Dramatic Romances | Page 4

company
To suit it; when he struck at
length
My honour, 'twas with all his strength.
II
And doubtlessly ere he could draw
All points to one, he must have schemed!
That miserable morning
saw
Few half so happy as I seemed, 10 While being dressed in queen's array

To give our tourney prize away.
III
I thought they loved me, did me grace
To please themselves; 'twas all their deed;
God makes, or fair or foul,
our face;
If showing mine so caused to bleed
My cousins' hearts, they should
have dropped
A word, and straight the play had stopped.
IV
They, too, so beauteous! Each a queen
By virtue of her brow and breast; 20 Not needing to be crowned, I
mean,
As I do. E'en when I was dressed,
Had either of them spoke, instead

Of glancing sideways with still head!
V
But no: they let me laugh, and sing

My birthday song quite through, adjust
The last rose in my garland,
fling
A last look on the mirror, trust
My arms to each an arm of theirs,

And so descend the castle-stairs-- 30
VI
And come out on the morning-troop
Of merry friends who kissed my cheek,
And called me queen, and
made me stoop
Under the canopy--a streak
That pierced it, of the outside sun,

Powdered with gold its gloom's soft dun--
VII
And they could let me take my state
And foolish throne amid applause
Of all come there to celebrate
My queen's-day--Oh I think the cause 40 Of much was, they forgot no
crowd
Makes up for parents in their shroud!
VIII
However that be, all eyes were bent
Upon me, when my cousins cast
Theirs down; 'twas time I should
present
The victor's crown, but . . . there, 'twill last
No long time . . . the old
mist again
Blinds me as then it did. How vain!
IX
See! Gismond's at the gate, in talk

With his two boys: I can proceed. 50 Well, at that moment, who should
stalk
Forth boldly--to my face, indeed--
But Gauthier, and he thundered
"Stay!"
And all stayed. "Bring no crowns, I say!"
X
"Bring torches! Wind the penance-sheet
About her! Let her shun the chaste,
Or lay herself before their feet!
Shall she whose body I embraced
A night long, queen it in the day?

For honour's sake no crowns, I say!" 60
XI
I? What I answered? As I live,
I never fancied such a thing
As answer possible to give.
What says the body when they spring
Some monstrous
torture-engine's whole
Strength on it? No more says the soul.
XII
Till out strode Gismond; then I knew
That I was saved. I never met
His face before, but, at first view,
I felt quite sure that God had set 70 Himself to Satan; who would spend

A minute's mistrust on the end?
XIII
He strode to Gauthier, in his throat
Gave him the lie, then struck his mouth
With one back-handed blow

that wrote
In blood men's verdict there. North, South,
East, West, I looked. The
lie was dead,
And damned, and truth stood up instead.
XIV
This glads me most, that I enjoyed
The heart of the joy, with my content 80 In watching Gismond
unalloyed
By any doubt of the event:
God took that on him--I was bid
Watch
Gismond for my part: I did.
XV
Did I not watch him while he let
His armourer just brace his greaves,
Rivet his hauberk, on the fret
The while! His foot. . . my memory leaves
No least stamp out, nor
how anon
He pulled his ringing gauntlets on. 90
XVI
And e'en before the trumpet's sound
Was finished, prone lay the false knight,
Prone as his lie, upon the
ground:
Gismond flew at him, used no sleight
O' the sword, but open-breasted
drove,
Cleaving till out the truth he clove.
XVII
Which done, he dragged him to my feet

And said "Here die, but end thy breath
In full confession, lest thou
fleet
From my first, to God's second death! 100 Say, hast thou lied?" And, "I
have lied
To God and her," he said, and died.
XVIII
Then Gismond, kneeling to me, asked
What safe my heart holds, though no word
Could I repeat now, if I
tasked
My powers for ever, to a third
Dear even as you are. Pass the rest

Until I sank upon his breast.
XIX
Over my head his arm he flung
Against the world; and scarce I felt 110 His sword (that dripped by me
and swung)
A little shifted in its belt:
For he began to say the while
How South
our home lay many a mile.
XX
So 'mid the shouting multitude
We two walked forth to never more
Return. My cousins have pursued
Their life, untroubled as before
I vexed them. Gauthier's
dwelling-place
God lighten! May his soul find grace! 120
XXI
Our elder boy has got the clear

Great brow; tho' when his brother's black
Full eye shows scorn, it . . .
Gismond here?
And have you brought my tercel back?
I just was telling