Читать книгу Lark Rise to Candleford онлайн

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Lord Lovell stood at his castle gate, Calming his milk-white steed, When up came Lady Nancy Bell To wish her lover God-speed. 'And where are you going, Lord Lovell?' she said. 'And where are you going?' said she. 'Oh, I'm going away from my Nancy Bell, Away to a far country-tre-tre; Away to a far coun-tre.' 'And when will you come back, Lord Lovell?' she said, 'When will you come back?' said she. 'Oh, I will come back in a year and a day, Back to my Lady Nancy-ce-ce-ce. Back to my Lady Nan-cee.'

[Pg 67]

But Lord Lovell was gone more than his year and a day, much longer, and when he did at last return, the church bells were tolling:

'And who is it dead?' Lord Lovell, he said. 'And who is it dead,' said he. And some said, 'Lady Nancy Bell,' And some said, 'Lady Nancy-ce-ce-ce, And some said,'Lady Nan-cee.' . . . . . . . . . Lady Nancy died as it were to-day; And Lord Lovell, he died to-morrow, And she, she died for pure, pure grief, And he, he died for sorrow. And they buried her in the chancel high, And they buried him in the choir; And out of her grave sprung a red, red rose, And out of his sprung a briar. And they grew till they grew to the church roof, And then they couldn't grow any higher; So they twined themselves in a true lovers' knot, For all lovers true to admire.

After that they would all look thoughtfully into their mugs. Partly because the old song had saddened them, and partly because by that time the beer was getting low and the one half-pint had to be made to last until closing time. Then some would say, 'What's old Master Tuffrey up to, over in his corner there? Ain't heard him strike up to-night', and there would be calls for old David's 'Outlandish Knight'; not because they wanted particularly to hear it—indeed, they had heard it so often they all knew it by heart—but because, as they said, 'Poor old feller be eighty-three. Let 'un sing while he can.'