Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair | Page 7

spake to her kindly; and all men praised the maiden for her gentle and
courteous ways; and Dame Elinor smiled upon her and them, what she
could.
She was small of body and sleek; but her cheeks somewhat flagging;
brown eyes she had, long, half opened; thin lips, and chin somewhat
falling away from her mouth; hard on fifty winters had she seen; yet
there have been those who were older and goodlier both.

CHAPTER V.
GOLDILIND COMES TO GREENHARBOUR.
But a little while tarried the Earl Geoffrey at Leashowe, but departed
next morning and came to Meadhamstead. A month thereafter came
folk from him to Leashowe, to wit, the new meney for the new abode
of Goldilind; amongst whom was a goodly band of men-at-arms, led by
an old lord pinched and peevish of face, who kneeled to Goldilind as
the new burgreve of Greenharbour; and a chaplain, a black canon,
young, broad-cheeked and fresh-looking, but hard-faced and unlovely;
three new damsels withal were come for the young Queen, not young
maids, but stalworth women, well-grown, and two of them
hard-featured; the third, tall, black-haired, and a goodly-fashioned
body.
Now when these were come, who were all under the rule of Dame
Elinor, there was no gainsaying the departure to the new home; and in

two days' time they went their ways from Leashowe. But though
Goldilind was young, she was wise, and her heart misgave her, when
she was amidst this new meney, that she was not riding toward glory
and honour, and a world of worship and friends beloved. Howbeit,
whatso might lie before her, she put a good face upon it, and did to
those about her queenly and with all courtesy.
Five days they rode from Leashowe north away, by thorpe and town
and mead and river, till the land became little peopled, and the sixth
day they rode the wild-wood ways, where was no folk, save now and
again the little cot of some forester or collier; but the seventh day,
about noon, they came into a clearing of the wood, a rugged little plain
of lea-land, mingled with marish, with a little deal of acre-land in
barley and rye, round about a score of poor frame-houses set down
scattermeal about the lea. But on a long ridge, at the northern end of the
said plain, was a grey castle, strong, and with big and high towers, yet
not so much greater than was Leashowe, deemed Goldilind, as for a
dwelling-house.
Howbeit, they entered the said castle, and within, as without, it was
somewhat grim, though nought was lacking of plenishing due for folk
knightly. Long it were to tell of its walls and baileys and chambers; but
let this suffice, that on the north side, toward the thick forest, was a
garden of green-sward and flowers and potherbs; and a garth-wall of
grey stone, not very high, was the only defence thereof toward the
wood, but it was overlooked by a tall tower of the great wall, which
hight the Foresters' Tower. In the said outer garth-wall also was a
postern, whereby there was not seldom coming in and going out.
Now when Goldilind had been in her chamber for a few days, she
found out for certain, what she had before misdoubted, that she had
been brought from Leashowe and the peopled parts near to
Meadhamstead unto the uttermost parts of the realm to be kept in
prison there.
Howbeit, it was in a way prison courteous; she was still served with
observance, and bowed before, and called my lady and queen, and so
forth: also she might go from chamber to hall and chapel, to and fro,

yet scarce alone; and into the garden she might go, yet not for the more
part unaccompanied; and even at whiles she went out a-gates, but then
ever with folk on the right hand and the left. Forsooth, whiles and again,
within the next two years of her abode at Greenharbour, out of gates
she went and alone; but that was as the prisoner who strives to be free
(although she had, forsooth, no thought or hope of escape), and as the
prisoner brought back was she chastised when she came within gates
again.
Everywhere, to be short, within and about the Castle of Greenharbour,
did Goldilind meet the will and the tyranny of the little sleek widow,
Dame Elinor, to whom both carle and quean in that corner of the world
were but as servants and slaves to do her will; and the said Elinor, who
at first was but spiteful in word and look toward her lady, waxed worse
as time wore and as the blossom of the King's daughter's womanhood
began to unfold, till at last the she-jailer had scarce feasted any