Till at last all began to gasp and blow indeed, and the nodding Fool
to sip, and sip, as if _in extremis_ over his mouthpiece. Then we
rested awhile, with a medley of shrill laughter and guffaws, while the
rain streamed lightning-lit upon the trees and tore the clouds to
tatters.
With some little circumstance my traveller picked his way to me, and
with a grave civility bowed me a sort of general welcome. Whereupon
ensued such wit and banter as made me thankful when the opening
impudence of a kind of jig set the heels and the petticoats of the
company tossing once more. We danced the lightning out, and piped the
thunder from the skies. And by then I was so faint with fasting, and
so deep in love with at least five young country faces, that I
scarcely knew head from heels; still less, when a long draught of a
kind of thin, sweet ale had mounted to its sphere.
Away we all trooped over the flashing fields, noisy as jays in the
fresh, sweet air, some to their mowing, some to their milking, but
more, indeed, I truly suspect, to that exquisite _Nirvana_ from which
the tempest's travail had aroused them.
Pages:
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147