And deafen'd with the stammering cracks (and claps That follow'd, flying back and crying out, And call'd him dear protector in her fright, The pale blood of the wizard at her touch Took gayer colours, like an opal warm'd. She blamed herself for telling hearsay tales: She shook from fear, and for her fault she (wept Of petulancy; she call'd him lord and liege, Her seer, her bard, her silver star of eve, Her God, her Merlin, the one passionate love Of her whole life; and ever overhead Bellow'd the tempest, and the rotten branch. Snapt in the rushing of the river rain Above them; and in change of glare and (gloom Her eyes and neck glittering went and came; Till now the storm,its burst of passion spent, Moaning and calling out of other lands, Had left the ravaged woodland yet once more To peace; and what should not have been (had been, For Merlin, overtalk'd and overworn, Had yielded, told her all the charm, and (slept. Then, in one moment, she put forth the Of woven paces and of waving hand, Then crying,I have made his glory mine," And shrieking out,,O fool!" the harlot leapt Adown the forest, and the thicket closed Behind her, and the forest echo'd fool." LANCELOT AND ELAINE. ELAINE the fair, Elaine the loveable, Elaine, the lily maid of Astolat, High in her chamber up a tower to the east Guarded the sacred shield of Lancelot; Which first she placed where morning's (earliest ray Might strike it, and awake her with the (gleam; Then fearing rust or soilure fashion'd for it A case of silk, and braided thereupon All the devices blazon'd on the shield That eastern tower, and entering barr'd her (door, Stript off the case, and read the naked shield, That ten years back; this dealt him at (Caerlyle; That at Caerleon; this at Camelot : And ah God's mercy what a stroke was (there! And here a thrust that might have kill'd, (but God Broke the strong lance, and roll'd his (enemy down, And saved him: so she lived in fantasy. How came the lily maid by that good (shield Of Lancelot, she that knew not ev'n his (name? He left it with her, when he rode to tilt For the great diamond in the diamond (jousts, Which Arthur had ordain'd, and by that (name Had named them, since a diamond was the (prize. For Arthur long before they crown'd him (king, Roving the trackless realms of Lyonnesse, Had found a glen, gray boulder and black (tarn. A horror lived about the tarn, and clave Like its own mists to all the mountain side: For here two brothers, one a king, had met And fought together; but their names were (lost. And each had slain his brother at a blow, And down they fell and made the glen (abhorr❜d: And there they lay till all their bones were (bleach'd, And lichen'd into colour with the crags: And he, that once was king, had on a crown Of diamonds, one in front, and four aside. And Arthur came, and labouring up the (pass All in a misty moonshine, unawares Had trodden that crown'd skeleton, and (the skull Brake from the nape, and from the skull (the crown Roll'd into light, and turning on its rims Fled like a glittering rivulet to the tarn: And down the shingly scaur he plunged, (and caught, And set it on his head, and in his heart Heard murmurs,,,lo, thou likewise shalt be (king." Thereafter, when a king, he had the gems Pluck'd from the crown, and show'd them (to his knights, Saying these jewels, whereupon I chanced Divinely, are the kingdom's not the king's For public use: henceforward let there be, Once every year, a joust for one of these: For so by nine years' proof we needs must (learn Which is our mightiest, and ourselves shall (grow In use of arms and manhood, till we drive The Heathen, who, some say, shall rule the (land Hereafter, which God hinder." Thus he (spoke : And eight years past, eight jousts had been, (and still Had Lancelot won the diamond of the (year, With purpose to present them to the Queen, When all were won; but meaning all at (once To snare her royal fancy with a boon Worth half her realm, had never spoken (word. Now for the central diamond and the last And largest, Arthur, holding then his court Hard on the river nigh the place which now Is this world's hugest, let proclaim a joust At Camelot, and when the time drew nigh Spake (for she had been sick) to Guinevere Are you so sick, my Queen, you cannot (move To these fair jousts? Yea, lord," she said, (ye know it." Then will ye miss," he answer'd,,,the great (deeds Of Lancelot, and his prowess in the lists, He thinking that he read her meaning there, The tale of diamonds for his destined boon) Urged him to speak against the truth, and (say, Sir King, mine ancient wound is hardly (whole, And lets me from the saddle;" and the King Glanced first at him, then her, and went (his way. No sooner gone than suddenly she began. To blame, my lord Sir Lancelot, much (to blame. Why go ye not to these fair jousts? the (knights Are half of them our enemies, and the crowd Will murmur, lo the shameless ones, who (take Their pastime now the trustful king is (gone!" Then Lancelot vext at having lied in vain : "Are ye so wise? ye were not once so wise, My Queen, that summer, when ye loved (me first. Then of the crowd ye took no more account And every voice is nothing. As to knights, Have pledged us in this union, while the (king Would listen smiling. How then? is ther (more? Has Arthur spoken aught? or would your(self, Now weary of my service and devoir, That passionate perfection, my good lord- Some meddling rogue has tamper'd with (him-else Rapt in this fancy of his Table Round, He is all fault who hath no fault at all: For who loves me must have a touch of (earth; The low sun makes the colour: I am yours, Not Arthur's, as ye know, save by the bond. And therefore hear my words: go to the (jousts: The tiny-trumpeting gnat can break our (dream When sweetest; and the vermin voices here May buzz so loud-we scorn them, but they (sting." Then answer'd Lancelot, the chief of (knights. And with what face, after my pretext (made, Shall I appear, O Queen, at Camelot, I Before a king who honours his own word, As if it were his God's?" "Yea," said the Queen, A moral child without the craft to rule, Else had he not lost me: but listen to me, If I must find you wit: we hear it said That men go down before your spear at a (touch But knowing you are Lancelot; your great (name, This conquers: hide it therefore; go un(known: Win! by this kiss you will: and our true (king Will then allow your pretext, O my knight, He loves it in his knights more than him(self: They prove to him his work: win and re(turn." Then got Sir Lancelot suddenly to horse, Wroth at himself: not willing to be known, He left the barren-beaten thoroughfare, Chose the green path that show'd the rarer (foot, And there among the solitary downs, Thither he made and wound the gateway (horn. Then came an old, dumb, myriad-wrinkled (man, Who let him into lodging and disarm'd. And Lancelot marvell'd at the wordless (man; And issuing found the Lord of Astolat With two strong sons, Sir Torre and Sir (Lavaine, Moving to meet him in the castle court; And close behind them stept the lily maid. Elaine, his daughter: mother of the house There was not: some light jest among them (rose With laughter dying down as the great (knight Approach'd them: then the Lord of Astolat. Whence comest thou, my guest, and by (what name Livest between the lips? for by thy state (those, Blank, or at least with some device not (mine." Then said the Lord of Astolat, "Here is (Torre's: Hurt in his first tilt was my son, Sir Torre. And so, God wot, his shield is blank enough. His ye can have." Then added plain Sir (Torre, "Yea since I cannot use it, ye may have it." Here laugh'd the father saying Fie Sir (Churl, Is that an answer for a noble knight? And set it in this damsel's golden hair, " "Nay, father, nay good father, shame me (not Before this noble knight" said youngLavaine That some one put this diamond in her hand, So ye will grace me," answer'd Lancelot, Smiling a moment, with your fellowship O'er these waste downs whereon I lost my(self, Then were I glad of you as guide and friend; And you shall win this diamond -as I hear, It is a fair large diamond, if ye may, And yield it to this maiden, if ye will. "A fair large diamond," added plain SirTorre Such be for Queens and not for simple (maids. Then she,who held her eyes upon the ground, Elaine, and heard her name so tost about, Flush'd slightly at the slight disparagement Before the stranger knight, who, looking at (her, Full courtly, yet not falsely, thus return'd, Might wear as fair a jewel as in on earth, He spoke and ceased: the lily maid Elaine, Won by the mellow voice before she look'd, Lifted her eyes, and read his lineaments. The great and guilty love he bare the Queen; In battle with the love he bare his lord, Had marr'd his face, and mark'd it ere his (time. Another sinning on such heights with one, That ever among ladies ate in Hall, Seam'd with an ancient swordcut on the (cheek, And bruised and bronzed, she lifted up her (eyes And loved him, with that love which was (her doom. Then the great knight, the darling of the (court, Loved of the loveliest, into that rude hall Stept with all grace, and not with half dis(dain Hid under grace, as in a smaller time, And talk and minstrel melody entertain'd. And much they ask'd of court and Table (Round, And ever well and readily answer'd he: But Lancelot, when they glanced at Guine(vere, Suddenly speaking of the wordless man, Heard from the Baron that, ten years before, The heathen caught and reft him of his (tongue. He learnt and warn'd me of their fierce (design Against my house, and him they caught and (maim'd But I my sons and little daughter fled From bonds or death, and dwelt among the (woods By the great river in a boatman's hut. Pull days were those, till our good Arthur (broke The Pagan yet once more on Badon hill." O there, great Lord, doubtless," Lavaine (said, rapt By all the sweet and sudden passion of youth Toward greatness in its elder, you have (fought. you know O tell us for we live apart Of Arthur's glorious wars." And Lancelot (spoke And answer'd him at full, as having been With Arthur in the fight which all day long Rang by the white mouth of the violent (Glem; And in the four wild battles by the shore By castle Gurnion where the glorious King Set every gilded parapet shuddering; And down the waste sand-shores of Trath (Treroit, Where many a heathen fell; and on the (mount Of Badon I myself beheld the King Charge at the head of all his Table Round, However mild he seems at home, nor cares Saying, his knights are better men than he Fills him: I never saw his like: there lives From talk of war to traits of pleasantry She needs must bid farewell to sweet La(vaine. First as in fear, step after step, she stole Down the long tower-stairs, hesitating: Anon, she heard Sir Lancelot cry in the (court, "This shield, my friend, where is it?" and (Lavaine Past inward, as she came from out the tower There to his proud horse Lancelot turn'd (and smooth'd The glossy shoulder, humming to himself. Half-envious of the flattering hand, she (drew Nearer and stood. He look'd, and more (amazed Than if seven men had set upon him, saw |