Great Britain -- History -- Henry VII, 1485-1509 -- Fiction; Historical fiction
“Go at once!” said Morgen Fay, and so meant it that she wrought their
going. Bettany, obeying her, rode without turning his head, straight
through the wood. The trees fell like fountains between the two and
the thorn bush. To the right lay the ruined farm, but they pushed on
and came after a mile to the narrow, little travelled road that led
at last to the highway that, passing Silver Cross, ran on to Middle
Forest.
CHAPTER XIV
He turned his face from the wall to which it had been set. Light was in
the cell. He turned his body; he rose. “Oh, my Lady--”
In the torrent rush of feeling he came close before he kneeled. The
light-swathed form stepped back from him. He knew overwhelming, aching,
bursting sense of felicity that yet was pain, was hunger. The float of
the red and blue drapery, the face that was the face of the picture,
the height, the sense of heaven in one Form--
On his knees he came nearer. His eyes were not hidden as before,
waiting for her to speak. He could not other; he did not think at all.
He would have put hands about her feet and with his eyes drink power
and beauty and love.
She went back from him again. Something untoward happened. Her foot
and shoulder struck the great rood, pushed slightly forward from the
wall. It spun aside. Behind it showed in plain light a low and narrow
doorway, with door swinging outward, closed and hidden, all times but
this, by the great cross. Light showed the very rope and pulley by
which the masking wood was pushed forward and drawn back. Light showed
through into Brother Norbert’s cell; in the very opening showed Brother
Norbert and over his shoulder the white face of Brother Anselm. While
Richard Englefield rose to his feet, the shape that he had esteemed of
glory turned, bent itself and vanished through the opening. Light went
out.
There was an effort to close the door but before it could be done
his knee and shoulder were there to prevent. There was a sound of
breathing, of muttering, then a hurry of feet. He broke through into
Brother Norbert’s cell and felt that it was empty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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