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027 - Book 3 Chapter 6 Part 1 · Bridal Wreath

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Speaker 1: Book three, Chapter six of the Bridal Wreath by Sigared Useet.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter six,
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Speaker 1: part one. For more reasons than one, the betrothal feast
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Speaker 1: was put off. It was not held till the new year,
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Speaker 1: but Lavrens agreed that the bridle need not therefore be delayed.
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Speaker 1: It was to be just after michaelmas As was fixed
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Speaker 1: at first. So Christin sat now at urrengard as here Loans,
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Speaker 1: betrothed in all men's sight. Along with her mother. She
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Speaker 1: looked over all the goods and gear that had been
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Speaker 1: gathered and saved up for her portion, and strove to
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Speaker 1: add still more to the great piles of bedding and clothes.
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Speaker 1: For when once Laverrens had given his daughter to the
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Speaker 1: Master of Hussby, it was his will that naught should
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Speaker 1: be spared. Christin wondered herself at times that she did
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Speaker 1: not feel more glad. But spite of all the busyness,
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Speaker 1: there was no true gladness at your guard. Her father
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Speaker 1: and mother missed Ulfield sorely that she saw. But she
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Speaker 1: understood too that twas not that alone which made them
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Speaker 1: so silent and so joyless. They were kind to her.
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Speaker 1: But when they talked with her of her betrothed, she
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Speaker 1: saw that they did but force themselves to it to
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Speaker 1: please her and show her kindness. Twas not that they
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Speaker 1: themselves had a mind to speak of Arlon. They had
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Speaker 1: not learned to take more joy in the marriage she
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Speaker 1: was making. Now they had come to know the man.
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Speaker 1: Erelon too had kept himself quiet and withdrawn the short
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Speaker 1: time he had been at uringard for the betrothal. And
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Speaker 1: like enough, this could not have been otherwise, thought Kristen,
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Speaker 1: for he knew it was with no good will. Her
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Speaker 1: father had given his consent. She, herself and Erelon had
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Speaker 1: scarce had the chance to speak ten words alone together,
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Speaker 1: and it had brought a strange, unwonted feeling to sit together. Thus,
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Speaker 1: in all folks sight, at such times they had little
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Speaker 1: to say. By reason of the many things between them
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Speaker 1: that could not be said. There arose in her a
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Speaker 1: doubtful fear, vague and dim, but always present. Perhaps twould
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Speaker 1: make it hard for them in some way after they
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Speaker 1: were wedded, that they had come all too near to
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Speaker 1: each other at the first, and after had lived so long,
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Speaker 1: quite parted. But she tried to thrust the fear away.
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Speaker 1: It was meant that Arlon should visit them at whitsuntide.
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Speaker 1: He had asked Laverns and Ronfreed if they had aught
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Speaker 1: against his coming, and Lavrens had laughed a little and
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Speaker 1: answered that Arlon might be sure his daughter's bridegroom would
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Speaker 1: be welcome at whitsuntide. They would be able to go
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Speaker 1: out together, they would have a chance to speak together
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Speaker 1: as in the old days, and then surely it would
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Speaker 1: fade away the shadow that had come between them in
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Speaker 1: this long time, apart, when each had gone about alone
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Speaker 1: bearing a burden the other could not share. At Easter,
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Speaker 1: Simon Andersen and his wife came to formal Kristen saw
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Speaker 1: them in the church. Simon's wife was standing not far
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Speaker 1: off from her. She must be much older than he thought.
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Speaker 1: Kristen nigh thirty years old. Lady Halfrid was little and
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Speaker 1: slender and thin, but she had an exceeding gracious visage.
