Now this I shrieked out, being mad; and though I trembled when I saw
some stormy wrath that vexed her very heart and loving lips, gathering
on her face, I yet sat there looking at her and screaming, screaming,
till all the place rang.
But when growing hoarse and breathless I ceased; she said, with
straitened brow and scornful mouth: "So! Bravely done! Must I then,
though I am a woman, call you a liar, for saying God is unjust? You to
punish her, had not God then punished her already? How many times when
she woke in the dead night do you suppose she missed seeing King
Urrayne's pale face and hacked head lying on the pillow by her side?
Whether by night or day, what things but screams did she hear when the
wind blew loud round about the Palace corners? And did not that face
too, often come before her, pale and bleeding as it was long ago, and
gaze at her from unhappy eyes! Poor eyesi With changed purpose in
them- no more hope of converting the world when that blow was once
struck, truly it was very wicked-no more dreams, but only fierce
struggles with the Devil for very life, no more dreams but failure at
last, and death, happier so in the Hollow Land."
She grew so pitying as she gazed at his dead face that I began to weep
again unreasonably, while she saw not that I was weeping, but looked
only on Arnald's face, but after turned on me frowning. "Unjust! Yes,
truly unjust enough to take away life and all hope from her; you have
done a base cowardly act, you and your brother here, disguise it as
you may; you deserve all God's judgment - you"
But I turned my eyes and wet face to her, and said: "Do not curse me
there - do not look like Swanhilda: for see now, you said at first
that you have been waiting long for me, give me your hand now, for I
love you so."
Then she came and knelt by where I sat, and I caught her in my arms
and she prayed to be forgiven.
"0, Florian! I have indeed waited long for you, and when I saw you my
heart was filled with joy, but you would neither touch me nor speak to
me, so that I became almost mad, forgive me, we will be so happy now.
0! do you know this is what I have been waiting for all these years;
it made me glad, I know, when I was a little baby in my mother's arms
to think I was born for this; and afterwards, as I grew up, I used to
watch every breath of wind through the beech-boughs, every turn of the
silver poplar leaves, thinking it might be you or some news of you."
Then I rose and drew her up with me; but she knelt again by my
brother's side, and kissed him, and said:
"0 brother! The Hollow Land is only second best of the places God has
made, for Heaven also is the work of His hand."
Afterwards we dug a deep grave among the beechroots and there we
buried Amald de Liliis.
And I have never seen him since, scarcely even in dreams; surely God
has had mercy on him, for he was very leal and true and brave; he
loved many men, and was kind and gentle to his friends, neither did he
hate any but Swanhilda.
But as for us two, Margaret and me, I cannot tell you concerning our
happiness, such things cannot be told; only this I know, that we abode
continually in the Hollow Land until I lost it.
Moreover this I can tell you. Margaret was walking with me, as she
often walked near the place where I had first seen her; presently we
came upon a woman sitting, dressed in scarlet and gold raiment, with
her head laid down on her knees; likewise we heard her sobbing.
"Margaret, who is she?" I said: "I knew not that any dwelt in the
Hollow Land but us two only."
She said, "I know not who she is, only sometimes; these many years, I
have seen her scarlet robe flaming from far away, amid the quiet green
grass: but I was never so near her as this.