But a little while tarried the Earl Geoffrey at Leashowe, but departed
next morning and came to Meadhamstead. A month thereafter came folk from
him to Leashowe, to wit, the new meney for the new abode of Goldilind;
amongst whom was a goodly band of men-at-arms, led by an old lord
pinched and peevish of face, who kneeled to Goldilind as the new
burgreve of Greenharbour; and a chaplain, a black canon, young,
broad-cheeked and fresh-looking, but hard-faced and unlovely; three
new damsels withal were come for the young Queen, not young maids, but
stalworth women, well-grown, and two of them hard-featured; the third,
tall, black-haired, and a goodly-fashioned body.
Now when these were come, who were all under the rule of Dame Elinor,
there was no gainsaying the departure to the new home; and in two days'
time they went their ways from Leashowe. But though Goldilind was young,
she was wise, and her heart misgave her, when she was amidst this new
meney, that she was not riding toward glory and honour, and a world of
worship and friends beloved. Howbeit, whatso might lie before her, she
put a good face upon it, and did to those about her queenly and with all
courtesy.
Five days they rode from Leashowe north away, by thorpe and town and
mead and river, till the land became little peopled, and the sixth day
they rode the wild-wood ways, where was no folk, save now and again the
little cot of some forester or collier; but the seventh day, about
noon, they came into a clearing of the wood, a rugged little plain of
lea-land, mingled with marish, with a little deal of acre-land in barley
and rye, round about a score of poor frame-houses set down scattermeal
about the lea. But on a long ridge, at the northern end of the said
plain, was a grey castle, strong, and with big and high towers, yet
not so much greater than was Leashowe, deemed Goldilind, as for a
dwelling-house.
Howbeit, they entered the said castle, and within, as without, it was
somewhat grim, though nought was lacking of plenishing due for folk
knightly. Long it were to tell of its walls and baileys and chambers;
but let this suffice, that on the north side, toward the thick forest,
was a garden of green-sward and flowers and potherbs; and a garth-wall
of grey stone, not very high, was the only defence thereof toward the
wood, but it was overlooked by a tall tower of the great wall, which
hight the Foresters' Tower. In the said outer garth-wall also was a
postern, whereby there was not seldom coming in and going out.
Now when Goldilind had been in her chamber for a few days, she found out
for certain, what she had before misdoubted, that she had been brought
from Leashowe and the peopled parts near to Meadhamstead unto the
uttermost parts of the realm to be kept in prison there.
Howbeit, it was in a way prison courteous; she was still served with
observance, and bowed before, and called my lady and queen, and so
forth: also she might go from chamber to hall and chapel, to and fro,
yet scarce alone; and into the garden she might go, yet not for the more
part unaccompanied; and even at whiles she went out a-gates, but then
ever with folk on the right hand and the left. Forsooth, whiles and
again, within the next two years of her abode at Greenharbour, out of
gates she went and alone; but that was as the prisoner who strives to be
free (although she had, forsooth, no thought or hope of escape), and as
the prisoner brought back was she chastised when she came within gates
again.
Everywhere, to be short, within and about the Castle of Greenharbour,
did Goldilind meet the will and the tyranny of the little sleek widow,
Dame Elinor, to whom both carle and quean in that corner of the world
were but as servants and slaves to do her will; and the said Elinor, who
at first was but spiteful in word and look toward her lady, waxed worse
as time wore and as the blossom of the King's daughter's womanhood began
to unfold, till at last the she-jailer had scarce feasted any day
when she had not in some wise grieved and tormented her prisoner; and
whatever she did, none had might to say her nay.
But Goldilind took all with a high heart, and her courage grew with
her years, nor would she bow the head before any grief, but took to her
whatsoever solace might come to her; as the pleasure of the sun and the
wind, and the beholding of the greenery of the wood, and the fowl and
the beasts playing, which oft she saw afar, and whiles anear, though
whiles, forsooth, she saw nought of it all, whereas she was shut up
betwixt four walls, and that not of her chamber, but of some bare and
foul prison of the Castle, which, with other griefs, must she needs
thole under the name and guise of penance.
However, she waxed so exceeding fair and sweet and lovely, that the
loveliness of her pierced to the hearts of many of her jailers, so that
some of them, and specially of the squires and men-at-arms, would do her
some easement which they might do unrebuked, or not sorely rebuked;
as bringing her flowers in the spring, or whiles a singing-bird or a
squirrel; and an old man there was of the men-at-arms, who would ask
leave, and get it at whiles, to come to her in her chamber, or the
garden? and tell her minstrel tales and the like for her joyance. Sooth
to say, even the pinched heart of the old Burgreve was somewhat touched
by her; and he alone had any might to stand between her and Dame Elinor;
so that but for him it had gone much harder with her than it did.
For the rest, none entered the Castle from the world without, nay not so
much as a travelling monk, or a friar on his wanderings, save and except
some messenger of Earl Geoffrey who had errand with Dame Elinor or the
Burgreve.
So wore the days and the seasons, till it was now more than four years
since she had left Leashowe, and her eighteenth summer was beginning.
But now the tale leaves telling of Goldilind, and goes back to
the matters of Oakenrealm, and therein to what has to do with King
Christopher and Rolf the Marshal.