Chapter 46

BRANGAENE (her voice is muffled by fear). Art thou still here, thou ghastly being? Ghost Of awful midnight hours?

STR. JESTER. Brangaene I Am here, and here I shall remain.

BRANGAENE (looking for something on the ground). Methought King Mark had paid thy jests with whips and had Then driven thee away; and yet thou sitst Here in the self-same place and starest still With blear'd and fish-like eyes. Dost thou not know That day is come? Fool, if thou hast a heart Through which the warm blood flows, I pray thee go! Go ere the Queen come down and see thee here! Begone!

STR. JESTER. What seekest thou?

BRANGAENE. I seek the ring; The ring that Queen Iseult let fall last night.

STR. JESTER. The ring is mine; I picked it up!

BRANGAENE (angrily). Iseult Desires the ring! Str. Jester. I will not give it up!

BRANGAENE. The Queen will have thee hung unless thou give The ring to her. She wants the ring!

STR. JESTER. Iseult Received the ring; she cast my gift away, As she threw me away. I'll keep it now. But if she wishes it so earnestly Let her then come and beg the ring of me.

BRANGAENE. Audacious knave! How vauntest thou thyself! Give me the ring, and then begone, thou fool, Ere Mark awake!

STR. JESTER. To Queen Iseult herself I'll give the ring, and to none else. She shall Not let me die in misery as she Desires God may help her in her grief!

BRANGAENE (going up the stairs). Thou fool, may God's damnation strike thee dead, Thou and Lord Tristram for the night that's passed! I'll bring thy words into the Queen that she May have thee slain in secret by Gwain!