And, in verity, I near slapt her then upon her pretty
shoulders, but that she ceased from her tempting of me; and instead she
turned her shoulders to me, even as a child, that I button her garment
for her. And surely, when I had buttoned her garment, she came round unto me, and
closed her hand, so that it did be a little fist, even as I did love her
to do, because that it was so small beside my great hand. And she slipt her shut hand into mine; and surely I let it stay within,
very quiet, and made not to close upon it, as I did wont. And the Maid
did move her hand around in mine, that she make me to take notice upon
her, and to grasp her little fist. Yet I did be very stern, for I was
truly angered; and neither did I put her hand from mine, nor made to
hold it; but only to let it bide; yet, truly, I to be something stirred
in the heart-part by her pretty ways. And in a little while, she took her hand from out of mine, and did have
daring to be cold unto me. And mine anger then to be quaintly renewed,
and to think that she did well need to be whipt. And she made a naughty
and foolish impudence upon that which I said to her; so that presently I
did say that she did need such as should make her to heed her manners;
but yet, as you shall conceive, I to know inwardly all that time how
that even this true naughtiness did not stir me to proper anger; but
more that it made me masterful and to lack not that I make her to know
truly that I did be her Master; and in the same time to be strangely
touched in a very deep and secret place of my heart. And truly love doth
have strange actings upon the heart. And the Maid to ask me in a very saucy fashion that did be intentioned
to anger me, what I did mean that she to need. And truly I said that she
did go the way to earn that she be flogged like any boy, and I to mean
actual all that I did say, which doth something amaze me now; but, as I
do know, I yet to be constant stirred inwardly by her beloved quaintness
that did be alway so dainty, even when that she did mean her naughtiness
to be truly to anger me. And lo! when I told the Maid this thing, that she did well go to earn a
sharp reproof, she turned in a quick instant, and came close to me, all
tender and small and to need to be nigh to me. And she slipt both her
closed hands into the one of mine, and truly they did be little fists. And because I could be no more stern with Mine Own, I put mine arm about
her, and she did nestle to me, so that all my being did want to be a
shield about her. And she to hark very quiet and humble to my counsellings; and in the
end did be so strangely husht that I lookt down to where her pretty face
did be hid against mine armour, as she did love to do, when that I did
be those odd whiles a little stern with her. And I held her face away
from mine armour; and surely she did be smiling, very quiet and naughty;
so that I perceived that she did be good only for that time, and did be
like to show again this wrongful and impudent spirit. Yet I not then to
be in trouble of the future; but to hope only that I do wisely, if that
she show again this waywardness. And, truly, I to perceive now that I
did be very young; but, anywise, as you do know, I to act alway from the
natural telling of my heart. And I shook Naani a little, for this naughty spirit which did not be
gone from her. For I perceived that my manhood had but stirred the woman
in her to that strange quick humbleness that had seemed to be a
quenching of her wayward unwisdom; and truly it had not been stilled,
but only sunken for a little moment in the uprising of her dear nature,
which had responded unto me. And the Maid to look at me from under her lids, as I did shake her with
gentleness; and I to know that Mine Own did be a wondrous maiden, full
of all life and spirit, and to be held wisely and to be loosed wisely,
all as did be for the best to bring out the uttermost of her goodness
which did be in all her being, and to be very lovely; and to make me
feel as that I did be a giant that held a white flower very tender; but
I to feel also that I did be her Master. And this mayhap you to
understand, if that you look into your hearts. And by all my telling, you to know that I did be very dainty with Mine
Own Maid that did be all of daintiness; but yet I to be masterful, as
did be my nature, and a very proper way it did be with the Maid, so that
she did be alway reasonable in the main; and this to come out of her
love, which did have pleasure to know that I did be Master unto her, all
in the same while that she did fight to show that I did be otherwise. And truly, and in part by this same showing, you shall perceive that her
naughtiness to come likewise from her love, and the way that my nature
did work upon her. Now I to shake the Maid very gentle, as I have said, and with much that
did be of play, but in the same wise there to be also somewhat of tender
reproof. And surely, that naughty maid to spring very light upon her
toes, and had kist me sudden and dainty upon the mouth, before that I
did wot. And I to put mine arm about her, and to give her a little hug; and
immediately then to matters that did be practical; for I was eager to
have come across that stony part of the journey, that did be before us,
as you do know, before that we look for a place for our slumber. And
this eagerness of haste to be, because of the great bird things which I
had seen to go bounding over that waste, when that I was upon mine
outward way. And, surely, after that I had thought a little moment, I bid the Maid
that she dress in her torn garments, so that these should be over the
top of the armour-suit, and thiswise to make a soft thickness upon the
top of the armour-suit, that should act for a cushion between mine
armour and her dear body. But indeed, the Maid would nowise to do this thing; and I not to make
her, because that my heart perceived how it did be with her. And her
reasons to be someways mixt, as doth be proper in all humans, and the
more so when that it doth be a maid that hath reasons, as you to know,
if that you have ever held such dear perverseness in your arms. And she, as I could know, to be strangely in love that her gentle body
be bruised by the hardness of mine armour; and if this might not be, she
to be not wishful that she wear her torn clothing upon her neat suit and
so to seem careless and to lack to be dainty in mine eyes; for, indeed,
she did be alway to wash herself and to make tidiness; and she to have a
way now that she did set the armour-suit upon her, that had it to seem
different, and she to have set a little sprig from the trees upon her
breast, and in her girdle, and so to seem the more of a maid; and surely
a man doth know and love these things; but not alway to have full
knowing how that they be done. And, indeed, you to be likewise with me
in this thing. And we all to think we know, but somewise to be just
a-lack when that it doth come to the proof.