Yellow-Cap and Other Fairy-Stories For ChildrenHawthorne, Julian
Science
Yellow-Cap and Other Fairy-Stories For Children
Hawthorne, Julian
Fairy tales
Raymond crossed over to the opposite side of the road, in order to
take a look at the house to which the archway belonged. It was a
little old-fashioned inn, squeezed in between two tall houses, like a
shabby dwarf between two respectable giants. Over the door hung a
sign--a painting of a man with seven heads. They were ugly faces, all
of them, each with its peculiar kind of ugliness, and Raymond felt a
separate kind of dislike towards each one. Nevertheless (as might have
been expected, seeing that there was but one body between them) they
bore a sort of family likeness one to another. 'That must be a very
wicked body,' Raymond thought; 'it must be capable of committing all
the seven deadly sins at once.' It was thick and shapeless, with short
crooked legs, and very long arms. Underneath was written, '_The Seven
Brethren_.'
As he stood in the shadow on the opposite side of the street, with his
cap under his arm, Raymond felt half-minded not to enter the inn which
hung out so uninviting a sign. How different were these faces from
those of Armand, Dorimund, Sigismund, and the rest of the rosy young
farmers who drank milk at the Brindled Cow! Should he go back there
even now? There he would be sure of a welcome: he was not sure of a
welcome here. Raymond hesitated. But before he could make up his mind
the barmaid of the Seven Brethren appeared at the door of the inn. She
soon espied him where he stood, and smiled and beckoned to him.
'Come over, come over, my lad,' she said; 'it's just upon supper-time,
and there's a chop on the gridiron, and a draught of brown ale I'll
draw for you. Come; you look right hungry.'
Her voice and look made Raymond's heart beat, for, in a certain way,
they were like Rosamund's. And yet they were unlike. She had eyes like
Rosamund's, but the expression in them was one which Rosamund never
wore. Her manner of speaking, too, resembled Rosamund's. Yet Rosamund
had never spoken in quite that tone. Raymond hardly knew whether to be
pleased or shocked. After a little hesitation he put on his cap and
came across the street to her.
'Oh! my Lord, I'm sure I crave your pardon!' exclaimed the girl,
dropping him a curtsey. But though her words were humble Raymond
fancied he saw a mischievous sparkle in her eye which made him suspect
that she might be making fun of him. 'I didn't recognise your Lordship
in the shadow over there,' she continued, in a still softer voice.
'They have been expecting your Lordship.'
Now that Raymond was close to the girl she seemed much prettier than
before. 'What is your name?' he asked her.
'Silvia, please your Lordship.'
'Silvia--not Rosamund?'
'Oh, no, please your Lordship. Rosamund is such a vulgar name.'
'You are very pretty, Silvia.'
'Your Lordship is very good to say so,' replied she, casting down her
sparkling eyes and curtseying again.
'What is that round your neck, Silvia?'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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