Thou shakest thy head? ah! I forgot;
thou lovest elsewhere, and art a one woman man, a creature to me scarce
conceivable. Well then I shall find thee, not a wife, nor a leman, but
a friend; some honest Burgundian who shall go with thee as far as Lyons;
and much I doubt that honest fellow will be myself, into whose liquor
thou has dropped sundry powders to make me love thee; for erst I endured
not doves in doublet and hose. From Lyons, I say, I can trust thee
by ship to Italy, which being by all accounts the very stronghold of
milksops, thou wilt there be safe: they will hear thy words, and make
thee their duke in a twinkling."
Gerard sighed. "In sooth I love not to think of this Dusseldorf, where
we are to part company, good friend."
They walked silently, each thinking of the separation at hand; the
thought checked trifling conversation, and at these moments it is a
relief to do something, however insignificant. Gerard asked Denys to
lend him a bolt. "I have often shot with a long bow, but never with one
of these!"
"Draw thy knife and cut this one out of the cub," said Denys slily.
"Nay, Day, I want a clean one."
Denys gave him three out of his quiver.
Gerard strung the bow, and levelled it at a bough that had fallen into
the road at some distance. The power of the instrument surprised him;
the short but thick steel bow jarred him to the very heel as it went
off, and the swift steel shaft was invisible in its passage; only the
dead leaves, with which November had carpeted the narrow road, flew
about on the other side of the bough.
Pages:
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221