《The Secret Rose》第5章

an　hour　passed；　and　they　did　not　return；　and　now　the　knight　could　stand　on　guard　no　longer；　but　had　to　lie　down　upon　the　grass。　a　half？　hour　more　went　by；　and　then　a　young　lad　with　what　appeared　to　be　a　number　of　cocks　feathers　stuck　round　his　hat；　came　out　of　the　path　behind　him；　and　began　to　move　about　among　the　dead　thieves；　cutting　their　heads　off；　then　he　laid　the　heads　in　a　heap　before　the　knight；　and　said：　o　great　knight；　i　have　been　bid　e　and　ask　you　for　the　crowns　you　promised　for　the　heads：　five　crowns　a　head。
they　bid　me　tell　you　that　they　have　prayed　to　god　and　his　mother　to　give　you　a　long　life；　but　that　they　are　poor　peasants；　and　that　they　would　have　the　money　before　you　die。　they　told　me　this　over　and　over　for　fear　i　might　forget　it；　and　promised　to　beat　me　if　i　did。
the　knight　raised　himself　upon　his　elbow；　and　opening　a　bag　that　hung　to　his　belt；　counted　out　the　five　crowns　for　each　head。　there　were　thirty　heads　in　all。
o　great　knight；　said　the　lad；　they　have　also　bid　me　take　all　care　of　you；　and　light　a　fire；　and　put　this　ointment　upon　your　wounds。　and　he　gathered　sticks　and　leaves　together；　and；　flashing　his　flint　and　steel　under　a　mass　of　dry　leaves；　had　made　a　very　good　blaze。　then；　drawing　of　the　coat　of　mail；　he　began　to　anoint　the　wounds：　but　he　did　it　clumsily；　like　one　who　does　by　rote　what　he　had　been　told。　the　knight　motioned　him　to　stop；　and　said：　you　seem　a　good　lad。
i　would　ask　something　of　you　for　myself。
there　are　still　a　few　crowns；　said　the　knight；　shall　i　give　them　to　you？
o　no；　said　the　lad。　they　would　be　no　good　to　me。　there　is　only　one　thing　that　i　care　about　doing；　and　i　have　no　need　of　money　to　do　it。　i　go　from　village　to　village　and　from　hill　to　hill；　and　whenever　i　e　across　a　good　cock　i　steal　him　and　take　him　into　the　woods；　and　i　keep　him　there　under　a　basket　until　i　get　another　good　cock；　and　then　i　set　them　to　fight。　the　people　say　i　am　an　innocent；　and　do　not　do　me　any　harm；　and　never　ask　me　to　do　any　work　but　go　a　message　now　and　then。　it　is　because　i　am　an　innocent　that　they　send　me　to　get　the　crowns：　anyone　else　would　steal　them；　and　they　dare　not　e　back　themselves；　for　now　that　you　are　not　with　them　they　are　afraid　of　the　wood？thieves。　did　you　ever　hear　how；　when　the　wood？thieves　are　christened；　the　wolves　are　made　their　god？fathers；　and　their　right　arms　are　not　christened　at　all？
if　you　will　not　take　these　crowns；　my　good　lad；　i　have　nothing　for　you；　i　fear；　unless　you　would　have　that　old　coat　of　mail　which　i　shall　soon　need　no　more。
there　was　something　i　wanted：　yes；　i　remember　now；　said　the　lad。　i　want　you　to　tell　me　why　you　fought　like　the　champions　and　giants　in　the　stories　and　for　so　little　a　thing。　are　you　indeed　a　man　like　us？　are　you　not　rather　an　old　wizard　who　lives　among　these　hills；　and　will　not　a　wind　arise　presently　and　crumble　you　into　dust？
i　will　tell　you　of　myself；　replied　the　knight；　for　now　that　i　am　the　last　of　the　fellowship；　i　may　tell　all　and　witness　for　god。　look　at　the　rose　of　rubies　on　my　helmet；　and　see　the　symbol　of　my　life　and　of　my　hope。
