He sat down beside her on the edge of the brychan, and lifted her against his shoulder, and carefully gathering the blankets of the bed about her, took her up in his arms. She made no sign or sound of pain, but only a soft sigh, and with his cheek pressed steadyingly against her hair he carried her out on to the guard-walk, and the few yards round the stony bulk of the tower to the northern parapet and stood cradling her as the sun rose, their faces towards the sea. There in the open the air was sweet and cool, and below us, beyond the shore road, the reeds and grasses of the marsh stood erect like small bright lances, every one separate, going down in lush, tufted waves to where the sands began, with a great exultation of sea-birds filling the air above. The level sunrays made all the surface of the Strait a dance of fireflies, but beneath the glitter the deeps shone green as emeralds, and darker blue in the centre, and the shallows where the sands showed through were the colour of ripening wheat. Along the horizon ran the purple line of the coast of Anglesey, and in the centre of that distant shore was the Franciscan friary of Llanfaes, the burying place of the princesses of Gwynedd. In the morning light it appeared as the distant harbour of desire, absolute in beauty and peace. She lay content in his arms and on his heart, her cheek against his cheek, and her eyes drew light from the picture on which she gazed, and grew so wide and wise in their hazel-gold that there was a moment when I believed he had won the battle. He knew better. Very still he stood, not to jar or hurt her, and softly still he spoke, of Wales, that she had taken to her heart and that loved her in return, and of a future when there would be no need of war, when this land would be free and united and honourable among the countries of Christendom, and kings and princes would pledge peace and keep it, and her childs children, the descendants of Earl Simon, would walk at large as heroes among their own people, and equals among the monarchs of the world. Her lips moved, soundlessly, saying: Yes! It was right that she should take her leave of the world, as she had greeted it in passing, with a cry of affirmation. The sun was just clear of the horizon, and the sky to eastward the colour of primroses, and to westward of cornflowers, when the faintest of tremours passed through her body, and her head turned slightly upon her shoulder, her lips straining to his cheek. One word she said, and this time not silently shaping it, yet on so feeble a breath that neither he nor I could have caught it but for the great silence in which we stood. But hear it I did, and so did he. We never spoke of it, but I know. Cariad! she said, and her breath caught and halted long, gently began again, and again sank into stillness. He held her for a great while after that, but there was no more sound, and no more movement, and that was her message to him. She did not leave him without saying farewell. Yes! Cariad! When he was quite sure that it was a dead woman he held on his heart, he carried her in and laid her on the bed, and with steady hands smoothed her hair again over the pillow, and crossed the frail hands on her breast. Gently he drew the lace-veined eyelids over her eyes and held them for a while with reverent fingers. After he had kissed her brow, and signed her with a cross, he turned at last to me. Call the women, he said. She has no more need of me. When he went out from the chamber where she lay, his face was a better likeness of death than hers. THE BROTHERS OF GWYNEDD EDITH PARGETER
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 07:50:24 +0000
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