Complete Works of Thomas Hardy (Illustrated) (1092 page)

Exit Messenger.

Q. Iseult

O it o’erturns! . . . “Black” told she! Cheat unmatchable!

Enter
Brangwain.

SCENE IX

Queen Iseult, Brangwain, and Chanters. Then King Mark and Sir Andret.

Brangwain

There stands a strange old harper down below,

Who does not look Sir Tristram, yet recalls him.

King Mark crosses the ward outside the arch.

King Mark (speaking off, and shading his eyes)

What traveller’s that, slow mounting to the wall,

Scanning its strength, with curious halting crawl,

As knowing not Tintagel’s Towers at all?

Watchman (crossing without)

‘Tis but a minstrel from afar, Sir King, Harping around for alms, or anything.

Q. Iseult (starting up)

It must be he!

Sir Tristram’s steps heard approaching. He enters, disguised as a harper.

King Mark (glancing back casually at Sir Tristram in going off)

Dole him his alms in Christ’s name, if ye must,

And irk me not while setting to bowse with these.

Exit King Mark from the outside to the banqueting-hall, followed across the back of the arch by Knights, etc., including Sir Andret.

Sir Andret (to himself as he goes)

That harper struck me oddly! . . . In his gait-

Well: till the beakers have gone round I’ll wait.

Exit behind the others.

SCENE X

Queen Iseult, Tristram, Brangwain, and Chanters.

Tristram

My Queen and best belov’d! At last again!

(He throws off the cloak that disguises him.)

— Know I was duped by her who dons your name;

She swore the bellied sheeting of your ship

Blotted the wind-wafts like a sable swan;

And being so weak from my long lying there

I sank to senselessness at the wisht words —

So contrary to hope! Whilst I was thus

She sallied out, and sent you home forthwith!

Anon I poured my anger on her head,

Till, in high fear of me, she quivered white.

— I mended swiftly, stung by circumstance,

And rose and left her there, and followed you.

Sir Kay lent aidance, and has come with me.

Brangwain

I’ll out and watch the while Sir Tristram’s here.

Exit
Brangwain.

SCENE XI

Queen Iseult, Tristram, and Chanters.

Q. Iseult

You’ve come again, you’ve come again, dear Love!

Tristram

To be once more with my Iseult the Fair,

(He embraces the Queen) Though not yet what I was in strength and stay.

Yet told have I been by Sir Launcelot To ware me of King Mark! King Fox he

calls him — Whom I’d have pitied, though he would not yield thee,

Nor let you loose on learning our dire need Of freedom for our bliss, which came to us Not of fore-aim or falseness, but by spell Of love-drink, ministered by hand unseen!

Q. Iseult

Knowing as much, he swore he would not slay thee,

But Launcelot told him no man could believe him,

Whereat he answered: “Anyhow she’s mine! “

Tristram

It’s true, I fear. He cannot be believed.

Q. Iseult

Yet, Tristram, would my husband were but all!

Had you not wedded her my namesake, Oh,

We could have steered around this other rock —

Trust me we could! Why did you do it, why!

Triumph did he when first I learnt of that,

And lewdly laughed to see me shaken so.

Tristram

You have heard the tale of my so mating her

Twice told, and yet anew! Must I again?

It was her sire King Howel brought it round

In brunt of battle, when I saved his lands.

He said to me: “ Thou hast done generously:

I crave to make thee recompense! My daughter.

The last best bloom of Western Monarchy —

Iseult of the White Hand the people call her —

Is thine. I give thee her. O take her then,

The chief of all things priceless unto me!”

Overcome was I by the fiery fray,

Arrested by her name — so kin to yours —

His ardour, zeal. I thought: “Maybe her spouse,

By now, has haled my Iseult’s heart from me,”

And took the other blindly. That is all.

Q. Iseult

A woman’s heart has room for one alone;

A man’s for two or three!

Tristram Sweet; ‘twas but chance!

Q. Iseult (more softly)

Yet there may lie our doom! ... I had nerved myself

To bid you come, and bring your wife with you.

But that I did not mean. It was too

much; And yet I said it! . . .

Tristram

Lean ye down, my Love: I’ll touch to thee my very own old tune. I came in harper-guise, unweeting what The hazardry of our divided days Might have brought forth for us!

He takes the harp. Queen Iseult reclines.

Tristram (
singing)

Let’s meet again to-night, my Fair, Let’s meet unseen of all;

The day-god labours to his lair, And then the evenfall!

O living lute, O lily-rose, O form of fantasie,

When torches waste and warders doze Steal to the stars will we!

