Lady Sybil's Choice: A Tale of the Crusades — John Shaqi
Lady Sybil's Choice: A Tale of the CrusadesHolt, Emily Sarah
History
Lady Sybil's Choice: A Tale of the Crusades
Holt, Emily Sarah
Crusades -- Fiction; Historical fiction
Which shows plainly that there are such things as ghosts.
[#] Pleasure-grounds.
The night before Guy went away—can it be two evenings since,—only
two?—we crept into the long gallery, as we two always do when we want a
quiet talk, and sat down in that window from which you get the lovely
view of the church spire through the trees, across the river. That is
always our favourite window. Guy was trying to comfort me, and I am
rather afraid I was crying. And he said, drawing me up to him, and
kissing me,—
"Now, my little Elaine, there have been tears enough for once. I am not
going to forget thee, any more than thou meanest to forget me. When I
have fought the Saracens, and taken Saladin captive, and brought him in
chains to Jerusalem, and the King has made me a Count, and given me a
beautiful lady for my wife, and everybody is talking about me,"—of
course I knew that was only Guy’s fun; he did not really expect all
that,—"then," he went on, "I will send home for Amaury and my little
pet, and you shall come to me in the Holy Land. Monseigneur promised me
that, thou knowest. He said it would be an excellent thing for thee;
because thou wouldst not only have all thy sins forgiven at the Holy
Sepulchre, but very likely I should have the chance of getting a good
husband for thee. And I have talked well to Amaury about taking care of
thee on the journey; and Marguerite must attend thee. So look forward
to that, Lynette, and dry those red eyes."
"They will be red till thou comest back, Guy!" said I, with another
burst of tears.
"I am sure I hope not!" he answered, laughing. "They will be very ugly
if they are; and then how am I to get thee a husband?"
"I don’t care about one, I thank thee," said I "So that does not
signify."
"Ah, that is because thou art fourteen," said Guy; "wait till thou art
four-and-twenty."
There, now! if I could have been vexed with my own dear Guy, and just
when he was going away for ever—at least it looks very like for ever—but
of course I could not. But why will men—even the very best of
them—always fancy that a girl cares more for a husband than anything
else in this world? However, I let it pass. How could I quarrel with
Guy?
"Guy," I said, "dost thou care very much about having a beautiful lady
for thy wife?"
Guy takes the Cross.
"Oh, certainly!" replied Guy, pursing up his lips, and pretending to be
grave.
I did not like the idea one bit. I felt more inclined to cry till Guy
came back than ever.
"What will she be like, Guy?" I asked, trying not to show it.
"She will be the loveliest creature in all the world," said Guy, "with
eyes as black as sloes, and hair like a raven’s plumage; and so rich
that whenever she puts her hand in her pocket thou wilt hear the besants
go chink, chink against each other."
"Wilt thou love her, Guy?" I said, gulping down my thoughts.
"To distraction!" replied Guy, casting up his eyes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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