The Forest Lovers

She kept Isoult in a fever by her tricks; by this particular trick she

risked a different fire--jealousy. For of the four persons who made up

the household, she alone went behind that door. Vincent, the young

page, brought food and wine to the threshold; Maulfry came out and

took them in. But there she was perfectly safe. Isoult could never be

jealous of Prosper; she would despair, but would resent nothing he

might do. Jealousy requires two things exorbitantly--self-love and a

sensitive surface. Isoult loved Love and Prosper--the two in one

glorious image; and as for her surface, that, like the rest of her,

body and soul, was his when Love allowed. Nor was she even curious, at

first. Many thrashings, acquaintance with her world which was close if

not long, and a deeply-driven scorn of herself threw her blindly upon

the discretion of the only man she had ever found to be at once

splendid and humane. What he chose was the law and what he declared

the prophets. But she might get curious on other grounds, on grounds

where destiny and suchlike mannish appendages did not hold up a finger

at her. And in fact she did.

* * * * * Meantime Maulfry took charge of her body and will. Isoult was obedient

in everything but one. Maulfry, who always saw the girl undress and go

to bed, objected to her prayers.

"Pray!" she would call out, "for what and to what do you pray? Pray to

your husband when you have one, and he will give you according to your

deserts, which he alone can appraise. Trust him for that. But to crave

boons you know little of, from a God of whom you know nothing at all,

save that you made him in your own image--what profit can that be?"

To which Isoult replied, "He told me always to pray, ma'am, and I

cannot disobey any of his words."

"Ah, I remember he was given to the game. Hum! And what else did he

tell you, child?"

"Deal justly, live cleanly, breathe sweet breath," Isoult answered in

a whisper, as if she were in church: "praise God when He is kind, bow

head and knees when He is angry, look for Him to be near at all times.

Do this, and beyond it trust to thine own heart."

Maulfry pished and pshawed at this hushed oracle. "You would do better

to eat well and sleep softly. 'Twould bring you nearer your heart's

desire. Men like a girl to be sleek."

But in this Isoult had her way, though she said her prayers in bed. In

all else she was meek as a mouse. Maulfry made her dress to suit her

own taste, and let down her hair. The dress was of thin silk, fitted

close, and was cut low in the neck. Isoult, who had known pinned rags,

and had gone feet and legs bare without a thought, went now as if she

were naked, or clothed only in her shame. But it was the fashion

Maulfry adopted towards her own person, and there were no others to

convict her. Nanno the old serving-woman and Vincent the page, who was

only a boy, made up the household-except for the closed door. Nanno

never looked at anything higher than the ground; and as for Vincent,

he was in love with Isoult, and would sooner have looked at Christ in

judgment.