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Page 30
"They are the most troublesome crew of all," said Amroth, "and come
nearest to the old idea of fiends--they are indeed the origin of that
notion. To speak plainly, they are men who have lived virtuous lives,
and have done cruel things from good motives. There are some kings and
statesmen among them, but they are mostly priests and schoolmasters,
I imagine--people with high ideals, of course! But they are not
replenished so fast as they used to be, I think. Their difficulty is
that they can never see that they are wrong. Their notion is that this
is a bad place to come to, and that people are better left in ignorance
and bliss, obedient and submissive. A good many of them have given up
the old rough methods, and hang about the base of the cliff, dissuading
souls from climbing: they do the most harm of all, because if one does
turn back here, it is long before one may make a new attempt. But enough
of this," he added; "it makes me sick to think of them--the old fellow
you saw with me had an awful fright--he was nearly done as it was! But I
see you are feeling stronger, and I think we had better be going. One
does not stay here by choice, though the place has a beauty of its own.
And now you will have an easier time for awhile."
We descended from our rock, and Amroth led the way, through a long
cleft, with rocks, very rough and black, on either side, and fallen
fragments under foot. It was steep at first; but soon the rocks grew
lower; and we came out presently on to a great desolate plain, with
stones lying thickly about, among a coarse kind of grass. At each step I
seemed to grow stronger, and walked more lightly, and in the thin fine
air my horrors left me, though I still had a dumb sense of suffering
which, strange to say, I found it almost pleasant to resist. And so we
walked for a time in friendly silence, Amroth occasionally indicating
the way. The hill began to slope downwards very slowly, and the wind to
subside. The mist drew off little by little, till at last I saw ahead of
us a great bare-looking fortress with high walls and little windows, and
a great blank tower over all.
XVIII
We were received at the guarded door of the fortress by a porter, who
seemed to be well acquainted with Amroth. Within, it was a big, bare
place, with, stone-arched cloisters and corridors, more like a monastery
than a castle. Amroth led me briskly along the passages, and took me
into a large room very sparely furnished, where an elderly man sat
writing at a table with his back to the light. He rose when we entered,
and I had a sudden sense that I was coming to school again, as indeed I
was. Amroth greeted him with a mixture of freedom and respect, as a
well-loved pupil might treat an old schoolmaster. The man himself was
tall and upright, and serious-looking, but for a twinkle of humour that
lurked in his eye; yet I felt he was one who expected to be obeyed. He
took Amroth into the embrasure of a window, and talked with him in low
tones. Then he came back to me and asked me a few questions of which I
did not then understand the drift--but it seemed a kind of very informal
examination. Then he made us a little bow of dismissal, and sat down at
once to his writing without giving us another look. Amroth took me out,
and led me up many stone stairs, along whitewashed passages, with narrow
windows looking out on the plain, to a small cell or room near the top
of the castle. It was very austerely furnished, but it had a little door
which took us out on the leads, and I then saw what a very large place
the fortress was, consisting of several courts with a great central
tower.
"Where on earth have we got to now?" I said.
"Nowhere '_on earth_,'" said Amroth. "You are at school again, and you
will find it very interesting, I hope and expect, but it will be hard
work. I will tell you plainly that you are lucky to be here, because if
you do well, you will have the best sort of work to do."
"But what am I to do, and where am I to go?" I said. "I feel like a new
boy, with all sorts of dreadful rules in the background."
"That will all be explained to you," said Amroth. "And now good-bye for
the present. Let me hear a good report of you," he added, with a
parental air, "when I come again. What would not we older fellows give
to be back here!" he added with a half-mocking smile. "Let me tell you,
my boy, you have got the happiest time of your life ahead of you. Well,
be a credit to your friends!"
He gave me a nod and was gone. I stood for a little looking out rather
desolately into the plain. There came a brisk tap at my door, and a man
entered. He greeted me pleasantly, gave me a few directions, and I
gathered that he was one of the instructors. "You will find it hard
work," he said; "we do not waste time here. But I gather that you have
had rather a troublesome ascent, so you can rest a little. When you are
required, you will be summoned."
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