Chapter XLI.
HOW YWAIN ENTERED INTO THE RHYMER'S HERITAGE, AND HOW HE FOUND HIS LADY THEREIN.

Now as Ywain went into the city he went joyfully, for his heart was uplifted, and his thoughts were like high white clouds in a blue sky of summer. And most of all he joyed to see the beauty of the place, for the form of it was the form of Paladore, but the beauty was mingled of likeness and unlikeness. And wherever he looked, there he saw that which he remembered, and there also he saw that which he remembered not, so that his joy was both old and new.

And when he had gone but a score of paces into the city, he came to the court that lay before the great Gard, and in the entrance of it he stayed. And there passed by him two or three which went not in: and he asked them whose was the castle, for he perceived that there was a change upon it. And they answered him that it was no castle, but the Rhymer’s Hall; for that by the Rhymer it was long since founded and upbuilt. And when they had so answered they vanished from him suddenly, and were gone as though they had never been. Then he was astonished and pondered a little, looking within the court. And in the court he saw not the halberdiers and men a-horseback which had been there aforetime, but upon the steps of the castle he saw a five or six minstrels with their lutes, and anon they sang and anon they talked together, and by seeming their talk was all only upon their lutes and upon their singing. Then Ywain came to them and greeted them, and said: How long is this become a place of singing? And one of them answered him courteously, and said: Fair lord, by your will we sing and by your will we are silent, seeing that we are but the servants of your dream. And even as Ywain heard those words the minstrels vanished, and there was nothing of them left in that place, save a little sound of lutestrings that lingered waywardly.

So Ywain entered into the Rhymer’s Hall, and within door he found the porter, and the man sat there reading upon a book. And Ywain asked him: What read you? and immediately the porter vanished without answer given, and there was nought seen of him but his chair, and upon the chair was the book whereon he had been reading. Then Ywain came near and took up the book and looked within it: and it was a wide book, painted delicately with great letters and with pictures. And the picture that was Open before him was the picture of two lovers by a garden door; and the lady stood beside the door and leaned upon it with her hand to open it, but the lover came to her in habit of a pilgrim, and his hat was broad above his face, and shadowed it. And Ywain’s heart quickened as he looked: for the lady was his own lady, and she stood there as living as the leaves in spring.

Then he laid the book upon the chair and left it lying, and he went through the Rhymer’s Hall from end to end, and through all the courts of it and out beyond. And he came by a pleached alley to a close, and looked across the close: and upon the far side of it was a wall of stone, and in the wall was a carven doorway, and a door of wood. And there before the doorway stood Aithne in the morning gold, and she laid her hand against the door and looked a little downward, as one that is waiting and musing. And when Ywain came to her she spoke no word, but she turned away and led him through the doorway, and the door fell back and closed behind them: and it closed full slowly, but at the last there was a small noise of clanking and the bar went home into the notch.

And that noise was sweet in Ywain’s ears, for it seemed to shut the world away, and he went to his lady as one that comes to his own land after long captivity. And little they spoke in words, but they looked each at other, and his eyes were to her like two bright spears levelled in battle, and her eyes were to him like a valley at evening, when the smoke goes up into the twilight.

Then at the last he said to her: What then is this place? And she said: It was the Rhymer’s heritage, and now is mine; and that which is mine is yours, for you have found it out and taken it. And belike it was yours from the beginning, for it is you that have made it anew, and you are the master of your dream. And as she spoke those words a fear came suddenly upon him lest she also should vanish and be gone from him. And he would have cried aloud of his fear, but she laid her hand upon his mouth and laughed and stayed him from uttering. And she said: I know your thought, and vain it is: for your dream and mine are one and not two, as they were aforetime, but each in other we have our home and our abiding.