The Forest Lovers
Page 10
CHAPTER X
FOREST ALMS
Towards the grey of the morning, seeing that the whole forest was atpeace, with no sign of dogs or men all that night, and now even a restfrom the far howling of the wolves, Prosper's head dropt to his breast.In a few seconds he slept profoundly. Isoult awoke and saw that heslept: she lay watching him, longing but not daring. When she saw thathe looked blue and pinched about the cheekbones, that his cheeks wereyellow where they should be red, and grey where they had been white,she knew he was cold; and her humbleness was not proof against thisjustification of her desires. She crept out of her snug nest, crawledtowards her lord and felt his hands; they were ice. "Asleep he ismine," she thought. She picked up the cloak, then crept again towardshim, seated herself behind and a little above him, threw the cloak overboth and snuggled it well in. She put her arms about him and drew himclose to her bosom. His head fell back at her gentle constraint; so helay like a child at the breast. The mother in her was wild andthrobbing. Stooped over him she pored into his face. A divine pity, adivine sense of the power of life over death, of waking over sleep,drew her lower and nearer. She kissed his face--the lids of his eyes,his forehead and cheeks. Like an unwatched bird she foraged at will,like a hardy sailor touched at every port but one. His mouth was toomuch his own, too firm; it kept too much of his sovereignty absolute.Otherwise she was free to roam; and she roamed, very much to hismaterial advantage, since the love that made her rosy to thefinger-tips, in time warmed him also. He slept long in her arms.
She began to be very hungry.
"He too will be hungry when he wakes," she thought; "what shall I do?We have nothing to eat." She looked down wistfully at his head where itlay pillowed. "What would I not give him of mine?" The thought floodedher. But what could she do?
She heard the pattering of dry leaves, the crackle of dry twigs snapt,and looking up, saw a herd of deer feeding in a glade not very far off.
Idly as she watched them, it came home to her that there were hindsamong them with calves. One she noticed in particular feed a littleapart, having two calves near her which had just begun to nibble alittle grass. Vaguely wondering still over her plight, she pictured herdays of shepherding in the downs where food had often failed her, andthe ewes perforce mothered another lamb. That hind's udder was full ofmilk: a sudden thought ran like wine through her blood. She slid fromProsper, got up very softly, took her cup, and went towards thebrowsing deer. The hind looked up (like all the herd) but did not startnor run. A brief gaze satisfied it that here was no enemy, neither astranger to the forest walks; it fell-to again, and suffered Isoult tocome quite close, even to lay her hand upon its neck. Then she stoodfor a while stroking the red hind, while all the herd watched her. Sheknelt before the beast, clasping both arms about its neck; she fondledit with her face, as if asking the boon she would have. Some messagepassed between them, some assurance, for she let go of the hind's neckand crawled on hands and knees towards the udder. The deer never moved,though it turned its head to watch her. She took the teat in her mouth,sucked and drew milk. The herd stood all about her motionless; the hindnuzzled her as if she had been one of its own calves; so she was filled.
Next she had to fill her cup. This was much more difficult. The hindmust be soothed and fondled again, there must be no shock on eitherside. She started the flow with her mouth; then she knelt against theanimal with her head pressed to its side, took the teat in her hand andsucceeded. She filled the cup with Prosper's breakfast. She got up,kissed the hind between the eyes, stroked its neck many times, and wenttiptoe back to her lord and master. She found him still sound asleep,so sat quietly watching him till he should wake, with the cup heldagainst her heart to keep it warm.
Broad daylight and a chance beam of sun through the trees woke him atlast. It would be about seven o'clock. He stretched portentously, andsat up to look about him; so he encountered her tender eyes before shehad been able to subdue their light.
"Good-morning, Isoult," said he. "Have I been long asleep?"
"A few hours only, lord."
"I am hungry. I must eat something."
"Lord, I have milk for thee."
He took the cup she tendered, looking at her.
"Drink first, my child," he said.
"Lord, I have drunk already."
He drained the cup without further ado.
"Good milk," he said when he had done. He took these things, you see,very much as they came.
His next act was to kneel face to the sun and begin his prayers.Something made him stop; he turned him to his wife.
"Hast thou said thy prayers, Isoult?"
"No, lord," said she, reddening.
"Come then and pray with me. It is a good custom."
She obeyed him so far as to kneel down by his side. He began again. Shehad nothing to say, so he stopped again.
"Dost thou forget thy prayers since thou art a wife, Isoult?"
"Lord, I know none," said she with a shameful face.
"Thou art not a Christian then?"
"If a Christian prays, my lord, I am not a Christian."
"But thou hast been baptized?"
"Yes, lord."
"How knowest thou?"
"The Lord Abbot once reproached me before my parents that I haddisgraced Holy Baptism; and my father beat me soundly for it, sayingthat of all his afflictions that was the hardest to bear. This he didin the presence of the Lord Abbot himself. Therefore I know that I havebeen beaten for the sake of my baptism."
Prosper was satisfied.
"It is enough, Isoult. Thou art certainly a Christian. Nevertheless,such an one should pray (and women as well as men), even though it mayvery well be that he knows not what he is saying. Prayer is a greatmystery, look you. Yet this I know, that it is also a great comfort.For remember that if a Christian prays--knowing or not knowing themeaning of the act and the upshot of it--he is very sure it isacceptable to Saint Mary, and through her to God Almighty Himself. Somuch so, indeed, that he is emboldened thereafter to add certainimpertinences and urgent desires of his own, which Saint Mary is goodenough to hear, and by her intercession as often as not to win to beaccepted. Some add a word or two to their saint or guardian, othersinvoke all the saints in a body; but it is idle to do one or any ofthese things without you have prayed first. So you must by all meanslearn to pray. Sit down by me here and I will teach you."