and　then　he　told　the　lad　this　story；　but　with　always　more　frequent　pauses；　and；　while　he　told　it；　the　rose　shone　a　deep　blood？colour　in　the　firelight；　and　the　lad　stuck　the　cocks　feathers　in　the　earth　in　front　of　him；　and　moved　them　about　as　though　he　made　them　actors　in　the　play。
i　live　in　a　land　far　from　this；　and　was　one　of　the　knights　of　st。　john；　said　the　old　man；　but　i　was　one　of　those　in　the　order　who　always　longed　for　more　arduous　labours　in　the　service　of　the　most　high。　at　last　there　came　to　us　a　knight　of　palestine；　to　whom　the　truth　of　truths　had　been　revealed　by　god　himself。　he　had　seen　a　great　rose　of　fire；　and　a　voice　out　of　the　rose　had　told　him　how　men　would　turn　from　the　light　of　their　own　hearts；　and　bow　down　before　outer　order　and　outer　fixity；　and　that　then　the　light　would　cease；　and　none　escape　the　curse　except　the　foolish　good　man　who　could　not；　and　the　passionate　wicked　man　who　would　not；　think。
already；　the　voice　told　him；　the　wayward　light　of　the　heart　was　shining　out　upon　the　world　to　keep　it　alive； with　a　less　clear　lustre；　and　that；　as　it　paled；　a　strange　infection　was　touching　the　stars　and　the　hills　and　the　grass　and　the　trees　with　corruption；　and　that　none　of　those　who　had　seen　clearly　the　truth　and　the　ancient　way　could　enter　into　the　kingdom　of　god；　which　is　in　the　heart　of　the　rose；　if　they　stayed　on　willingly　in　the　corrupted　world；　and　so　they　must　prove　their　anger　against　the　powers　of　corruption　by　dying　in　the　service　of　the　rose　of　god。　while　the　knight　of　palestine　was　telling　us　these　things　we　seemed　to　see　in　a　vision　a　crimson　rose　spreading　itself　about　him；　so　that　he　seemed　to　speak　out　of　its　heart；　and　the　air　was　filled　with　fragrance。　by　this　we　knew　that　it　was　the　very　voice　of　god　which　spoke　to　us　by　the　knight；　and　we　gathered　about　him　and　bade　him　direct　us　in　all　things；　and　teach　us　how　to　obey　the　voice。　so　he　bound　us　with　an　oath；　and　gave　us　signs　and　words　whereby　we　might　know　each　other　even　after　many　years；　and　he　appointed　places　of　meeting；　and　he　sent　us　out　in　troops　into　the　world　to　seek　good　causes；　and　die　in　doing　battle　for　them。　at　first　we　thought　to　die　more　readily　by　fasting　to　death　in　honour　of　some　saint；　but　this　he　told　us　was　evil；　for　we　did　it　for　the　sake　of　death；　and　thus　took　out　of　the　hands　of　god　the　choice　of　the　time　and　manner　of　our　death；　and　by　so　doing　made　his　power　the　less。　we　must　choose　our　service　for　its　excellence；　and　for　this　alone；　and　leave　it　to　god　to　reward　us　at　his　own　time　and　in　his　own　manner。　and　after　this　he　pelled　us　to　eat　always　two　at　a　table　to　watch　each　other　lest　we　fasted　unduly；　for　some　among　us　said　that　if　one　fasted　for　a　love　of　the　holiness　of　saints　and　then　died；　the　death　would　be　acceptable。　and　the　years　passed；　and　one　by　one　my　fellows　died　in　the　holy　land；　or　in　warring　upon　the　evil　princes　of　the　earth；　or　in　clearing　the　roads　of　robbers；　and　among　them　died　the　knight　of　palestine；　and　at　last　i　was　alone。　i　fought　in　every　cause　where　the　few　contended　against　the　many；　and　my　hair　grew　white；　and　a　terrible　fear