Queen Mary; and, Harold Part 40

Tostig, thou look'st as thou wouldst spring upon him.

St. Olaf, not while I am by! Come, come, Join hands, let brethren dwell in unity; Let kith and kin stand close as our shield-wall, Who breaks us then? I say, thou hast a tongue, And Tostig is not stout enough to bear it.

Vex him not, Leofwin.

TOSTIG. No, I am not vext,-- Altho' ye seek to vex me, one and all.

I have to make report of my good earldom To the good king who gave it--not to you-- Not any of you.--I am not vext at all.

HAROLD. The king? the king is ever at his prayers; In all that handles matter of the state I am the king.

TOSTIG. That shall thou never be If I can thwart thee.

HAROLD. Brother, brother!

TOSTIG. Away!

[_Exit_ TOSTIG.

QUEEN. Spite of this grisly star ye three must gall Poor Tostig.

LEOFWIN. Tostig, sister, galls himself; He cannot smell a rose but p.r.i.c.ks his nose Against the thorn, and rails against the rose.

QUEEN. I am the only rose of all the stock That never thorn'd him; Edward loves him, so Ye hate him. Harold always hated him.

Why--how they fought when boys--and, Holy Mary!

How Harold used to beat him!

HAROLD. Why, boys will fight.

Leofwin would often fight me, and I beat him.

Even old Gurth would fight. I had much ado To hold mine own against old Gurth. Old Gurth, We fought like great states for grave cause; but Tostig-- On a sudden--at a something--for a nothing-- The boy would fist me hard, and when we fought I conquer'd, and he loved me none the less, Till thou wouldst get him all apart, and tell him That where he was but worsted, he was wrong'd.

Ah! thou hast taught the king to spoil him too; Now the spoilt child sways both. Take heed, take heed; Thou art the Queen; ye are boy and girl no more: Side not with Tostig in any violence, Lest thou be sideways guilty of the violence.

QUEEN. Come fall not foul on me. I leave thee, brother.

HAROLD. Nay, my good sister--

[_Exeunt_ QUEEN, HAROLD, GURTH, _and_ LEOFWIN.

ALDWYTH. Gamel, son of Orm, What thinkest thou this means? [_Pointing to the comet_.

GAMEL. War, my dear lady, War, waste, plague, famine, all malignities.

ALDWYTH. It means the fall of Tostig from his earldom.

GAMEL. That were too small a matter for a comet!

ALDWYTH. It means the lifting of the house of Alfgar.

GAMEL. Too small! a comet would not show for that!

ALDWYTH. Not small for thee, if thou canst compa.s.s it.

GAMEL. Thy love?

ALDWYTH. As much as I can give thee, man; This Tostig is, or like to be, a tyrant; Stir up thy people: oust him!

GAMEL. And thy love?

ALDWYTH. As much as thou canst bear.

GAMEL. I can bear all, And not be giddy.

ALDWYTH. No more now: to-morrow.

SCENE II.--IN THE GARDEN. THE KING'S HOUSE NEAR LONDON. SUNSET.

EDITH. Mad for thy mate, pa.s.sionate nightingale....

I love thee for it--ay, but stay a moment; _He_ can but stay a moment: he is going.

I fain would hear him coming!... near me ... near.

Somewhere--To draw him nearer with a charm Like thine to thine.

(_Singing_.)

Love is come with a song and a smile, Welcome Love with a smile and a song: Love can stay but a little while.

Why cannot he stay? They call him away: Ye do him wrong, ye do him wrong; Love will stay for a whole life long.

_Enter_ HAROLD.

HAROLD. The nightingales in Havering-at-the-Bower Sang out their loves so loud, that Edward's prayers Were deafen'd and he pray'd them dumb, and thus I dumb thee too, my wingless nightingale!

[_Kissing her_.

EDITH. Thou art my music! Would their wings were mine To follow thee to Flanders! Must thou go?

HAROLD. Not must, but will. It is but for one moon.

EDITH. Leaving so many foes in Edward's hall To league against thy weal. The Lady Aldwyth Was here to-day, and when she touch'd on thee, She stammer'd in her hate; I am sure she hates thee, Pants for thy blood.

HAROLD. Well, I have given her cause-- I fear no woman.

EDITH. Hate not one who felt Some pity for thy hater! I am sure Her morning wanted sunlight, she so praised The convent and lone life--within the pale-- Beyond the pa.s.sion. Nay--she held with Edward, At least methought she held with holy Edward, That marriage was half sin.

HAROLD. A lesson worth Finger and thumb--thus (_snaps his fingers_). And my answer to it-- See here--an interwoven H and E!

Take thou this ring; I will demand his ward From Edward when I come again. Ay, would she?

She to shut up my blossom in the dark!

Thou art _my_ nun, thy cloister in mine arms.

EDITH (_taking the ring_).

Yea, but Earl Tostig--

HAROLD. That's a truer fear!