Or if I serve him well.” He snarled and spat
At Tristram, who, forgetting, drew his sword,
And after staring at it in the moonlight
Replaced it slowly and reluctantly.
At Tristram, who, forgetting, drew his sword,
And after staring at it in the moonlight
Replaced it slowly and reluctantly.
“I cannot kill a worm like that,” he said.
Yet a voice tells me I had better do so.
Take him away—or let the King say that.
This is no slave of mine.”
Yet a voice tells me I had better do so.
Take him away—or let the King say that.
This is no slave of mine.”
Gouvernail’s men
Stood as if waiting for the moon to fall
Into the sea, but the King only nodded,
Like one bemused; and Andred, with an arm
Thrown over each of them, stumbled away.
The King gave one more nod, and Gouvernail,
Like sorrow in the mould of a bowed man,
Went slowly after him.
Stood as if waiting for the moon to fall
Into the sea, but the King only nodded,
Like one bemused; and Andred, with an arm
Thrown over each of them, stumbled away.
The King gave one more nod, and Gouvernail,
Like sorrow in the mould of a bowed man,
Went slowly after him.
Then the King said,
“Tristram, I cannot trust myself much longer,
With you before me, to be more than man.”
His fury shook him into a long silence
“Tristram, I cannot trust myself much longer,
With you before me, to be more than man.”
His fury shook him into a long silence
[ 64 ]
