Wilt thou tell me how that shall be?"
She turned to him and kissed him and caressed him, and then
they turned back again toward their fellows, for by now they
had walked together a good way along the ridge.
So then they gat to horse again and rode into the thorp, where men and women
stood about to behold them, and made them humble reverence as they passed by.
So rode they to the bailly of the Castle; and if that stronghold looked
terrible from the ridge above, tenfold more terrible of aspect it was
when the upper parts were hidden by the grey rocks, and they so huge
and beetling, and though the sun was bright about them, and they in the midst
of their friends, yet even Ralph felt somewhat of dread creep over him:
yet he smiled cheerfully as Ursula turned an anxious face on him.
They alighted from their horses in the bailly, for over steep for horse-hoofs
was the walled way upward; and as they began to mount, even the merry
Champions hushed their holiday clamour for awe of the huge stronghold,
and Ralph took Ursula by the hand, and she sidled up to him,
and said softly: "Yea, it was here they drave me up, those women,
thrusting and smiting me; and some would have stripped off my raiment,
but one who seemed the wisest, said, 'Nay, leave her till she come
before the ancient Lady, for her gear may be a token of whence she is,
and whither, if she be come as a spy.' So I escaped them for that moment.
Pages:
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668