Thou askest me if thou mayest do aught to
assuage my grief; dear lady, I am not grieved now, that has gone by;
nay, now I am more than not grieved, I am made happy, because I am
with thee. But since thou art so debonair with me, I will ask thee
to do somewhat for me; and that is, to tell me of thy life gone by; I
mean, sweet young damsel, of thy life when thou wert a little child.
Then Birdalone kissed her and said: It goes to my heart that thou
lovest me; for soon as I set eyes on thee my heart went out to thee;
and now belike we shall be dear friends; and that is a thing that
shall avail me much, to have a friend who is so much older than I, so
that nought can come between us, of the love of men and other griefs.
Yea, now, said the dame, smiling somewhat sadly; now do I see the
water standing in thine eyes, and thy voice quavers. Is it so, thou
lovely kind damsel, that thou hast been grieved by love of a man?
Who then may prevail in love if thou prevail not? And she fell to
fondling Birdalone's hand; but Birdalone said: It is over-long to
tell of all my life, mother, though I be so young; but now I will do
as thou badest me, and tell thee somewhat of my days when I was
little.
Pages:
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450