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021 - Book 3 Chapter 1 · Bridal Wreath

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  Speaker 1: Book three, Chapter one of the Bridal Wreath by Cigarette Onset.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Book three
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  Speaker 1: Lavrenz Bjorgolfsen, Chapter one. Kristin came home when the spring
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  Speaker 1: was at fairest. The logan rushed headlong round its bend,
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  Speaker 1: past the farmstead and the fields, through the tender leaves
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  Speaker 1: of the alder thickets. Its current glittered and sparkled with
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  Speaker 1: flashes of silver, twas as though the gleams of light
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  Speaker 1: had a voice of their own and joined in the
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  Speaker 1: river's song. For when the evening twilight fell, the waters
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  Speaker 1: seemed to go by with a duller roar. That day
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  Speaker 1: and night, the air above Urengard was filled with the
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  Speaker 1: rushing sound, till Kristin thought she could feel the very
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  Speaker 1: timbers of the houses quivering like the sound box of
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  Speaker 1: a scithern. Small threads of water shone high up on
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  Speaker 1: the fell sides that stood wrapped in blue haze. Day
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  Speaker 1: after day, the heat brooded and quivered over the fields.
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  Speaker 1: The brown earth of the plowlands was nigh hidden by
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  Speaker 1: the spears of corn. The meadows grew deep with grass
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  Speaker 1: and shimmered like silk, where the breaths of wind passed
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  Speaker 1: over groves and hill swards, smelt sweet, and as soon
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  Speaker 1: as the sun was down, there streamed out all around
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  Speaker 1: the strong, cool, sourish breath of sap and growing things.
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  Speaker 1: It was as though the earth gave out a long,
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  Speaker 1: lightened sigh. Christen thought, trembling of the moment when Arlon's
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  Speaker 1: arms released her. Each evening she lay down sick with longing,
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  Speaker 1: and in the mornings she awoke damp with sweat, and
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  Speaker 1: tired out with her dreams. Twas more than she could
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  Speaker 1: understand how the folks at home could forbear to speak
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  Speaker 1: ever a word of the one thing that was in
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  Speaker 1: her thoughts. But week went by after week, and naught
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  Speaker 1: was said of Simon and her broken faith, and none
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  Speaker 1: asked what was in her heart. Her father lay much
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  Speaker 1: out in the woods. Now he had the spring plowing
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  Speaker 1: and sowing off his hands. He went to see his
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  Speaker 1: tar burner's work, and he took hawks and hounds with him,
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  Speaker 1: and was away many days together. When he was at home,
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  Speaker 1: he spoke to his daughter kindly as ever, but it
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  Speaker 1: was as though he had little to say to her,
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  Speaker 1: and never did he ask her to go with him
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  Speaker 1: when he rode out Christen had dreaded to go home
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  Speaker 1: to her mother's chidings, but Ronfret said never a word,
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  Speaker 1: and this seemed even worse. Every year when he feasted
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  Speaker 1: his friends at Saint John's mass, it was Lawrence Burogelson's
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  Speaker 1: wont to give out among the poor folks of the
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  Speaker 1: parish the meat and all sorts of food that had
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  Speaker 1: been saved in his household in the last week of
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  Speaker 1: the fast. Those who lived nighest to Jurngard would come
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  Speaker 1: themselves to fetch away the alms. These poor folks were
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  Speaker 1: ever welcomed and feasted, and Lavrens and his guests and
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  Speaker 1: all the house servants would gather round them, for some
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  Speaker 1: of them were old men who had by heart many
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  Speaker 1: sagas and lays. They sat in the hearth room and
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  Speaker 1: while the time away with the ale cup and friendly talk,
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  Speaker 1: and in the evening they danced in the courtyard. This year,
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  Speaker 1: the eve of Saint John was cloudy and cold, but
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  Speaker 1: none was sorry that I was so, for by now
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  Speaker 1: the farmers of the dale had begun to fear a drought.
