Camelot
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Camelot Ⓐemendation—Camelot,”Ⓐalteration in the MS said I to myself. “I don’t seem to remember hearingⒶalteration in the MS of it beforeⒶalteration in the MS. Name of the asylum, likely.”
It was a soft, reposeful, summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as SundayⒶalteration in the MS. The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds; and there were no people, no wagons, there wasⒶalteration in the MS no stir orⒶrejected substantive Ⓐtextual note life, nothing going on. The road was mainly a winding path with hoof-printsⒶemendation in it, and now and then a faint trace of wheels on either side in the grass—wheels that apparently had a tire as broad as one’s hand.Ⓐtextual note
Presently a fair slip of a girl, about ten years old, with a cataract of golden hair streaming down over her shoulders, came along. Around her head she wore a hoop of flame-red poppiesⒶemendation Ⓐtextual note.Ⓐalteration in the MS It was as sweet an outfit as ever I saw, what there was of itⒶemendation. SheⒶalteration in the MS walked indolently along, with a mind at rest, its peace reflected in her innocentⒶalteration in the MS faceⒶalteration in the MS. The circus man paid no attention to her; didn’t even seem to see her. And she—she was no more startled at his fantastic make-up than if she was used to his like every day of her life. She was going by as indifferently as she might have gone by a couple of cows; but when she [begin page 57] happened to notice me, then Ⓐemendation there was a change! Up wentⒶalteration in the MS her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open, her eyes stared wide and timorouslyⒶtextual note, she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear. And there she stood gazing, in a sort of stupefied fascination, till we turned a corner of the wood and were lost to her view. That she shouldⒶalteration in the MS be startled at me instead of at theⒶalteration in the MS other man, was too many for me; I couldn’t make head or tail of it. And that she should seem to consider me a spectacle, and totally overlook her own merits in that respect, was another puzzling thing, and a display of magnanimity, too, that was surprising in one so young. There was food for thought here. I moved along as one in a dream.
As we approached the town, signs of life began to appear. At intervals we passed a wretched cabin, with a thatched roof, and about itⒶalteration in the MS small fields and garden patches in an indifferent state of cultivation. There were people, too; brawny men, with long, coarse, uncombed hair that hung down over their faces and made them look like animals. They and the women, as a rule, wore a coarse tow-linen robe that came well below the knee, and a rude sort of sandals; and many wore an iron collar. The smallⒶalteration in the MS boys and girls were always naked; but nobody seemed to know it. All of these people stared at me, talked about me, ran into the huts and fetched out their families to gape at me; but nobody ever noticed that other fellow, except to make him humble salutation and get no response for their pains.
In the town were some substantial windowless houses of stone, scattered among a wilderness of thatched cabins; the streets were mere crookedⒶalteration in the MS alleys, and unpaved; troops of dogs and nude children played in the sun and made life and noise; hogs roamed and rooted contentedly about, and one of themⒶemendation lay in a reeking wallow in the middle of the main thoroughfare and suckled her family. Presently there was a distant blare of military music; it came nearer, still nearerⒶemendation, and soon a noble cavalcade wound into view, glorious with plumed helmets, andⒶalteration in the MS flashing mail, and flaunting bannersⒶalteration in the MS and rich doublets and horse-cloths, and gilded spear-heads; and through the muck, and swine, and naked brats, and joyous dogs, and shabbyⒶalteration in the MS huts it took its gallant way, and in its wake we followed. Followed, through one winding alley and then another,—and climbing, always climbing —till at last we gained the breezy height where the huge castle stood. There was an exchange of bugle blasts; thenⒶalteration in the MS a parley from the walls, [begin page 58] where men-at-arms, in hauberk and morion marched back and forth with halberd at shoulder under flapping banners with the rude figure of a dragon displayed upon them; and then the great gates were flung open, the drawbridgeⒶemendation wasⒶemendation lowered, and the head of the cavalcade sweptⒶalteration in the MS forward under the frowningⒶalteration in the MS arches; and we following, soon found ourselves in a great paved court, with towers and turrets stretching up into the blue airⒶemendation on all the four sides; and all about us the dismount was going on, and much greeting and ceremony, and runningⒶalteration in the MS to and fro, and a gay display of moving and intermingling colors, and an altogether pleasant stir and noise and confusion.