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Speaker 1: The very hue of her pale brown hair as it
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Speaker 1: flowed in waves from under her linen cloth, seemed as
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Speaker 1: it were so gentle, and her eyes too were full
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Speaker 1: of gentleness. They were great gray eyes flecked with tiny
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Speaker 1: golden specks. Every feature of her face was fine and pure,
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Speaker 1: but her skin was something dull and gray, and when
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Speaker 1: she opened her mouth, one saw that her teeth were
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Speaker 1: not good. She looked not as though she were strong,
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Speaker 1: and folks said indeed that she was sickly. She had
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Speaker 1: miscarried more than once. Already Christin had heard. She wondered
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Speaker 1: how it would fare with Simon with this wife. The
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Speaker 1: Urrengard folk and they of formal had greeted each other
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Speaker 1: across the church green more than once, but had not spoken.
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Speaker 1: But on Easter Day Simon was in the church without
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Speaker 1: his wife. He went across to Lavereign's and they spoke together,
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Speaker 1: awhile Christin heard Ulfild's name spoken. Afterwards, he spoke with
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Speaker 1: Ronfrit Romborg, who was standing by her mother, called out aloud,
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Speaker 1: I mind you quite well, I know who you are.
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Speaker 1: Simon lifted the child up a little and twirled her round.
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Speaker 1: Tis well done of you, Romborg, not to have forgotten me, Christen.
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Speaker 1: He only greeted from some way off, and her father
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Speaker 1: and mother said no word afterward of the meeting, But
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Speaker 1: Christin pondered much upon it. For all that had come
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Speaker 1: and gone, it had been strange to see Simon Dora
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Speaker 1: again as a wedded man. So much that was past
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Speaker 1: came to life again at the sight. She remembered her
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Speaker 1: own blind and all yielding love for here Lon in
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Speaker 1: those days. Now she felt there was some change in it.
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Speaker 1: The thought came to her, how if Simon had told
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Speaker 1: his wife how they had come to part, he and she,
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Speaker 1: But she knew he had kept silence for my father's sake.
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Speaker 1: She thought, scoffingly. Twas a poor showing, and strange that
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Speaker 1: she should be still living here, unwed, in her parents house.
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Speaker 1: But at least they were betrothed. Simon could see that
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Speaker 1: they had had their way. In spite of all whatever
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Speaker 1: else Erellon might have done to her, he had held faithfully,
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Speaker 1: and ge had not been loose or wanton. One evening
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Speaker 1: in early spring, Aranfried had to send down the valley
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Speaker 1: to old Gunhild, the widow who sowed furs. The evening
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Speaker 1: was so fair that Kristin asked if she might not go.
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Speaker 1: At last, they gave her leave, since all the men
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Speaker 1: were busy. It was after sunset, and a fine white
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Speaker 1: frost haze was rising toward the gold green sky. Kristin
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Speaker 1: heard at each hoof stroke, the brittle sound of the
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Speaker 1: evening's ice as it broke and flew outwards in tinkling splinters.
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Speaker 1: But from all the roadside breaks there was a happy
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Speaker 1: noise of birds, singing softly but full throated with spring
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Speaker 1: into the twilight. Kristin rode sharply downwards. She thought not
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Speaker 1: much of anything, but felt only it was good to
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Speaker 1: be abroad alone once more. She rode with her eyes
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Speaker 1: fixed on the new moon sinking down toward the mountain
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Speaker 1: ridge on the far side of the dale, and she
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Speaker 1: had near fallen from her horse when he suddenly swore
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Speaker 1: side and reared. She saw a dark body lying huddled
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Speaker 1: together at the roadside, and at first she was afraid.
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Speaker 1: The hateful fear that had passed into her blood, the
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Speaker 1: fear of meeting people alone by the way, she could
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Speaker 1: never quite be rid of. But she thought twas maybe
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Speaker 1: a wayfaring man who had fallen sick. So when she
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Speaker 1: had mastered her horse again, she turned and rode back,
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Speaker 1: calling out to know who it was. The bundle stirred
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Speaker 1: a little, and a voice said, methinks tis you yourself.
