THE HEART OF THE SPRING

  Averyoldman,whosefacewasalmostasfleshlessasthefootofabird,satmeditatingupontherockyshoreoftheflatandhazel?coveredislewhichfillsthewidestpartoftheLoughGill.Arusset?facedboyofseventeenyearssatbyhisside,watgtheswallowsdippingforfliesiillwater.Theoldmanwasdressedinthreadbarebluevelvet,andtheboyworeafriezecoatandabluecap,andhadabouthisneckarosaryofbluebeads.Behiwo,andhalfhiddenbytrees,wasalittlemonastery.IthadbeenburneddownalongwhilebeforebysacrilegiousmenoftheQueensparty,buthadbeenroofedahrushesbytheboy,thattheoldmanmightfierinhislastdays.Hehadhisspade,however,intothegardenaboutit,andtheliliesandtherosesofthemonkshadspreadoutuntiltheirfusedluxuriaandmihthenarrowingcircleofthefern.Beyondtheliliesandtherosesthefernsweresodeepthatachildwalkingamongthemwouldbehiddenfromsight,eventhoughhestooduponhistoes;andbeyondthefernrosemanyhazelsandsmalloaktrees.

  Master,saidtheboy,thislongfasting,andthelabourofbeingafternightfallwithyourrodofquiwoodtothebeingswhodwelliersandamongthehazelsandoak?trees,istoomuchforyourstrength.Restfromallthislabourforalittle,foryourhandseemedmoreheavyuponmyshoulderandyourfeetlesssteadyunderyouto?daythanIhaveknownthem.Mensaythatyouareolderthantheeagles,ayouwillherestthatbelongstoage.Hespokeinaneager,impulsiveway,asthoughhisheartwereinthewordsandthoughtsofthemoment;andtheoldmanansweredslowlyanddeliberately,asthoughhisheartwereindistantdaysanddistantdeeds.

  IwilltellyouwhyIhavenotbeeorest,hesaid.Itisrightthatyoushouldknow,foryouhaveservedmefaithfullythesefiveyearsandmore,ahaffe,takingawaytherebyalittleofthedoomoflonelinesswhichalwaysfallsuponthewise.Now,too,thattheendofmylabourariumphofmyhopesisathand,itisthemoreneedfulforyoutohavethisknowledge.

  Master,donotthinkthatIwouldquestionyou.Itisformetokeepthefirealight,achcloseagainsttherain,andstrohewindblowitamorees;anditisformetotaketheheavybooksfromtheshelves,andtoliftfromitserthegreatpaintedrollwiththeheSidhe,andtopossessthewhileanincuriousandrevere,fhtwellIknowthatGodhasmadeoutofHisabundanceaseparatewisdomforeverythingwhichlives,andtodothesethingsismywisdom.

  Youareafraid,saidtheoldman,andhiseyesshohamomentaryanger.

  Sometimesatnight,saidtheboy,whenyouarereading,withtherodofquiwoodinyourhand,Ilookoutofthedoorandsee,nreymandrivingswineamongthehazels,andnowmanylittlepeopleinredcapswhoeoutofthelakedrivinglittlewhitecowsbeforethem.Idoheselittlepeoplesomuchasthegreyman;for,whentheyehehouse,theymilkthecows,andtheydrihingmilk,aodandIknowthereisgoodintheheartthatlovesdang;butIfearthemforallthat.

  Ahetallwhite?armedladieswhoeoutoftheair,andmoveslowlyhitherandthither,ingthemselveswiththerosesorwiththelilies,andshakingabouttheirlivinghair,whichmoves,forsoIhaveheardthemtelleachother,withthemotionoftheirthoughts,nowspreadingoutandnowgatheringclosetotheirheads.Theyhavemild,beautifulfaces,but,Aengus,sonofForbis,Ifearallthesebeings,IfearthepeopleofSidhe,aheartwhichdrawsthemaboutus.

  Why,saidtheoldman,doyoufeartheagodswhomadethespearsofyourfathersfatherstobestoutinbattle,alepeoplewhocameatnightfromthedepthofthelakesandsangamongthecricketsupontheirhearths?Andinourevildaytheystillwatchoverthelovelinessoftheearth.ButImusttellyouwhyIhavefastedandlabouredwhenotherswouldsinkintothesleepofage,forwithoutyourhelponcemoreIshallhavefastedandlabouredtonogoodend.Whenyouhavedoneformethislastthing,youmaygoandbuildyourcottageandtillyourfields,andtakesomegirltowife,andfettheagods.Ihavesavedallthegoldandsilverpiecesthatweregiventomebyearlsandknightsandsquiresforkeepingthemfromtheevileyeandfromthelove?weavingentmentsofwitches,andbyearlsandknightsandsquiresladiesforkeepingthepeopleoftheSidhefrommakingtheuddersoftheircattlefalldry,andtakierfromtheirs.Ihavesaveditallforthedaywhenmyworkshouldbeatanend,andnowthattheendisathandyoushallnotlackfoldandsilverpieoughtomakestrongtheroof?treeofyourcottageandtokeepcellarandlarderfull.Ihavesoughtthroughallmylifetofindthesecretoflife.Iwasnothappyinmyyouth,forIkhatitwouldpass;andIwasnothappyinmymanhood,forIkhatagewasing;andsoIgavemyself,inyouthandmanhoodahesearchfreatSecret.Ilongedforalifewhoseabundancewouldfillturies,Isedthelifeoffourscorewinters.Iwouldbe??nay,Iwillbe!??liketheAGodsoftheland.Ireadinmyyouth,inaHebrewmanuscriptIfoundinaSpanishmohatthereisamomentaftertheSueredtheRamandbeforehehaspassedtheLion,whichtrembleswiththeSongoftheImmortalPowers,andthatwhosoeverfindsthismomentandlistenstotheSongshallbeeliketheImmortalPowersthemselves;IcamebacktoIrelandandaskedthefairymen,andthecow?doctors,iftheyknewwhenthismomentwas;butthoughallhadheardofit,therewasnonecouldfindthemomentuponthehlass.SoIgavemyselftomagidspentmylifeinfastingandinlabourthatImightbringtheGodsandtheFairiestomyside;andnowatlastoheFairieshastoldmethatthemomentisathand.One,whoworeareddwhoselipswerewhitewiththefrothofthenewmilk,whispereditintomyear.Tomorrow,alittlebeforethecloseofthefirsthourafterdawn,Ishallfindthemoment,andthenIwillgoawaytoasouthernlandandbuildmyselfapalaceofwhitemarbleamidetrees,andgatherthebraveandthebeautifulaboutme,aerintotheeternalkingdomofmyyouth.But,thatImayhearthewholeSong,Iwastoldbythelittlefellowwiththefrothofthenewmilkonhislips,thatyoumustbrimassesofgreenboughsandpilethemaboutthedoorandthewindowofmyroom;andyoumustputfreshgreenrushesuponthefloor,andcoverthetableandtherusheswiththerosesandtheliliesofthemonks.Youmustdothisto?night,andinthemattheendofthefirsthourafterdawn,youmusteandfindme.

