FAIR DAYS IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE.
On the morrow it was sweet times betwixt those twain, and what was hard
and fierce of their love they seemed to have put behind them. A dear
joy it was to Birdalone that day to busy herself about the
housekeeping, and to provide whatsoever seemed now, or had seemed to
her in her early days, to be dainties of their meadow and woodland
husbandry, as cream and junkets and wood-fruit and honey, and fine
bread made for that very occasion.
Withal she was careful as a mother with a child that he should not
over-weary himself with the sun of the early summer, but rather to
follow the brook up into the wood and lie adown in the flecked shadow
and rest him wholly, as if there were nought for him to do but to take
in rest all that was done for his service, both by the earth and by the
hands and nimble feet of Birdalone. And as she was wilful in other ways
of her cherishing, so also in this, that for nought in that daylight
would she go anywise disarrayed, nay not so much as to go barefoot,
though he prayed her thereof sorely, and told her that fairer and
sweeter she was in her smock alone than in any other raiment. For in
the morning she went in her woodland green let down to her heels, and
when the day wore towards evening, and the wind came cool from over the
Great Water, then she did on her wonder-raiment which the wood-wife had
given her, and led Arthur over the meadows here and there, and went
gleaming by the side of the black-clad man along the water’s lip. And
they looked forth on to Green Eyot and Rock Eyot, and stood by the
shallow bight where she had bathed those times; and they went along to
the dismal creek where the Sending Boat was wont to lie, and where yet
lay the scattered staves of it; and then along the meadow-land they
went from end to end, resting oft on the flowery grass, till the dews
began to fall and the moon cast shadows on the greensward. Then home
they fared to the house; and again on the way must Birdalone feign for
their disport that the witch was come back again, and was awaiting her
to play the tyrant with her; and Arthur fell in with her game, and
kissed her and clipped her, and then drew his sword and said: By
All-hallows I shall smite off her head if she but lay a finger on thee.
So they played like two happy children till they came to the door of
the house, and Birdalone shoved it open, and they two looked in
together and saw nought worse therein save the strange shadows that the
moon cast from the settle on to the floor. Then Birdalone drew in her
love, and went about lighting the candles and quickening a little
cooking fire on the hearth, till the yellow light chased the moon away
from the bed of their desire.