Page:Georges Eekhoud - Escal Vigor, a novel.djvu/189

Rh what, woodland creatures, and repudiated by men, he seemed never to grow older, but became ever stronger and handsomer. He was a tall youth, and so well provided with hair that stray locks kept falling on his forehead and on his lovely eyes, wherein the infinite depths of eternity seem to lay.

"It was labour in vain to catechise him; he never attached much importance to our narrow rites and mummeries. In simple nature he found his model and his counsellor. In other words, he followed nothing but his instincts.

"However, after a long time, his master and mistress, although advanced in years, had a child, quite a delicate little boy, to whom they gave the name of Stephen. As the parents were too old to attend to him, it was Gerard who brought him up. The young man began by choosing for him two of his favourite sheep as nurses. Stephen shot up and became a chubby child, rosy and pretty as an angel. Gerard continued to keep for him the best milk of his sheep, the sweetest fruits, and the eggs of ringdoves and pheasants. He adored him as no other human being ever adored another, his poor wild heart having never been able to