And
soon we did be finished, and she to ask for her girdle that I did give
her with the knife, as I have surely told. And she belted the cloak very
graceful about her; and lookt very dear and pretty with her little bare
feet; and her hair very lovely upon her shoulders, for she did wear
alway in the Gorge the lining of my head-piece, and so had her hair dry
and sweet. And, in verity, I did mind now, how that she did look very beautiful in
her bath, as I had gone to succour her from the snake; and I to be
nicely wholesome in this remembering, because of my love, but yet to be
knowing that I was sweetly stirred to new things; and did not know
before that a maid lookt in the same moment so holy and so human. And
afterward, in odd whiles, I remembered; but never to think overmuch,
because that I did feel inwardly that I should be gently wise in such
things; and you to understand my heart in this, if that ever you have
loved. And surely, the Maid brought me from my dreamings very sensible, in that
she had me to stand; and she was gone about me very swift and natty with
her pretty fingers, that she ease me of mine armour. And afterward, she bade me to strip and wash, whilst that she keep watch
for me of the Gorge. And she took the Diskos, and leaned upon it, very
brave and proper; but yet, as I do think, with somewhat of roguishness
within her, very deep hid, and scarce known unto herself. And I warned her to be very wise with the great weapon; for it did fit
only to fight in my hands, and did be like to cause harm to any that
should meddle with it or make to use it, save me. And Naani to nod that she did hear me, and to be half in fear of the
thing, and half to feel that it did be friendly to her; and so to stand
guard for me; and truly to seem a very sweet and slender maid, despite
the bigness of the cloak; and the great weapon to seem more great in her
small hands; and to mind me how strong I did be. And surely you shall
think me in conceit; but truly I did be glad to be so strong; and a
proper thing for pride, if that there be no scorn for others therein. And you to agree with me in this thing, or to be lacking of sympathy and
good human understanding. Now I washt me, not by going down into the pool; for indeed I did not
wot whether there be any more snakes hid there in some other hole. And
the way I washt, was that I dipt my head-piece into the hot pool, and
poured the water over me, and rubbed my body very strong with my hands;
and there to be, surely, some certain chemical in the water that aided
mine efforts; for the water went very smooth under my hands. And when I was done, I washt my pocket-cloth very speedy in the pool,
and wrung it, and did then wipe my body so dry as I should; and
afterward I wrung the cloth again, and set it about my loins, and so to
be as proper as I might. And I did call to the Maid that I was proper, and she to come then and
kiss me; and she gave back to me the Diskos, and set me that I stand
anigh to the nearer fire-hole, and so to be that I should guard her, and
in the same time be come free of the chill of the Gorge, which was not
great in that place. And surely I did mean that I help her; but she would have no help in her
work that she did say to be her glad right; but bade me that I to mine
own work to be her dear protector, as she did call me. And I to lift
that Wilful One into mine arms, a moment, and to give her a very loving
hug, and for that time to have no fear that I harm her, because that I
was freed of the hardness of the armour about me, as you do know. And surely she to feel very dear and pretty in mine arms, and she kist
me the once with a little passion of love; and immediately to want to go
from me; so that I freed her in a moment, as was ever my way. And she
then to pause a small space off from me, and lookt at me with a light in
her eyes, and half to put out her arms that she be taken again into
mine; but so to cease, ere she yield to her heart; and turned from me
immediately to the task of the washing. And she took first my body-vest, and washt it very quick and clever in
the pool, and afterward came over by me, and spread it upon the hot flat
rock anigh to the fire-hole. And she got then my change body-vest from the bundle of her torn
garments, where she did put it to be washt on opportunity, even as now;
and mayhap to like that it should lie in her bundle with her own
garments, for so, as I do mind, the thought came to me very natural; but
she to say naught to lead me thus; yet to be a very honest and dear
Maid, and to have little secret ways of love, as I did perceive, that I
did not be told of. And she washt the second body-vest, and set it to dry by the first; and
afterward did likewise with all my garments, and came then to the
washing of her own. And lo! as she spread it also to the drying, there came to mine heart
that the Maid did have only this one rough and thick garment, that did
be the armour-suit, as I have told. And surely it did be dreadful that
she have the hardness of that strong knitted and fibrous garment to be
next to her dear body, and I to be in comfort with the softness of my
body-vest. And I was all angered in a moment, that she had gone thiswise, while
that I had been gentled, as it might be. And I bade Naani take the
second vest to her own use when it did be dry. And she to look upward
from where she did turn the garments upon the hot rock; and to mean in
the first to deny me. But indeed she was quick to see that I did be
truly in anger; and mine anger to come because that I was hurt that this
did be, and because that I was shamed that she had gone so rough-clad,
the while that I had no thought to the matter. And moreover because that
she had known her lack, and did not tell me of the thing. But yet I did have a great tenderness in the backward part of mine
anger, because that I perceived all the unselfishness and delight of her
love that did be about this little matter, as you shall see, if you have
gone alway with me. But mine anger yet to be something hard, because I did see that I have
need to watch the Maid, that she put not her dear body to pain, that I
might come unknowing to some little pleasuring or ease, as did be now as
I have shown. And truly it did be sweetly done in love; but to be
somewise lacking of judgement; and so shall you know somewhat of the way
that I did be angered, and to have understanding with me; but if you
have not, you shall think it to be naught, and that the Maid did need
only that she be kist, and to be shaken a little in playfulness, and
warned to heed that I did be earnest; and mayhap you to be somewise
right, and not to guess far off from the inward deepness of my heart. But yet it doth be verity that I was truly angered, and fit to shake
Mine Own, and in the same moment to be utter tender unto her. And surely
this doth be all a contradiction, and the human heart to be a wayward
thing, whether it doth be of a man or of a woman.