And she turned, now, and did look upward into the dark of the Gorge, and
to spy upon the great mouth thereof, and to be feared then, and must run
a greater way downward into the lightness of the Country of the Seas;
and to come once more to pause, and to look backward, and with an awe
and a relieved soul; and so again to the wonder of the spreaded Country
and the great Sea; and did near to laugh and cry in the same moment,
with the amazement and gladness and great astonishment that did be upon
her. And she to turn constant this way and that, and to be never ceased
of looking, and of deep breathings of the wide air; for never in that
life had she been in a broad place of light, as you shall have
perceived. And we to feel, both, that there did be no more need to talk husht, as
we did alway in the gloom and narrow dark of the gorge. And surely she
to shout, as a child that doth try an echo; and her voice to go very
pretty into the distance, and to be lost afar off in that Country. And lo! in a moment, an echo to come out of the dark mountains to our
backs; so that we lookt round very sudden; but whether the echo did be
truly an echo, or some strangeness, or some unnatural call to come
downward out of the gloom and horror of the Gorge, we did be all unsure;
and indeed must run downward a while more, until that we did be all
breathed, and to halt presently where we did feel to be utter free of
the Gorge and of the strangeness that did seem to our minds, in that
moment, to lie upward in the darkness of the great mountains. And surely we did took about for a flat rock to be for our use, and we
came presently to a place nice to our purpose, that did be yet upward
over the Land; and we climbed up on to the rock and sat thereon to have
our food and drink. And as we eat and drank, we did sit very close and happy; but yet to
have a wise looking about anigh to us, so that we be caught by no danger
of the Humpt Men, or by any other danger that might be. And alway, the Maid did question, and did stare afar over the Country,
and to have a shining wonder and joy of the sea, and to be stirred in
all her being, so that she was pained with vague and sudden memories,
that did be as strange dreams, and all mixt with pleasure and pain. And,
indeed, she sudden to weeping, and to need that she be in mine arms,
until that she know herself once again; and so to her dear natural joy
and way. And oft did Mine Own speak upon the clear wonder of the air, as it did
seem to her; and to me it did seem likewise, that had lived my life also
in a Dark Land, as you do know. And she to break sudden from her rapture, and to set back her speech an
Eternity with vague words, and memories so olden and englamoured that
they did be as moonlight that once hath shone. And in a moment she to be
forward again into that far future time and speech, and all her being to
be close unto me, and oft in a solemn silence of the heart. And the greatness of the sea to call unto her with an olden voice, and
to half waken her; and I with her to be thus half-wakened, yet had I
been not thus as I did come mine outward way; but truly I did stir to
the stirring of the Maid, and all mine olden thoughts that did be my
memory-dreams, to come afresh upon my spirit. And so we two to sit there all shaken with dreamings that did concern
happenings of the olden world that did lie upward in that dreadful night
which made a mighty and deeply roof over that Country. And surely I am
dumb, in that I have no speech to make known to you all the troublings
and stirrings of our spirits that we did know in that moment. And far off, by miles, beyond the feet of the mountain, where went the
shore of the sea, upon our left, there was a great mist and steam; and
this to be that mist and steam that I did come through on mine outward
way; and Naani to ask concerning it, and I to tell her so much as I
knew, and how that we must indeed come presently through it, upon our
journey. And she to be in wonder of the volcanoes that did burn in the sea, and
in this place and that of the wide Country, and the height and grandness
to exalt her, and in the same time to give her a strange humbleness of
her mind; so that presently I did take her into mine arms, for I must
kiss her, because that she did be so utter a sweet maiden, and lovely
with interest and naturalness. And truly she to kiss me in turn; and to
make her questionings between her kissings; and this to be because she
did yearn for a greater knowing of the Country; but also, as I do half
to think, because she did be sweetly impudent unto me; and this to be of
her joy. And presently, she to kiss me thrice very passionate and warm upon the
mouth; and immediately to take my shoulders, with her small hands, that
did seem so pretty upon my broadness and upon the metal of the armour. And she to strive thus that she shake me to a speedier answering; and
she, all that while, to be full of a dear naughtiness, and to need that
she be kist very hard. And I to answer her; but after mine own fashion which did be a word
between each kiss that I gave to her. And she very quick and naughty to
put her hand between our lips; and I then to kiss the palm, that did be
in my way, and did be very small and pretty. And she, when I had no
thought, to open her fingers very quick, and kiss me through between the
fingers, and immediately to shut the fingers, so that I did be stopt
from the same. And afterward, I made her to stand upon the rock, and I set free her
hair over her shoulders; and I took then the boots from her, so that her
little feet did show bare and pretty. And she, at the first, half to
refuse me; but afterward to stand very dear and obedient that I should
have my way with her; and to be a little shy, and the more pretty
because of her sweet blushings. And surely, when that I had her to my likings, I stept back a little
pace, and lookt at her. And she to look again at me, very quaint and
naughty; and then to turn her about, very grave; and to make pretend
that she did be a dummy figure. And, surely, when she did be come right
round, and to face me again, and had a very sedate look, she stretched
out her pretty foot, all in a moment, and put her pink toes sudden upon
my lips; and I to be so in surprise, that I had not wit to do aught, ere
she had them back swift from me. And she then to make one glad spring
into mine arms, and to want that she be hugged, and to be loved very
great. And I to laugh, all tender; for I loved her so utter, as you do
know; and I to tell her, as you sure likewise to have told your maid,
that I wanted a pocket sufficient, that I might have her therein alway
anigh to my heart; and this thing I to say to her, as a man that doth
love, shall say it; and you to know the way of it so well as I. And she
to laugh very mischievous, and to tell me that she should truly tickle
me, if that I carried her thatwise; aye and to pinch me, too.