Not until a knocking came on his own door did the Knight awake and,
leaping from his bed, see--as in a strange, wild dream--Brother Philip,
dusty and haggard, standing on the threshold, the Bishop's letter in
his hand.
CHAPTER XLV
THE SONG OF THE THRUSH
The morning sun already poured into her room, when Mora opened her
eyes, waking suddenly with that complete wide-awakeness which follows
upon profound and dreamless slumber.
Even as she woke, her heart said: "Our bridal day! The day I give
myself to Hugh! The day he leads me home."
She stretched herself at full length upon the couch, her hands crossed
upon her breast, and let the delicious joy of her love sweep over her,
from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head.
The world without lay bathed in sunshine; her heart within was flooded
by the radiance of this new and perfect realisation of her love for
Hugh.
She lay quite still while it enveloped her.
Ten days ago, our Lady had given her to Hugh.
Eight days ago, the Bishop, voicing the Church, had done the same.
But to-day she--she herself--was going to give herself to her lover.
This was the true bridal! For this he had waited. And the reward of
his chivalrous patience was to be, that to-day, of her own free will
she would say; "Hugh, my husband, take me home."
She smiled to remember how, riding forth from the city gates of
Warwick, she had planned within herself that, once safely established
in her own castle, she would abide there days, weeks, perhaps even,
months!
She stretched her arms wide, then flung them above her head.
Pages:
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365