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  Speaker 1: No rain had fallen since Saint Halvard's week, and there
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  Speaker 1: had been little snow in the mountains. Not for thirteen
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  Speaker 1: years could folk remember to have seen the river so
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  Speaker 1: low at midsummer. So Laverrens and his guests were of
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  Speaker 1: good cheer when they went down to greet the almsmen
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  Speaker 1: in the hearth room. The poor folks sat round a board,
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  Speaker 1: eating milk porridge and washing it down with strong Ai
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  Speaker 1: and Kristen stood by the table and waited on the
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  Speaker 1: old folk and the sick. Laverns greeted his poor guests
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  Speaker 1: and asked if they were content with their fare. Then
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  Speaker 1: he went about the board to bid welcome to an
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  Speaker 1: old beadsman who had been brought thither that day for
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  Speaker 1: his term at Urngard. The man's name was Hockin. He
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  Speaker 1: had fought under King Hocan the Old, and had been
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  Speaker 1: with the king when he took the field for the
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  Speaker 1: last time in Scotland. He was the poorest of the
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  Speaker 1: poor now and was all but blind. The farmers of
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  Speaker 1: the dale had offered to set him up in a
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  Speaker 1: cottage of his own, but he chose rather to be
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  Speaker 1: handed on as a beadsman from farm to farm, For
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  Speaker 1: everywhere folk welcomed him more like an honored guest, since
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  Speaker 1: he had seen so much of the world and had
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  Speaker 1: laid up great store of knowledge. Laverns stood by with
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  Speaker 1: a hand on his brother's shoulder. For Osmond Bjorgelsen had
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  Speaker 1: come to Uringard on a visit. He asked Hockin too,
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  Speaker 1: how the food liked him. The ale is good, Laverns Brogolfsen,
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  Speaker 1: said Hockin. But methinks a jade has cooked our porridge
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  Speaker 1: for us to day. While the cook cuddles the porridge Burns,
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  Speaker 1: says the by word, and this porridge is singed, an
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  Speaker 1: ill thing. Indeed, said Laverns, that I should give you
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  Speaker 1: singed porridge. But I WoT well the old by word
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  Speaker 1: doth not always say true. For tis my daughter herself
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  Speaker 1: who cooked the porridge for you. He laughed, and bade
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  Speaker 1: Christin and Tortoise make haste to bring in the trenchers
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  Speaker 1: of meat. Kristin slipped quickly out and made across to
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  Speaker 1: the kitchen. Her heart was beating hard. She had caught
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  Speaker 1: a glimpse of Ozmond's face when Hawkin was speaking. That evening.
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  Speaker 1: She saw her father and his brother walking and talking
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  Speaker 1: together in the court yard. Long and late. She was
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  Speaker 1: dizzy with fear, and it was no better with her
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  Speaker 1: the next day when she marked that her father was
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  Speaker 1: silent and joyless. But he said no word, nor did
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  Speaker 1: he say aught after his brother was gone. But Christen
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  Speaker 1: marked well that he spoke less with Hawkin than was
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  Speaker 1: his wont And when their turn for harboring the old
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  Speaker 1: warrior was over, Laverns made no sign towards keeping him
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  Speaker 1: a while longer, but let him move on to the
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  Speaker 1: next farm for the rest. Lavrens Burgelsen had reason enough
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  Speaker 1: this summer to be moody and downcast. For now. All
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  Speaker 1: tokens showed that the year would be an exceedingly bad
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  Speaker 1: one in all the country round, and the farmers were
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  Speaker 1: coming together time and again to take counsel how they
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  Speaker 1: should meet the coming winter. As the late summer drew on,
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  Speaker 1: it was plain to most that they must slaughter great
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  Speaker 1: part of their cattle, or drive them south for sale,
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  Speaker 1: and buy corn to feed their people through the winter.
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  Speaker 1: The year before had been no good corn year, so
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  Speaker 1: that the stalks of old corn were but scanty. One
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  Speaker 1: morning in early autumn, Arunfreed went out with all her
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  Speaker 1: three daughters to see to some linen she had lying
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  Speaker 1: out on the bleached field. Christian praised much her mother's weaving.