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Speaker 1: Kristin Lafran's daughter brother Edven. She asked softly. She came
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Speaker 1: near to thinking this was some phantom or some deviltry
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Speaker 1: sent to trick her, But she went nigh to him.
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Speaker 1: It was the old monk himself, and he could not
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Speaker 1: raise himself from the ground without help. My dear father,
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Speaker 1: are you wandering at this time of the year, she
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Speaker 1: said in wonder. Praise be to God who sent you
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Speaker 1: this way? To night, said the monk. Christin saw that
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Speaker 1: his whole body was shaking. I was coming north to
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Speaker 1: you folks, but my legs would carry me no further
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Speaker 1: this night. Almost I deemed twas God's will that I
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Speaker 1: should lie down and die on the roads I've been
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Speaker 1: wandering about on all my life. But I was fain
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Speaker 1: to see you once again. My daughter Kristin helped the
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Speaker 1: monk up on her horse, then led it homeward by
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Speaker 1: the bridle, holding him on, and all the time he
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Speaker 1: was lamenting that now she would get her feet wet
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Speaker 1: in the icy slush. She could hear him moaning softly
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Speaker 1: with pain. He told her that he had been at
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Speaker 1: aabu since Yule. Some rich farmers of the parish had
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Speaker 1: vowed in the bad year to beautify their church with
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Speaker 1: new adornments, but the work had gone slowly. He had
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Speaker 1: been sick the last of the winter. The evil was
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Speaker 1: in his stomach. It could bear no food, and he
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Speaker 1: vomited blood. He believed himself he had not long to live,
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Speaker 1: and he longed now to be home in his cloister,
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Speaker 1: for he was fain to die there among his own brethren.
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Speaker 1: But he had a mind first to come north up
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Speaker 1: the dale one last time, and so he had set
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Speaker 1: out along with the monk who came from Homer to
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Speaker 1: be the new prior of the Pilgrim Hospice at Rolstadt.
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Speaker 1: From Frone he had come on alone. I heard that
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Speaker 1: you were betrothed, he said to that man, And then
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Speaker 1: such a lunging came on me to see you. It
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Speaker 1: seemed to me a sore thing that that should be
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Speaker 1: our last meeting, that time in our church at Oshloe.
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Speaker 1: It has been a heavy burden on my heart, Kristen,
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Speaker 1: that you had strayed away into the path where there
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Speaker 1: is no peace. Kristin kissed the monk's hand. Truly, I
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Speaker 1: know not father, what I have done, or how deserved
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Speaker 1: that you show me such great love. The monk answered,
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Speaker 1: in a low voice, I have thought many a time, Christen,
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Speaker 1: that had it so befallen we had met more often,
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Speaker 1: then might you have come to be as my daughter
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Speaker 1: in the spirit? Mean you that you would have brought
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Speaker 1: me to turn my heart to the holy life of
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Speaker 1: the cloister, asked Kristin. Then a little after, she said,
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Speaker 1: syra Irick laid a command on me that should I
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Speaker 1: not win my father's consent and be wed with ere Lon,
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Speaker 1: then must I join with a godly sisterhood and make
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Speaker 1: atonement for my sins. I have prayed many a time
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Speaker 1: that the longing for the Holy life might come to you,
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Speaker 1: said brother Edwin. But not since you told me that
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Speaker 1: you WoT of I. I would have had you come to
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Speaker 1: God wearing your garland, Christen. When they came to Urngard,
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Speaker 1: brother Edvon had to be lifted down and borne in
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Speaker 1: to his bed. They laid him in the old winter
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Speaker 1: house in the hearth room, and cared for him most tenderly.
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Speaker 1: He was very sick, and syrah Irick came and tended
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Speaker 1: him with medicines for the body and the soul. But
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Speaker 1: the priest said the old man's sickness was cancer, and
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Speaker 1: it could not be that he had long to live.