She sat as close to him as she dared on the trunk of the beech, whilehe taught her to say after him, _"Pater noster qui es in coelis"_, and_"Ave Maria gratia plena."_ In this way they spent a full hour or more,going over and over the Latin words till she was as perfect as he. Inthe stress of the task, which interested Prosper vastly, their handsmet more than once; finally Prosper's settled down over hers and heldit. In time he caught the other. Isoult's heart beat wildly; she hadnever been so happy. When she had all the words pat they knelt down andprayed together, with the best results.
"Now, child," said Prosper, "you may add what you choose of your ownaccord; and be sure that our Lady will hear you. It is a great merit tobe sure of this. The greater the Christian the surer he is. I also willmake my petition. You have no patron?"
"No, lord, I have never heard of such an one."
"I recommend you to Saint Isidore. His name is the nearest to yoursthat I can remember. For the rest, he is very strong. Ask, then, whatyou will now, my child, and doubt nothing."
Isoult bent her head and shut her eyes for the great essay. What couldshe say? What did she want? She was kneeling by Prosper's side, hishand held hers a happy prisoner.
"Mary, let him take me! Saint Isidore, let him take me--all, all, all!"This was what she panted to Heaven.
Prosper prayed, "My Lady, I beseech thee a good ending to thisadventure which I have undertaken lightly, it may be, but with anhonest heart. Grant also a good and honourable end to myself, and tothis my wife, who is a Christian without knowing it, and by the help ofthy servants at Gracedieu shall be a better. _Per Christum dominum_,etc."
"Now, child," he said, "I have done thee a better turn in teaching theeto pray and sign thyself meekly and devoutly than ever I did by weddingthee in the cottage. Thy soul, my dear, thy soul is worth a hundredtimes thy pretty person. Saint Bernard, I understand, says, 'My son,think of the worms when thou art disposed to cherish thyself in alooking-glass.' It is to go far. Saint Bernard was a monk, and it is amonk's way to think of nastiness; but he was right in the main. Yoursoul is the chief part of you. Now to finish: when we are at Gracedieuthou shalt confess and go to Mass. Then thou wilt be as good aChristian as I am."
"Lord, is that all I must do?" she asked meekly.
Prosper grew grave. He put his hand on the girl's shoulder, as he said--
"Deal justly, live cleanly, breathe sweet breath. Praise God in thyheart when He is kind, bow thy head and knees when He is angry; lookfor Him to be near thee at all times. Do this, and beyond it trust thyheart."
"Lord, I will do it."
"Thou art a good child, Isoult. I am pleased with thee," he said, andkissed her. She turned her face lest he should see that she was crying.Soon afterwards they set off towards Gracedieu.
The day, the night, the next morning found them on the journey. Theyhad to travel slowly, could indeed have made better pace on foot; forMid-Morgraunt is a tangle of brush and undergrowth, and the swamps(which are many and of unknown depth) have all to be circled.
There seemed, however, to be no further pursuit; they could go at theirease, for they met nobody. On the other hand, they met with no foodmore solid than milk. There were deer in plenty. Isoult was able tofeed herself and her husband, and keep both from exhaustion, withoutsuspicion from him or much cost to herself. The second time of doingit, it is true, she went tremblingly to work, and was like to bungleit. What one may do on the flood one may easily miss on the ebb;moreover, it was night-time, she was tired, and not sure of herself.Nevertheless, she was fed, and Prosper was fed. Next morning she was ascool as you choose, singled out her hind as she walked into the herd,went on all fours and sucked like a calf. She grew nice, indeed. Thebeast she tried first had rough milk; this would do for her wellenough, but my lord must have of the best. She chose another with greatcare, played milk-maid to her, and drew Prosper full measure.
He, her sovereign, took every event with equal mind, and placidly,whether it was a wedding, a fight, or a miraculous fountain of milk. Ifshe had drawn his food from herself he would not have questioned her;if it had been her last ounce of life he would not have thanked her themore. You cannot blame him for this. To begin with, he knew nothing ofher or her doings when he was asleep or on the watch. And a young manis a prodigal always, of another's goods besides his own, while a youngwoman is his banker, never so rich as when he overdraws. Deprived ofhim by her own act, his wife in name, she was his servant in reality.His servant and, just now, his sumpter-beast. Very wistfully she servedhim, but very diligently, only asking that he should neither thank norblame her. It very seldom occurred to him to do either; but so sure ashe threw a "good child" at her, she had a lump in her throat andsmarting eyes. True, she had her little rewards, to be enjoyed when hecould not guess that her heart was all in a flutter, or see that hercheeks were wet. Night and morning they said their _Pater Noster_ and_Ave Maria_, out of which (although she understood them as little as hedid) she did not fail to suck the comfort he had promised her. Shelearned also to speak familiarly to Saint Isidore and Madonna. Thisserved her in good stead later in her career. Meantime, night andmorning they knelt side by side, their arms touched, sometimes theirhands strayed and joined company. Then hers ended by resting where theywere, as in a warm nest. Pray what more could a girl ask of theChristian faith?
By sunset of the second day passed in this fashion they were before thegreat west front of Gracedieu Minster, knocking at the Mercy Door. Itopened. They were safe for the present, and Prosper felt his horizonenlarged.