But she laid her hand on his
shoulder and said: 'Now is it for thee to choose betwixt the wild-
wood and the hall, and whether thou wilt be a guest or a wayfarer
this night.'
As she touched him there took hold of him a sweetness of pleasure he
had never felt erst, and he answered: 'I will be thy guest and not
thy stranger.'
'Come then,' she said, and took his hand in hers, so that he scarce
felt the earth under his feet, as they went all three together toward
the house in the gathering dusk, while eastward where the peaks of
the great mountains dipped was a light that told of the rising of the
moon.
CHAPTER VI. OF FACE-OF-GOD AND THOSE MOUNTAIN-DWELLERS
A yard or two from the threshold Gold-mane hung back a moment,
entangled in some such misgiving as a man is wont to feel when he is
just about to do some new deed, but is not yet deep in the story; his
new friends noted that, for they smiled each in their own way, and
the woman drew her hand away from his. Face-of-god held out his
still as though to take hers again, and therewithal he changed
countenance and said as though he had stayed but to ask that
question:
'Tell me thy name, tall man; and thou, fair woman, tell me thine; for
how can we talk together else?'
The man laughed outright and said: 'The young chieftain thinks that
this house also should be his! Nay, young man, I know what is in thy
thought, be not ashamed that thou art wary; and be assured! We shall
hurt thee no more than thou hast been hurt.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73