;You know when Edward's here I
never get a chance of being Lancelot。 I haven't been Lancelot for
weeks ─
Then I yielded gracefully。 ;All right察─I said。 ;I'll be Tristram。;
;O察but you can't察─cried Harold again。
;Charlotte has always been Tristram。 She won't play unless she's
allowed to be Tristram Be somebody else this time。;
Charlotte said nothing察but breathed hard察looking straight before her。
The peerless hunter and harper was her special hero of romance察 and
rather than see the part in less appreciative hands察she would even have
returned sadly to the stuffy schoolroom。
;I don't care察─I said此 I'll be anything。 I'll be Sir Kay。 Come on ─
Then once more in this country's story the mail´clad knights paced
through the greenwood shaw察 questing adventure察redressing wrong察 and
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The Golden Age
bandits察 five to one察 broke and fled discomfited to their caves。 Once
again were damsels rescued察dragons disembowelled察and giants察in every
corner of the orchard察 deprived of their already superfluous number of
heads察 while Palamides the Saracen waited for us by the well察 and Sir
Breuse Saunce Pite vanished in craven flight before the skilled spear that
was his terror and his bane。 Once more the lists were dight in Camelot察
and all was gay with shimmer of silk and gold察 the earth shook with
thunder of horses察ash´staves flew in splinters察and the firmament rang to
the clash of sword on helm。 The varying fortune of the day swung
doubtfulnow on this side察 now on that察 till at last Lancelot察 grim and
great察 thrusting through the press察 unhorsed Sir Tristram an easy task察
and bestrode her察threatening doom察while the Cornish knight察forgetting
hard´ won fame of old察cried piteously察 You're hurting me察I tell you and
you're tearing my frock ─ Then it happed that Sir Kay察 hurtling to the
rescue察stopped short in his stride察catching sight suddenly察through apple´
boughs察of a gleam of scarlet afar off察while the confused tramp of many
horses察mingled with talk and laughter察was borne to our ears。
;What is it拭─inquired Tristram察sitting up and shaking out her curls察
while Lancelot forsook the clanging lists and trotted nimbly to the hedge。
I stood spell´bound for a moment longer察 and then察 with a cry of
;Soldiers ─ I was off to the hedge察 Charlotte picking herself up and
scurrying after。
Down the road they came察 two and two察 at an easy walk察 scarlet
flamed in the eye察bits jingled and saddles squeaked delightfully察while the
men察in a halo of dust察smoked their short clays like the heroes they were。
In a swirl of intoxicating glory the troop clinked and clattered by察while we
shouted and waved察 jumping up and down察 and the big jolly horsemen
acknowledged the salute with easy condescension。 The moment they
were past we were through the hedge and after them。 Soldiers were not
the common stuff of everyday life。 There had been nothing like this
since the winter before last察when on a certain afternoonbare of leaf and
monochrome in its hue of sodden fallow and frost´nipt copsesuddenly
the hounds had burst through the fence with their mellow cry察and all the
paddock was for the minute reverberant of thudding hoof and dotted with
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The Golden Age
glancing red。 But this was better察 since it could only mean that blows
and bloodshed were in the air。
;Is there going to be a battle拭─panted Harold察hardly able to keep up
for excitement。
;Of course there is察─I replied。 ;We're just in time。 Come on ─
Perhaps I ought to have known better察and yet The pigs and poultry察
with whom we chiefly consorted察 could instruct us little concerning the
peace that in these latter days lapped this sea´ girt realm。 In the
schoolroom we were just now dallying with the Wars of the Roses察and did
not legends of the country´side inform us how Cavaliers had once
galloped up and down these very lanes from their quarters in the village拭
Here察 now察 were soldiers unmistakable察 and if their business was not
fighting察 what was it拭 Sniffing the joy of battle察 we followed hard on
their tracks。
;Won't Edward be sorry察─puffed Harold察 that he's begun that beastly
Latin拭─
It did察indeed察seem hard。 Edward察the most martial spirit of us all察
was drearily conjugating AMO of all verbs between four walls察 while
Selina察 who ever thrilled ecstatic to a red coat察 was struggling with the
uncouth German tongue。 ;Age察─I reflected察 carries its penalties。;
It was a grievous disappointment to us that the troop passed through
the village unmolested。 Every cottage察I pointed out to my companions察
ought to have been loopholed察and strongly held。 But no opposition was
offered to the soldiers察 who察 indeed察 conducted themselves with a
recklessness and a want of precaution that seemed simply criminal。
At the last cottage a transitory gleam of common sense flickered
across me察and察turning on Charlotte察I sternly ordered her back。
The small maiden察docile but exceedingly dolorous察dragged reluctant
feet homewards察 heavy at heart that she was to behold no stout fellows
slain that day察but Harold and I held steadily on察expecting every instant to
see the environing hedges crackle and spit forth the leaden death。
;Will they be Indians拭─inquired my brother meaning the enemy察 or
Roundheads察or what拭─
I reflected。 Harold always required direct察straightforward answers
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not faltering suppositions。
;They won't be Indians察─ I replied at last察 nor yet Roundheads。
There haven't been any Roundheads seen about here for a long time。
They'll be Frenchmen。;
Harold's face fell。 ;All right察─ he said察 Frenchmen'll do察 but I did
hope they'd be Indians。;
;If they were going to be Indians察─I expl