CHAPTER XXIV To hail the king in seemly sort The ladie was full fain, But King Arthur, all sore amazed, No answer made again 'What wight art thou,' the ladie said, 'That will not speak to me? Sir, I may chance to ease thy pain, Though I be foul to see'
The Marriage of Sir Gawaine.
The fairy bride of Sir Gawaine, while under the influence of the spell ofher wicked step-mother, was more decrepit probably, and what is commonlycalled more ugly, than Meg Merrilies; but I doubt if she possessed thatwild sublimity which an excited imagination communicated to featuresmarked and expressive in their own peculiar character, and to thegestures of a form which, her sex considered, might be termed gigantic.Accordingly, the Knights of the Round Table did not recoil with moreterror from the apparition of the loathly lady placed between 'an oak anda green holly,' than Lucy Bertram and Julia Mannering did from theappearance of this Galwegian sibyl upon the common of Ellangowan.
'For God's sake,' said Julia, pulling out her purse, 'give that dreadfulwoman something and bid her go away.'
'I cannot,' said Bertram; 'I must not offend her.'
'What keeps you here?' said Meg, exalting the harsh and rough tones ofher hollow voice. 'Why do you not follow? Must your hour call you twice?Do you remember your oath? "Were it at kirk or market, wedding orburial,"'--and she held high her skinny forefinger in a menacingattitude.
Bertram--turned round to his terrified companions. 'Excuse me for amoment; I am engaged by a promise to follow this woman.'
'Good Heavens! engaged to a madwoman?' said Julia.
'Or to a gipsy, who has her band in the wood ready to murder you!' saidLucy.
'That was not spoken like a bairn of Ellangowan,' said Meg, frowning uponMiss Bertram. 'It is the ill-doers are ill-dreaders.'
'In short, I must go,' said Bertram, 'it is absolutely necessary; waitfor me five minutes on this spot.'
'Five minutes?' said the gipsy, 'five hours may not bring you hereagain.'
'Do you hear that?' said Julia; 'for Heaven's sake do not go!'
'I must, I must; Mr. Dinmont will protect you back to the house.'
'No,' said Meg, 'he must come with you; it is for that he is here. Hemaun take part wi' hand and heart; and weel his part it is, for reddinghis quarrel might have cost you dear.'
'Troth, Luckie, it's very true,' said the steady farmer; 'and ere I turnback frae the Captain's side I'll show that I haena forgotten 't.'
'O yes,' exclaimed both the ladies at once, 'let Mr. Dinmont go with you,if go you must, on this strange summons.'
'Indeed I must,' answered Bertram; 'but you see I am safely guarded.Adieu for a short time; go home as fast as you can.'