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  Speaker 1: Then the mother stroked little Ronborg's hair and said, we
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  Speaker 1: must save this for your bride chest. Little one, Then
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  Speaker 1: mother said, Aulfield, shall I not have any bride chest
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  Speaker 1: when I go to the nunnery. You know well, said Erunfreed.
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  Speaker 1: Your dowry will be no wise less than your sisters,
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  Speaker 1: but twill not be such things as they need that
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  Speaker 1: you will need. And then you know full well too
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  Speaker 1: that you are to bide with your father and me
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  Speaker 1: as long as we live. If so be you will,
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  Speaker 1: And when you come to the nunnery, said Christin unsteadily,
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  Speaker 1: it may be ulf hilt that I shall have been
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  Speaker 1: a nun there for many years. She looked across at
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  Speaker 1: her mother, but Entfrete held her peace. Had I been
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  Speaker 1: such an one that I could marry, said Ulfield, never
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  Speaker 1: would I have turned away from Simon. He was so kind,
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  Speaker 1: and he was so sorrowful when he said farewell to us.
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  Speaker 1: All you know your father bade us not speak of this,
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  Speaker 1: said Renfrete, But Christin broke in defiantly. Ay, well, I
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  Speaker 1: know that twas far more sorrow for him parting from
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  Speaker 1: you than from me. Her mother spoke in anger, and
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  Speaker 1: little must his pride have been. I WoT had he
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  Speaker 1: shown his sorrow before you? You doubt not well and
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  Speaker 1: fairly by Simon Andersen, my daughter. Yet did he beg
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  Speaker 1: us to use neither threats nor curses with you? Nay,
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  Speaker 1: said Christon, as before he thought maybe he had cursed
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  Speaker 1: me himself so much there was no need for any
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  Speaker 1: other to tell me how vile I was. But I'm
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  Speaker 1: arn't not ever that Simon had much care for me
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  Speaker 1: till he saw that I loved another more than him.
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  Speaker 1: Go home, children, said Rofrey to the two little ones.
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  Speaker 1: She sat herself down on a log that lay by
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  Speaker 1: the green, and drew Christen down beside her. You know, surely,
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  Speaker 1: said she then, that it has ever been held seemly
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  Speaker 1: and honorable that a man should not talk over much
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  Speaker 1: of love to his betrothed maiden, nor sit with her
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  Speaker 1: much alone, nor woo too hotly. Oh, said Christin much.
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  Speaker 1: I wonder whether young folk that love one another bear
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  Speaker 1: ever in mind what old folk count for seemly, and
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  Speaker 1: forget not one time or another. All such things be
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  Speaker 1: you ware, Christin, said her mother, that you forget them not.
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  Speaker 1: She sat a little while in silence. What I see
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  Speaker 1: but too well, now is that your father goes in
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  Speaker 1: fear that you have set your heart on a man
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  Speaker 1: he can never gladly give you. Two? What did my
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  Speaker 1: uncle say, asked Christin in a little while, Not said
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  Speaker 1: he answered her mother, But that Erlon of Hussbie is
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  Speaker 1: better of name than of fame. Aye, For he spoke
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  Speaker 1: to Osmond. It seems to say a good word for
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  Speaker 1: him to Laverren's small joy? Was it to your father
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  Speaker 1: when he heard this? But Christin sat beaming with gladness.
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  Speaker 1: Erlon had spoken to her father's brother, and she had
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  Speaker 1: been vexing her heart because he made no sign. Then
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  Speaker 1: her mother spoke again. Yet another thing is that Osmond
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  Speaker 1: said somewhat of a waif word that went about in Oshloe,
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  Speaker 1: that folk had seen this Erlon hang about in the
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  Speaker 1: byways near the convent, and that you had gone out
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  Speaker 1: and spoken with him by the fences there. What, then,
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  Speaker 1: asked Christin? Osmond counseled us. You understand to take this proffer,
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  Speaker 1: said Ronfret. But at that Lovereigns grew more wroth than
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  Speaker 1: I can call to mind. I saw him ever before.
