The Wild Knight and Other Poems

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Гилберт Кит Честертон

Жанр

Зарубежная классика

Год написания книги

2017

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To fear a strong man's sins: 'tis written He
Descended into hell.

REDFEATHER

Write, then, that I

[Leaps to the ground before her.]

Descended into heaven…
You are ill?

OLIVE

No, well…

REDFEATHER

You speak the truth – you are the Truth —
Lady, say once again then, 'I am well.'

OLIVE

I – ah! God give me grace – I am nigh dead.

REDFEATHER [quietly.]

Lord Orm?

OLIVE

Yes – yes.

REDFEATHER

Is in your father's house —
Having the title-deeds – would drive you forth.
Homeless, and with your father sick to death,
Into this winter, save on a condition
Named…

OLIVE

And unnameable. Even so; Lord Orm —
Ah! do you know him?

REDFEATHER

Ay, I saw him once.
The sun shone on his face, that smiled and smiled,
A sight not wholesome to the eyes of man.

OLIVE

Captain, I tell you God once fell asleep.
And in that hour the world went as it would;
Dogs brought forth cats, and poison grew in grapes,
And Orm was born…

REDFEATHER

Why, curse him! can he not
Be kicked or paid?

OLIVE [feverishly].

Hush! He is just behind
There in the house – see how the great house glares,
Glares like an ogre's mask – the whole dead house
Possessed with bestial meaning…

[Screams]

Ah! the face!
The whole great grinning house – his face! his face!
His face!

REDFEATHER [in a voice of thunder, pointing away from the house].

Look there – look there!

OLIVE

What is it? What?

REDFEATHER

I think it was a bird.

OLIVE

What thought you, truly?

REDFEATHER

I think a mighty thought is drawing near.

[Enter THE WILD KNIGHT.]

THE WILD KNIGHT