And I went then to the opening of the little cave, and put forth my
head, and lookt well about, and harked a long while; but there stirred
nothing in the night thereabout; neither did my spirit wot of any matter
for trouble unto us. And presently, I gat out two of the tablets; for, as you do know, the
Maid had given me the scrip and the pouch to be my pillow, so that I had
power to come at these matters, without awaking her; but for her own
part, as I did learn after, she had used her torn garments to be for a
pillow; yet had made no explaining, as you do mind; and surely this was
one of her naughty whimsies; and mayhap she had been so full of a
playful happiness--as doth take the heart betimes--that she had made a
little mystery where there did be no mystery; and this but to release
her joy, and so to say masterful things unto me, out of her impudence;
and afterward had meant that she tell me; but yet was gone unto slumber,
ere that she did mind her. Yet, since that time, a new thought hath come unto me that she did mean
in the first that she should come into mine arms to sleep, and thereby
need no pillow. But afterward, it may hap that she saw with a sudden
olden wisdom, all in one moment; and afterward did act lovingly, yet
with understanding. And so did change from her intent; yet with no
improperness of modesty; but only with a niceness of Sense, which she
did make no talk of; but yet did have. And surely, how oft is a man thus
wisely ordered, unknowing. And to cease from these thinkings, and to go forward, I eat two of the
tablets, and afterward made some of the water. And lo! the fizzing of
the water waked the Maid; and I knew that she reached out very sudden to
me; but afterward knew in a moment what did make the sound, and that I
did be up and making ready for the journeying. And she gat up in the darkness, and said my name, and came unto me, and
kist my forehead in the dark; and immediately she ran her hands gently
downward of my left arm, and when she came to the cup, she took it from
me, and slapt my hand, very dainty. And afterward I knew that she took a
sip from the cup, and then did turn that side to me, and so gave me to
drink, and did scold me that I had not waked her to tend to my needs;
for surely she did be Mine Own, to have her duties to me. And after that I had drank, she took the cup, and did finish it; and she
gat two of the tablets, as I did think, and came afterward and sat upon
the rock to my side, and did nestle somewhat against mine armour, and
took mine arm and set it about her; and so did make to eat. But first she put her tablet unto my lips, in the dark, that I should
kiss it; and surely this was an olden way of Mirdath My Beautiful One;
so that I did be all shaken of the heart. And I kist the tablet; and
immediately she nestled unto me, and did begin to eat. And truly it was as that Eternity had been rolled backward; for I had
discovered the soul of mine olden Love in this dainty Maid to my side. Yet, in looks had Mirdath been of an utter differing; but, in verity
Naani was wondrous lovely. But, though I to be so stirred, I did be
silent; for my heart was very full of memory. And as the Maid eat, she slipt her fingers between mine, curling them
softly; and surely her fingers did be very little; and she stirred mine
olden memories again in this thing. And surely I was dumb before my
Memory. And presently, she put up the second tablet, as I did think, that I
should kiss it; and I kist it, as before. Yet, ere she did begin again
to eat, I did wot suddenly that she hid some intent from me. And I caught her hand very quick in the dark; and her fingers did close
upon the tablet, very guilty; so that I perceived that I had guessed
aright. And I opened her fingers; and I found that there did be but the
half of a tablet within her hand. And surely she had taken but that one
tablet, and had given me the one end to kiss, and afterward the other;
so that I should suppose she did eat two proper and complete tablets. And I perceived that she had done this thing secretly, being minded that
if she eat always but one tablet, then should I never lack, even if that
we did be over-long coming unto the Mighty Pyramid. And I askt how oft already had she eat but one, for two. And she
confessed in a very quiet voice that this did make the fifth time. And I
was so angered, that I took her hand and whipt it thrice, so hard that
she had screamed if that she had been any coward. And she said nothing
to me, neither went away. And she began again to eat the half of the tablet, and did eat it from
the other hand, as I to be aware, because that her left hand did be
hurt. And she wept not, but was very quiet by me; and presently I knew
that she kist the whipt hand secretly in the dark. And afterward, I put mine arm again about her; and she did be there in
it, very sober and happy. And when she had made an end of the first
tablet, I gave her the second, and she eat it very quiet and content. And presently I talked with her, and showed her how that this thing did
hurt my heart, even as she had been hurt that I did be cold garmented,
the while that she did be warm. And I showed her the wickedness that she
had done, that she did play so foolish with her life and strength; and
well might she be weak and all a-lack. Yet, did I think a little sweet impudence came into her, as I told her
concerning her wickednesses. And I took her then into mine arms, and I
showed her how that I knew all the unselfishness and wonder of her
heart; and I kist her, and truly her lips did have a lovely glad
humbleness as they came unto mine; so that it was as that I had not kist
her truly until that moment. And I made her to promise that she never
deceive me in such matter again. And indeed she promised; but yet with
no ready tongue. And afterward, we made proper for the journey; and when we had gotten
our gear together, I went downward of the rock, and gave the Maid help
to come down. And when we did stand at last upon the bottom of the rock,
I askt Naani how she did feel, and whether her feet did hurt. And she
answered that she did be very well and had no soreness in her feet. And we went forward then, and she close unto me; and odd whiles with low
speech, but more oft with silence, because that we did need that we hark
alway for any danger or horror; and also there did be so utter a silence
upon that part of the Land, which did be the bottom of the olden sea. And we eat and drank at the sixth and the twelfth hours; and in the
fifteenth hour, we came upon a great slope of the earth; and lo! it did
be the far side of the sea. And we went upward for a long hour; and so
came to the upward part, and did be able once more to look over the
greatness of that Land.