  Willyoubequiteyoungthen?saidtheboy.

  Iwillbeasyoungthenasyouare,butnowIamstilloldandtired,andyoumusthelpmetomychairandtomybooks.

  WhentheboyhadleftAengussonofForbisinhisroom,andhadlightedthelampwhich,bysometrivahewizards,gaveforthasweetodouraseflowers,hewentintothewoodandbegancuttinggreenboughsfromthehazels,abundlesofrushesfromthewesternborderoftheisle,wherethesmallrocksgaveplacetogentlyslopingsandandclay.Itwasnightfallbeforehehadoughforhispurpose,andwell?nighmidnightbeforehehadcarriedthelastbuspladgonebackfortherosesandthelilies.Itwasohosewarm,beautifulnightswhehingseemscarvedofpreciousstones.

  SleuthWoodawaytothesouthlookedasthoughcutoutofgreenberyl,aersthatmirroredthemshonelikepaleopal.Theroseshewasgatheringwerelikeglowingrubies,andthelilieshadthedulllustreofpearl.Everythinghadtakenupohelookofsomethingimperishable,exceptaglow?worm,whosefaintflameburntonsteadilyamongtheshadows,movingslowlyhitherandthither,theonlythingthatseemedalive,theonlythingthatseemedperishableasmortalhope.Theboygatheredagreatarmfulofrosesandlilies,andthrustingtheglow?wormamongtheirpearlandruby,carriedthemintotheroom,wheretheoldmansatinahalf?slumber.Helaidarmfulafterarmfuluponthefloorandabovethetable,andthelyclosingthedoor,threwhimselfuponhisbedofrushes,todreamofapeacefulmanhoodwithhischosehisside,andthelaughterofchildreninhisears.Atdawnherose,adowntotheedgeofthelake,takingthehlasswithhim.Heputsomebreadandaflaskofwiheboat,thathismastermightnotlackfoodattheoutsetofhisjourney,adowntowaituntilthehourfromdawnhadgoneby.

  Graduallythebirdsbegantosing,ahelastgrainsofsandwerefalling,everythingsuddenlyseemedtooverflowwiththeirmusic.Itwasthemostbeautifulandlivingmomentoftheyear;onecouldlistentothespribeatinginit.Hegotupaofindhismaster.Thegreenboughsfilledthedoor,aomakeawaythroughthem.Wheeredtheroomthesunlightwasfallinginflickeringcirclesonfloorandwallsandtable,ahingwasfullofsoftgreenshadows.Buttheoldmansatclaspingamassofrosesandliliesinhisarms,andwithhisheadsunkuponhisbreast.Oable,athislefthand,wasaleathernwalletfullofgoldandsilverpieces,asforajourney,andathisrighthandwasalongstaff.Theboytouchedhimandhedidnotmove.Heliftedthehandsbuttheywerequitecold,andtheyfellheavily.

  Itwerebetterforhim,saidthelad,tohavetoldhisbeadsandsaidhisprayerslikeanother,andnottohavespenthisdaysinseekingamongsttheImmortalPowerswhathecouldhavefoundinhisowndeedsanddayshadhewilled.Ah,yes,itwerebettertohavesaidhisprayersandkissedhisbeads!Helookedatthethreadbarebluevelvet,andhesawitwascoveredwiththepollenoftheflowers,andwhilehewaslookingatitathrush,whohadalightedamongtheboughsthatwerepiledagainstthewindow,begantosing.松语文学www.16sy.coM免费小说阅读

• 推荐自己的新书《天命讨债人》

  齐天大魔猴

  桀骜齐天圣，铮铮大魔猴
• 第817章 四公子当真与众不同？

  清穿后每天被迫撩

  【欢脱独宠，沙雕撩夫日
• 新书《谜城》开启

  神峰

  一次偶然， 他踏足修
• 第270章 酒吧偶遇

  网游之影子大师

  我，在黑夜中行走 我
• 007儿女成群

  婚城难入

  十八岁的她，一心想用高
• 第四百一十六章 邀请

  剑神之剑弑乾坤

  《剑神之剑弑乾坤》是一