FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34  
35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   >>   >|  
expect?" I said. "That was the one time when you might have worked one of your charms, instead of running into three times your weight." '"I didn't think," he says. "But I caught the man one on the head that was as good as any charm. Did you see it work, Robin?" '"Mind your nose," I said. "Bleed it on a dockleaf--not your sleeve, for pity's sake." I knew what the Lady Esclairmonde would say. 'He didn't care. He was as happy as a gipsy with a stolen pony, and the front part of his gold coat, all blood and grass stains, looked like ancient sacrifices. 'Of course the People of the Hills laid the blame on me. The Boy could do nothing wrong, in their eyes. '"You are bringing him up to act and influence on folk in housen, when you're ready to let him go," I said. "Now he's begun to do it, why do you cry shame on me? That's no shame. It's his nature drawing him to his kind." '"But we don't want him to begin that way," the Lady Esclairmonde said. "We intend a splendid fortune for him--not your flitter-by-night, hedge-jumping, gipsy-work." '"I don't blame you, Robin," says Sir Huon, "but I do think you might look after the Boy more closely." '"I've kept him away from Cold Iron these sixteen years," I said. "You know as well as I do, the first time he touches Cold Iron he'll find his own fortune, in spite of everything you intend for him. You owe me something for that." 'Sir Huon, having been a man, was going to allow me the right of it, but the Lady Esclairmonde, being the Mother of all Mothers, over-persuaded him. '"We're very grateful," Sir Huon said, "but we think that just for the present you are about too much with him on the Hill." '"Though you have said it," I said, "I will give you a second chance." I did not like being called to account for my doings on my own Hill. I wouldn't have stood it even that far except I loved the Boy. '"No! No!" says the Lady Esclairmonde. "He's never any trouble when he's left to me and himself. It's your fault." '"You have said it," I answered. "Hear me! From now on till the Boy has found his fortune, whatever that may be, I vow to you all on my Hill, by Oak, and Ash, and Thorn, and by the Hammer of Asa Thor"--again Puck made that curious double-cut in the air--'"that you may leave me out of all your counts and reckonings." Then I went out'--he snapped his fingers--'like the puff of a candle, and though they called and cried, they made nothing by it. I didn't pr
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34  
35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Esclairmonde

 

fortune

 
intend
 

called

 

chance

 

Though

 

touches

 
grateful
 

present


persuaded

 

Mother

 

Mothers

 

curious

 
double
 
Hammer
 

counts

 

candle

 
fingers

reckonings

 

snapped

 
trouble
 

doings

 
wouldn
 

answered

 

account

 

drawing

 

stolen


ancient

 

sacrifices

 
looked
 

stains

 

weight

 

running

 
expect
 

worked

 
charms

caught
 

dockleaf

 

sleeve

 
People
 

flitter

 
jumping
 
splendid
 

sixteen

 

closely


nature

 

bringing

 
influence
 
housen