I go to
life and to death, and leave thee; and scarce do I know whether to
wish thee some dream of the days beyond thine to tell what shall be,
as thou hast told me, for I know not if that shall help or hinder
thee; but since we have been kind and very friends, I will not leave
thee without a wish of good-will, so at least I wish thee what thou
thyself wishest for thyself, and that is hopeful strife and blameless
peace, which is to say in one word, life. Farewell, friend."
For some little time, although I had known that the daylight was
growing and what was around me, I had scarce seen the things I had
before noted so keenly; but now in a flash I saw all--the east crimson
with sunrise through the white window on my right hand; the
richly-carved stalls and gilded screen work, the pictures on the
walls, the loveliness of the faultless colour of the mosaic window
lights, the altar and the red light over it looking strange in the
daylight, and the biers with the hidden dead men upon them that lay
before the high altar. A great pain filled my heart at the sight of
all that beauty, and withal I heard quick steps coming up the paved
church-path to the porch, and the loud whistle of a sweet old tune
therewith; then the footsteps stopped at the door; I heard the latch
rattle, and knew that Will Green's hand was on the ring of it.
Pages:
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134