While nodding knights carouse at meat And shepherds shamble home,

We’ll cleave in close embracements — sweet As honey in the comb!

Till crawls the dawn from Condol’s crown,

And over Neitan’s Kieve, As grimly ghosts we conjure down And hopes still weave and weave!

Watchman (crossing without)

A ship sheers round, and brings up in the bay!

Re-enter
Brangwain.

SCENE XII

Queen Iseult, Tristram, Brangwain, and Chanters.

Brangwain

My Queen, the shingle shaves another keel, And who the comer is we fail to guess. Its build bespeaks it from the Breton coasts, And those upon it shape of the Breton sort,

And the figure near the prow is white-attired. Q. Iseult

What manner of farer does the figure show?

Brangwain

My Lady, when I cast eye waterwards From the arrow-loop, just as the keel ground in

Against the popplestones, it seemed a woman’s;

But she was wimpled close.

Q. Iseult

I’ll out and see.

Queen Iseult opens the door to the ban- queting-hall, and stands in the doorway still visible to the audience. Through the door comes the noise of trenchers, platters, cups, drunken voices, songs, etc., from the adjoining apartment, where King Mark is dining with Knights and retainers.

Voice of K. Mark
(in liquor)

Queen, whither goest thou? Pray plague me not

While keeping table. Hath the old knave left,

He with his balladry we heard by now Strum up to thee?

Q. Iseult

I go to the pleasance only, Across your feasting-hall for shortness’ sake, Returning hither swift.

Voice of K. Mark

Yea, have thy way,

As women will!

Voice of Sir Andret

Aye, hence the need to spy them!

Exeunt Queen Iseult and Brangwain through banqueting-hall to the outside of the Castle. Noise of cups, trenchers, drunken voices, songs, etc., resumed, till the door shuts, when it is heard in subdued tones.

SCENE XIII

Tristram and Chanters. Then Iseult

the whitehanded.

Tristram (going and looking seaward through arch)

A woman’s shape in white. . . . Can it be she?

Would she in sooth, then, risk to follow me?

Chanters: Men

O Tristram, thou art not to find Such solace for a shaken mind As seemed to wait thee here!

Chanters: Women

One seised of right to trace thy track Hath crossed the sea to win thee back In love and faith and fear!

Chanters: M. and W.

From this newcomer wis we pain Ere thou canst know sweet spells again, O knight of little cheer!

Enter Iseult the Whitehanded. She has corn-brown hair, and wears a white robe.

Iseult the White H.

I could not help it, O my husband! Yea I have dogged you close; I could not bear your rage;

And Heaven has favoured me! The sea

smiled smooth The whole way over, and the sun shone kind. Your sail was eyesome fair in front of me, And I steered just behind, all stealthfully! — Forgive me that I spoke untruly to you, And then to her, in my bruised brain’s turmoil.

But, in a way of saying, you were dead; You seemed so — in a dead drowse when she came.

And I did send for her at your entreaty; But flesh is frail. Centred is woman’s love, And knows no breadth. I could not let her land,

I could not let her come!

Tristram

Your speech is nought,

evil woman, who didst nearly witch

The death of this Queen, saying such of me!

Iseult the White H.

Forgive me, do forgive, my lord, my husband!

O love, have loved you so imperishably; Not with fleet flame at times, as some do use! Had I once been unfaithful, even perverse,

I would have held some coldness fitly won; But I have ever met your wryest whim With ready-wrought acceptance, matched

your moods, Clasped hands, touched lips, and smiled devotedly;

So how should this have grown up unaware?

Enter Queen Iseult and Brangwain in the Gallery above, unperceived.

SCENE XIV

Queen Iseult, Brangwain, Iseult the Whitehanded, Tristram, and Chanters.

Q. Iseult

What do they say? And who is she,

Brangwain? Not my suspicion hardened into mould Of flesh and blood indeed?

Brangwain

I cannot hear.

Tristram

I have no more to say or do with thee; I’d fade your face to strangeness in my eyes! Your father dealt me lllest turn in this; Your name, too, being the match of hers!

Yea, thus I was coerced. I never more can be Your bed-mate — never again.

Iseult the White H.

How, Tristram mine? What meaning mete you out by that to me?

You only say it, do you? You are not, Cannot be, in true earnest — that I know! I hope you are not in earnest? — Surely I This time as always, do belong to you, And you are going to keep me always yours?

I thought you loved my name for me myself,

Not for another; or at the very least

For sake of some dear sister or mother

dead, And not, not —