e into the gardens.
Here they stood awhile in the sweet freshness of the night, which
was very grateful after the heated, perfume-laden air of the
banquet; then began to wander up and down among the scented trees
and flowers. The moon, floating in a cloudless sky, was almost at
its full, and by her light they saw a wondrous scene. Under many
of the trees and in tents set about here and there, rugs were
spread, and to them came men who had drunk of the wine of the
feast, and cast themselves down to sleep.
"Are they drunk?" asked Wulf.
"It would seem so," answered Godwin.
Yet these men appeared to be mad rather than drunk, for they
walked steadily enough, but with wide-set, dreamy eyes; nor did
they seem to sleep upon the rugs, but lay there staring at the
sky and muttering with their lips, their faces steeped in a
strange, unholy rapture. Sometimes they would rise and walk a few
paces with outstretched arms, till the arms closed as though they
clasped something invisible, to which they bent their heads to
babble awhile. Then they walked back to their rugs again, where
they remained silent.
As they lay thus, white-veiled women appeared, who crouched by
the heads of these sleepers, murmuring into their ears, and when
from time to time they sat up, gave them to drink from cups they
carried, after partaking of which they lay down again and became
quite senseless.
Only the women would move on to others and serve them likewise.
Some of them approached the brethren with a slow, gliding motion,
and offered them the cup; but they walked forward, taking no
notice, whereupon the girls left them, laughing softly, and
saying such things as "Tomorrow we shall meet," or "Soon you will
be glad to drink and enter into Paradise."
"When the time comes doubtless we shall be glad, who have dwelt
here," answered Godwin gravely, but as he spoke in French they
did not understand him.
"Step out, brother," said Wulf, "for at the very sight of those
rugs I grow sleepy, and the wine in the cups sparkles as bright
as their bearers' eyes."
So they walked on towards the sound of a waterfall, and, when
they came to it, drank, and bathed their faces and heads.
"This is better than their wine," said Wulf. Then, catching sight
of more women flitting round them, looking like ghosts amid the
moonlit glades, they pressed forward till they reached an open
sward where there were no rugs, no sleepers, and no cupbearers.
"Now," said Wul
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