The Blue Flower [14]
week.
But Martimor said, No! for his adventures were before him, and
that he could not be happy save in the doing of great deeds
and the winning of knightly fame. Then he showed her the Blue
Flower in his shield that was nameless, and told her how Sir
Lancelot had said that he must find it, then should he name it
and have both crest and motto.
"Does it grow in my garden?" said Lirette.
"I have not seen it," said he, "and now the flowers are
all faded."
"Perhaps in the month of May?" said she.
"In that month I will come again," said he, "for by that
time it may fortune that I shall achieve my quest, but now
forth must I fare."
So there was sad cheer in the Mill that day, and at night
there came a fierce storm with howling wind and plumping rain,
and Martimor slept ill. About the break of day he was wakened
by a great roaring and pounding; then he looked out of window,
and saw the river in flood, with black waves spuming and
raving, like wood beasts, and driving before them great logs
and broken trees. Thus the river hurled and hammered at the
mill-dam so that it trembled, and the logs leaped as they
would spring over it, and the voice of Flumen shouted hoarsely
and hungrily, "Yet will I mar the Mill and have the Maid!"
Then Martimor ran with the miller out upon the dam, and
they laboured at the gates that held the river back, and
thrust away the logs that were heaped over them, and cut with
axes, and fought with the river. So at last two of the gates
were lifted and one was broken, and the flood ran down
ramping and roaring in great raundon, and as it ran the black
face of Flumen sprang above it, crying, "Yet will I mar both
Mill and Maid."
"That shalt thou never do," cried Martimor, "by foul or
fair, while the life beats in my body."
So he came back with the miller into the Mill, and there
was meat ready for them and they ate strongly and with good
heart. "Now," said the miller, "must I mend the gate. But
how it may be done, I know not, for surely this will be great
travail for a man alone."
"Why alone?" said Martimor.
"Thou wilt stay, then?" said Lirette.
"Yea," said he.
"For another month?" said she.
"Till the gate be mended," said he.
But when the gate was mended there came another flood and
brake the second gate. And when that was mended there came
another flood and brake the third gate. So when all three
were mended firm and fast, being bound with iron, still the
grimly river hurled over the dam, and the voice of Flumen
muttered in the dark of winter nights, "Yet will I
mar--mar--mar--yet will I mar Mill and Maid."
"Oho!" said Martimor, "this is a durable and dogged knave.
Art thou feared of him Lirette?"
"Not so," said she, "for thou art stronger. But fear have
I of the day when thou ridest forth in thy quest."
"Well, as to that," said he, "when I have overcome this
false devil Flumen, then will we consider and appoint that
day."
So the delay continued, and Martimor was both busy and
happy at the Mill, for he liked and loved this damsel well,
and was fain of her company. Moreover the strife with Flumen
was great joy to him.
VI
How the Month of May came to the Mill, and the Delay was Made Longer
Now when the month of May came to the Mill it brought a plenty
of sweet flowers, and Lirette wrought in the garden. With
her, when the day was spent and the sun rested upon the edge
of the hill, went Martimor, and she showed him all her flowers
that were blue. But none of them was like the flower on his
shield.
"Is it this?" she cried, giving him a violet. "Too dark,"
said he.
"Then here it is," she said, plucking a posy of
forget-me-not.
"Too light," said he.
"Surely this is it," and she brought him a spray of
blue-bells.
"Too slender," said he, "and well I ween that I may not
find that flower, till I ride farther in my quest and achieve
great adventure."
Then was the Maid cast down, and Martimor was fain to
comfort her.
So while they walked thus in the garden, the days were
But Martimor said, No! for his adventures were before him, and
that he could not be happy save in the doing of great deeds
and the winning of knightly fame. Then he showed her the Blue
Flower in his shield that was nameless, and told her how Sir
Lancelot had said that he must find it, then should he name it
and have both crest and motto.
"Does it grow in my garden?" said Lirette.
"I have not seen it," said he, "and now the flowers are
all faded."
"Perhaps in the month of May?" said she.
"In that month I will come again," said he, "for by that
time it may fortune that I shall achieve my quest, but now
forth must I fare."
So there was sad cheer in the Mill that day, and at night
there came a fierce storm with howling wind and plumping rain,
and Martimor slept ill. About the break of day he was wakened
by a great roaring and pounding; then he looked out of window,
and saw the river in flood, with black waves spuming and
raving, like wood beasts, and driving before them great logs
and broken trees. Thus the river hurled and hammered at the
mill-dam so that it trembled, and the logs leaped as they
would spring over it, and the voice of Flumen shouted hoarsely
and hungrily, "Yet will I mar the Mill and have the Maid!"
Then Martimor ran with the miller out upon the dam, and
they laboured at the gates that held the river back, and
thrust away the logs that were heaped over them, and cut with
axes, and fought with the river. So at last two of the gates
were lifted and one was broken, and the flood ran down
ramping and roaring in great raundon, and as it ran the black
face of Flumen sprang above it, crying, "Yet will I mar both
Mill and Maid."
"That shalt thou never do," cried Martimor, "by foul or
fair, while the life beats in my body."
So he came back with the miller into the Mill, and there
was meat ready for them and they ate strongly and with good
heart. "Now," said the miller, "must I mend the gate. But
how it may be done, I know not, for surely this will be great
travail for a man alone."
"Why alone?" said Martimor.
"Thou wilt stay, then?" said Lirette.
"Yea," said he.
"For another month?" said she.
"Till the gate be mended," said he.
But when the gate was mended there came another flood and
brake the second gate. And when that was mended there came
another flood and brake the third gate. So when all three
were mended firm and fast, being bound with iron, still the
grimly river hurled over the dam, and the voice of Flumen
muttered in the dark of winter nights, "Yet will I
mar--mar--mar--yet will I mar Mill and Maid."
"Oho!" said Martimor, "this is a durable and dogged knave.
Art thou feared of him Lirette?"
"Not so," said she, "for thou art stronger. But fear have
I of the day when thou ridest forth in thy quest."
"Well, as to that," said he, "when I have overcome this
false devil Flumen, then will we consider and appoint that
day."
So the delay continued, and Martimor was both busy and
happy at the Mill, for he liked and loved this damsel well,
and was fain of her company. Moreover the strife with Flumen
was great joy to him.
VI
How the Month of May came to the Mill, and the Delay was Made Longer
Now when the month of May came to the Mill it brought a plenty
of sweet flowers, and Lirette wrought in the garden. With
her, when the day was spent and the sun rested upon the edge
of the hill, went Martimor, and she showed him all her flowers
that were blue. But none of them was like the flower on his
shield.
"Is it this?" she cried, giving him a violet. "Too dark,"
said he.
"Then here it is," she said, plucking a posy of
forget-me-not.
"Too light," said he.
"Surely this is it," and she brought him a spray of
blue-bells.
"Too slender," said he, "and well I ween that I may not
find that flower, till I ride farther in my quest and achieve
great adventure."
Then was the Maid cast down, and Martimor was fain to
comfort her.
So while they walked thus in the garden, the days were