UTHER AND IGRAINE
“PELLEAS WATCHED HER AS HER GREY GOWN WENT AMID THE GREEN AND RED”
UTHER AND IGRAINE
BY
WARWICK DEEPING
ILLUSTRATED BY W. BENDA
NEW YORK
THE OUTLOOK COMPANY
1903
Copyright, 1903, by
THE OUTLOOK COMPANY.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Published October, 1903.
To
MAUDE MERRILL
WITH THE AUTHOR’S HOMAGE
CONTENTS
| PAGE | |
|---|---|
| BOOK I | |
| The Way to Winchester | 1 |
| BOOK II | |
| Gorlois | 93 |
| BOOK III | |
| The War in Wales | 199 |
| BOOK IV | |
| Tintagel | 325 |
BOOK I
THE WAY TO WINCHESTER
I
Beneath the dark cornices of a thicket of wind-stuntedpines stood a small company of women looking out into thehastening night. The half light of evening lay over thescene, rolling wood and valley into a misty mass, whilethe horizon stood curbed by a belt of imminent clouds. Inthe western vault, a vast rent in the wall of grey gave outa blaze of transient gold that slanted like a spear-shaft to asullen sea.
A wind cried restlessly amid the trees, gusty at intervals,but tuning its mood to a desolate and constant moan.There was an expression of despair on the face of the west.The woods were full of a vague woe, and of troubled breathing.The trees seemed to sway to one another, to flingstrange words with a tossing of hair, and outstretched hands.The furze in the valley—swept and harrowed—undulatedlike a green lagoon.
The women upon the hill were garbed after the fashionof grey nuns. Their gowns stood out blankly against theascetic trunks of the pines. They were huddled togetherin a group, like sheep under a thorn hedge when stormsthreaten. The dark ovals of their hoods were turnedtowards the south, where the white patch of a sail showedvaguely through the gathering grey.
Between the hill and the cliffs lay a valley, threaded bya meagre stream, that quavered through pastures. A misthung there despite the wind. Folded by a circle of oaksrose the grey walls of an ecclesiastical building of no inconsiderablesize, while the mournful clangour of a bell cameup upon the wind, with a vague sound as of voices chanting.[4]Valley, stream, and abbey