But Eleanor had come out of the ship to the
shore, more beautiful than ever, and serenely scornful of the King,
since he had not even dared to use the power she had put into his
hands, in order to tell her his mind, and speak out his reproaches; and
he was more ridiculous than ever in her eyes. From that time she paid
no more attention to him than if he had not existed, for she despised a
man who would not use the power he had.
As for Gilbert, though he was in such melancholy mood, when he saw the
walls and towers of Jerusalem at last, a hope of peace sprang up in
him, and a certainty of satisfaction not like anything which he had
known before; and it seemed to him that if he could but be alone in the
holy places he should find rest for his soul. Therefore he rode in the
rear of the train, though he was a man of consequence, and many young
knights and squires looked up to him and kept him company, so that he
could not escape altogether to an outward solitude.
His eyes looked up before him, and he saw the holiest city in the
world, like a vision against the pale sky, as the day sank; and his
whole being went out to be there, floating before him in a prayer
learnt long ago. Therein, as when he had been a child in his English
home, he heard the voice of a guardian angel praying with him--praying
for the good against the evil, for the light against the darkness, for
the clean against the unclean, for the good self against the bad; and
his heart made echoes in heaven.
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