Page:The North Star (1904).djvu/383

Rh happiness. Thorgills! Her dear lord, at last! All the heart hunger of the past two years came over her and she stretched out her arms imploringly. “He is blind!” she told herself, as a sudden confusion brought the color to her cheeks. “He cannot see how overbold I have been.”

“I thank thee, noble lady,” said the pilgrim, “for thy refreshment. I have journeyed far and I am very weary.”

“Thou hast been to the Holy Land?”

“Aye! my feet have trod the streets of Jerusalem, and have pressed the rocks of Golgotha.”

“O blessed feet to have touched such holy soil!” Maidoch said, and kneeling down she kissed the pilgrim’s feet.

He started, and bent down to lift her up. “Nay! nay! sweet wife!” he pleaded, “thou must not so humble thyself.”

Maidoch drew back in confusion. “The lady abbess did say that thou wert blind, struck by the sun of Palestine.”

“So did I tell the noble lady, but I forbore to tell her that a learned Arab physician did restore my sight, but he counselled me to shield my eyes for some weeks with this covering.”

The pilgrim removed the bandage, and stood smiling at Maidoch’s confusion.

“Nay! sweet wife! draw not away from me now. I am not blind. God’s mercy hath let me see many