Page:Celtic Stories by Edward Thomas.djvu/126

 youths with auburn hair were playing at chess, and they had a silver board and golden pieces. Their garments were of jet-black satin; their buskins of new Cordovan leather buckled with gold; and their hair was bound with chaplets of ruddy gold and jewels.

Beside one of the pillars of the hall Maxen saw a hoary-headed and mighty-looking man in a chair of ivory with two eagles of ruddy gold upon it. Gold bracelets were upon his arms, and many rings on his hands, and a collar of gold about his neck, and on his head a golden diadem. He had before him a golden chess-board and a rod of gold, and a steel file in his hand; and he was carving chess-men.

Facing the old man sat a maiden in a chair of ruddy gold. It was not more easy to gaze upon her than upon the sun at its brightest, she was so beautiful. She wore a vest of white silk clasped with red gold at her breast, a surcoat of gold tissue and a golden girdle; and a circlet of red gold, rubies and pearls upon her head.

The maiden rose from her chair and Maxen threw his arms about her neck and kissed her, but even while his arms were round her and his cheek against her cheek, the clashing of shields and the neighing of horses awoke the Emperor.

His attendants said to him: 'Lord, is it not past the time for thee to eat?' But he had no life or spirit left in him for love of that maiden. He mounted his horse, the saddest man that ever a man saw, and rode to Rome.

For a week it was vain to offer the Emperor meat or drink. He would hear no songs or tales; he would do nothing but sleep and strive by all possible means to sleep again, because in his dreams he could see that maiden. One day a page came into his room and told him that the people were discontented and speaking ill