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Speaker 1: Brother Edvon himself said that when he had gained a
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Speaker 1: little strength, he would journey south again and try to
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Speaker 1: come home to his own cloister. But syra Irich told
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Speaker 1: the others he could not believe this was to be
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Speaker 1: thought of. It seemed to all at Uriningard that a
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Speaker 1: great peace and gladness had come to them with the monk.
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Speaker 1: Folks came and went in the hearth room all day long,
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Speaker 1: and there was never any lack of watchers to sit
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Speaker 1: at nights by the sick man, as many had time
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Speaker 1: flocked in to listen. When syra Irick came over and
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Speaker 1: read to the dying man from godly books. And they
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Speaker 1: talked much with Brother Edvon of spiritual things. And though
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Speaker 1: much of what he said was dark and veiled, even
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Speaker 1: as his speech was wont to be, it seemed to
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Speaker 1: these folks that he strengthened and comforted their souls, because
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Speaker 1: each and all could see that Brother Edvon was wholly
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Speaker 1: filled with the love of God. But the monk was
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Speaker 1: fain to hear two of all kinds of other things
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Speaker 1: asked the news of the parishes round, and headlvereigns tell
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Speaker 1: him all the story of the evil year of drought.
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Speaker 1: There were some folk who had betaken them to evil
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Speaker 1: courses in that tribulation, turning to such helpers as Christian
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Speaker 1: men should most abhor. Some way in over the ridges
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Speaker 1: west of the Dale, was a place in the mountains
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Speaker 1: where were certain great whites eight stones of obscene shapes,
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Speaker 1: And some men had fallen so low as to sacrifice
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Speaker 1: boars and gibcats before these abominations. So syra Irick moved
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Speaker 1: some of the boldest, most god fearing farmers to come
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Speaker 1: with him one night and break the stones in pieces.
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Speaker 1: Laverns had been with them and could bear witness that
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Speaker 1: the stones were all besmeared with blood, and there lay
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Speaker 1: bones and other refuse all round them. Twas said that
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Speaker 1: up in hydall the people had had an old crone
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Speaker 1: sit out on a great earthfast rock three Thursday nights,
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Speaker 1: chanting ancient spells. One night Kristen sat alone by brother Edwin.
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Speaker 1: At midnight he woke up and seemed to be suffering
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Speaker 1: great pain. Then he bade Christin take the Book of
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Speaker 1: Miracles of the Virgin Mary, which syra Erick had lent
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Speaker 1: to Brother Edwin, and read to him. Christin was little
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Speaker 1: used to read aloud, but she set herself down on
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Speaker 1: the step of the bed and placed a candle by
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Speaker 1: her side. She laid the book on her lap and
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Speaker 1: read as well as she could. In a little while,
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Speaker 1: she saw that the sick man was lying with teeth
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Speaker 1: set tight, clenching his wasted hands as the fits of
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Speaker 1: agony took him. You are suffering much, dear father, said Christen, sorrowfully.
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Speaker 1: It seems so to me now, but I know tis
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Speaker 1: but that God has made me a little child again
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Speaker 1: and is tossing me about up and down. I mind
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Speaker 1: me one time, when I was little four winters old.
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Speaker 1: I was then, I had run away from home into
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Speaker 1: the woods. I lost myself and wandered about many days
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Speaker 1: and nights. My mother was with the folks that found me,
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Speaker 1: And when she caught me up in her arms, I
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Speaker 1: mind me well, she bit me in my neck. I
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Speaker 1: thought it was that she was angry with me, But
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Speaker 1: afterwards I knew better. I long myself now to be
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Speaker 1: home out of this forest. It is written, forsake ye
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Speaker 1: all things, and follow me. But there has been all
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Speaker 1: too much in this world that I had no mind
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Speaker 1: to forsake you, father, said Kristen. Ever have I heard
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Speaker 1: all men say that you have been a pattern for
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Speaker 1: pure life and poverty and humbleness. The monk laughed slyly. Ha,
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Speaker 1: A young child like you thinks maybe there are no
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Speaker 1: other lures in the world than pleasure and riches and power.