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  Speaker 1: He said that a wooer who tried to come to
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  Speaker 1: his daughter by that road should find him in his
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  Speaker 1: path sword in hand. Twas little honor enough to us
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  Speaker 1: to have dealt as we had with the different folk.
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  Speaker 1: But were it so that ere Lon had lured you
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  Speaker 1: out to gad about the ways in the darkness with him,
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  Speaker 1: and that while you were dwelling in a cloister of
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  Speaker 1: holy nuns, twas a full good token you would be
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  Speaker 1: better served by far by missing such a husband. Christin
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  Speaker 1: crushed her hands together in her lap. The color came
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  Speaker 1: and went in her face. Her mother put an arm
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  Speaker 1: about her waist, but the girl shrank away from her,
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  Speaker 1: beside herself with the passion of her mood, and cried,
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  Speaker 1: let me be mother, Would you feel maybe if my
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  Speaker 1: waist hath grown? The next moment she was standing up,
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  Speaker 1: holding her hand to her cheek. She looked down, bewildered
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  Speaker 1: at her mother's flashing eyes. None had ever struck her
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  Speaker 1: before since she was a little child. Sit down, said renfret,
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  Speaker 1: Sit down, she said again, and the girl was fain
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  Speaker 1: to obey. The mother sat awhile silent. When she spoke,
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  Speaker 1: her voice was shaking. I have seen it full well, Christen,
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  Speaker 1: much have you never loved me? I told myself. Maybe
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  Speaker 1: twas that you thought I loved not you so much,
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  Speaker 1: not as your father loves you. I baited my time.
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  Speaker 1: I thought, when the time came that you had borne
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  Speaker 1: a child yourself, you would really understand. While yet I
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  Speaker 1: was suckling you even then. It was so that when
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  Speaker 1: Laverns came near us too, you would let go my
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  Speaker 1: breast and stretch out towards him, and laugh so that
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  Speaker 1: my milk ran over your lips. Laveran's thought twas good sport,
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  Speaker 1: and God knows I was well content for his sake.
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  Speaker 1: I was well content too, for your sake, that your
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  Speaker 1: father laughed and was merry each time he laid eyes
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  Speaker 1: on you. I thought my own self twas pity of you,
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  Speaker 1: you little being, that I could not have done with
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  Speaker 1: all that much weeping. I was ever thinking more whether
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  Speaker 1: I was to lose you too than joying that I
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  Speaker 1: had you. But God and His Holy Mother know that
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  Speaker 1: I loved you no whit less than Lavern's loved. The
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  Speaker 1: tears were running down over Ronfred's cheeks, but her face
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  Speaker 1: was quite calm now, and so too was her voice.
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  Speaker 1: God knows I never bore him or you a grudge
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  Speaker 1: for the love that was between you. Methought twas little
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  Speaker 1: enough joy I had brought him in the years we
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  Speaker 1: had lived together. I was glad that he had joy
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  Speaker 1: in you. I thought too, that had my father Evar
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  Speaker 1: been such a father to me. There are many things, Kristen,
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  Speaker 1: that a mother should have taught her daughter to beware of.
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  Speaker 1: But methought there was little need of this with you,
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  Speaker 1: who have followed about with your father all these years.
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  Speaker 1: You should know, if any know, what right and honor
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  Speaker 1: are that word you spoke. But now think you I
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  Speaker 1: could believe you would have the heart to bring on
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  Speaker 1: Lavereigns such a sorrow, I would say, But this to you.
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  Speaker 1: My wish is that you may win for husband a
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  Speaker 1: man you can love well. But that this may be
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  Speaker 1: you must bear you wisely. Let not Laverrens have cause
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  Speaker 1: to think that he you have chosen is a breeder
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  Speaker 1: of trouble, and one that regards not the peace of
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  Speaker 1: women nor their honor. For to such an one he
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  Speaker 1: will never give you, not if it were to save
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  Speaker 1: you from open shame. Rather, would Laverrens let the steel
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  Speaker 1: do judgment between him and the man who had marred
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  Speaker 1: your life. And with this the mother rose and went
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  Speaker 1: from her end of Chapter one