"
"Ha!" quoth Jocelyn, frowning. "Envoys from Brocelaunde!"
"Alas, Joconde, and seeking thee!" saith Yolande in troubled voice.
"Moreover," continued Will, "here's our Duke Pertinax and his lady Duchess
yearning for thee, here's Robin that is Sir Robert a-clamouring for thee
and all his goodly foresters, as myself, a-seeking thee."
"But't is I found thee, Sir Long-legged Fool, I--I!" croaked a voice, and
old Mopsa the Witch peered at them from a bush hard by.
"Verily, thou hast found us!" quoth Jocelyn ruefully. "And what now?"
"Oho!" cried the Witch, cracking her finger-bones. "Now go I hot-foot to
weave spells and enchantments, aha--oho! Spells that shall prove the false
from the true, the gold from the dross. Thou, Sir Fool, art doubting lover,
so art thou blind lover! I will resolve thee thy doubts, open thy eyes and
show thee great joy or bitter sorrow--oho! Thou, proud lady, hast stooped
to love a motley mountebank--nay, flash not thy bright eyes nor toss
haughty head at an old woman--but here is solitude with none to mock
thy lowly choice or cry thee shame to love a motley Fool, aha! And thou
would'st fain prove thy love True-love, says thou? Why, so thou
shalt--beyond all doubting now and for ever, aha--oho! Truest of true or
falsest of false.
Pages:
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300