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Speaker 1: But I say to you, these are small things men
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Speaker 1: find by the wayside, and I I have loved the
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Speaker 1: ways themselves. Not the small things of the world did
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Speaker 1: I love, but the whole world. God gave me grace
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Speaker 1: to love lady poverty and lady chastity from my youth up.
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Speaker 1: And thus ME thought, with these playfellows it was safe
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Speaker 1: to wander. And so I have roved and wandered, and
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Speaker 1: would have been fain to roam over all the ways
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Speaker 1: of the earth. And my heart and my thoughts have
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Speaker 1: roamed and wandered too, I fear me. I have often
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Speaker 1: gone astray in my thoughts on the most hidden things.
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Speaker 1: But now tis all over, little Christen, I will be
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Speaker 1: home now to my house and lay aside all my
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Speaker 1: own thoughts. And hearkened to the clear words of the Guardian,
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Speaker 1: telling what I should believe and think concerning my sin
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Speaker 1: and the mercy of God. A little while after he
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Speaker 1: dropped asleep. Kristin went and sat by the hearth, tending
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Speaker 1: the fire. But well on in the morning, when she
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Speaker 1: was nigh dozing off herself, of a sudden, Brother Edvon
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Speaker 1: spoke from the bed, glad am I Christin, that this
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Speaker 1: matter of you and ereln Nicholson is brought to a
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Speaker 1: good end. Kristin burst out, weeping. We have done so
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Speaker 1: much wrong before we came so far, and what gnaws
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Speaker 1: at my heart most is that I have brought my
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Speaker 1: father so much sorrow. He has no joy in this
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Speaker 1: wedding either, and even so he knows not did he
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Speaker 1: know all I trow? He would take his kindness quite
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Speaker 1: from me. Christen, said brother Edvon gently, see you not, child.
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Speaker 1: That tis therefore you must keep it from him, And
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Speaker 1: tis therefore you must give him no more cause of sorrow,
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Speaker 1: because he will never call on you to pay the penalty.
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Speaker 1: Nothing you could do could turn your father's heart from you.
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Speaker 1: A few days later, Brother Edwin was grown so much
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Speaker 1: better that he would fain set out on his journey southward,
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Speaker 1: since his heart was set on this Lavereigns had a
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Speaker 1: kind of litter made to be slung between two horses
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Speaker 1: and on this he brought the sick man as far
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Speaker 1: south as to Lieedstadt, and there they gave him fresh
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Speaker 1: horses and men to tend him on his way, And
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Speaker 1: in this wise was he brought as far as Hammer.
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Speaker 1: There he died in the cloister of the preaching Friars,
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Speaker 1: and was buried in their church. Afterward, the Barefoot Friars
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Speaker 1: claimed that his body should be delivered to them, for
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Speaker 1: that many folk all about in the parishes held him
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Speaker 1: to be a holy man, and spoke of him by
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Speaker 1: the name of Saint Evan. The peasants of the uplands
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Speaker 1: and the Dales all the way north to Tronheim prayed
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Speaker 1: to him as a saint. So it came about that
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Speaker 1: there was a long dispute between the two orders about
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Speaker 1: his body. Kristen heard not of this till long after,
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Speaker 1: but she grieved sorely at parting from the monk. It
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Speaker 1: seemed to her that he alone knew all her life.
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Speaker 1: He had known the innocent child as she was in
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Speaker 1: her father's keeping. He had known her secret life with Erelin,
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Speaker 1: so that he was, as it were, a link, binding
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Speaker 1: together all that had first been dear to her with
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Speaker 1: all that now filled her heart and mind. Now was
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Speaker 1: she quite cut off from herself as she had been
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Speaker 1: in the time when she was yet a maid. End
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Speaker 1: of Chapter six, Part one,