Volume 20 / Act 5 — SCENE II

Brangaene disappears above; the Strange Jester cowers motionless, his head buried in his hands. After a moment Iseult, in a white night robe, comes down the stairs with Brangaene. She steps close in front of the Jester, who does not move. Brangaene remains on the lowest step, leaning against the post of the bannister.

Iseult. Thou gruesome fool, art thou some bird of prey. Some wolf that comes to feed upon my soul? Wilt thou not go? Why liest thou in wait For me here in the dawning light like some Wild beast that waits its quarry?

Str. Jester (looking up heavily). Queen Iseult! Oh dearest, fairest, sweetest one!

Iseult. How dar'st Thou call me by such names! My boiling blood Turns cold and shudders! Go!

Str. Jester (groaning softly). Where, lady, can I find a sea whose endless depths are deep Enough to drown my bitter misery? Where? Tell me where, and I will go.

Iseult. Go where Thou wilt, so it be far away—so far That the whole world shall sever thee and me, And shall divide me from thy woe! My soul Bleeds like an unheal'd wound when thou art near. As though thou wert its murderer, and lo, 'Twill bleed to death from thy propinquity, Thou fool! Hence, go, but give me first the ring Thou stol'st last night and which in wanton jest Thou torest from the hand of yon dead Knight. It is Lord Tristram's ring.

Str. Jester. Ay, Queen Iseult, The ring is his—above all other things He values it!

Iseult. Give me the ring, else shalt Thou die! I'll have thee slain, I swear, as sure As I have suffered all this night such pangs As suffered Mary at the cross of Christ.

Str. Jester (standing up). The ring is mine! I gave it yonder man To cherish like his life.—He's died for thee And me;—I gave him too my soul to guard That by this ring he might compel and bring Thee to me in the wood tonight. Oh, 'twas An evil hour for us both, Iseult, That Lord Denovalin rode through the wood Today. Now, answer me, Iseult, wilt thou Still keep the oath thou sware to Tristram once?

Iseult (fixedly). I'll break no oath that I have sworn, for God Has sanctioned all my vows.

Str. Jester. Then call I thee, Iseult the Goldenhaired, in Tristram's name, And by this ring. [He hands her the ring.]

Iseult. Knowst thou that oath as well. Thou ghost!

(Solemnly.)

Oh God, here in this hand, grown pale And hot from resting on my heart all night, I hold the ring of gold and emerald stone By which I sware to Tristram to obey His will, and come to him when one should call Upon me by this ring and in his name! Lo, thou hast called upon me; I obey! What wishest thou of me, thou evil ghost With hollow sunken eyes? What wouldst thou have. Thou spectre of the twilight gloom?

Str. Jester. I call On thee, Iseult, my love, in my distress! Oh know me now, who was thy lover once!

Iseult. Thou suck'st my blood!

Str. Jester. Thy blood was mine! Thy blood Was once mine own! It was a crimson trust reposing in my knightly hands to keep Irrevocably until Death. And where Thou goest there go I; and where thou stayst There stay I too. So spoke thy blood—I come To claim but what is mine.

Iseult (in great passion). What have I done To thee that thou recountest my past life As 'twere a mocking song? Who art thou, fool? Who art thou? Speak? I'm knocking at thy soul As knocks a dead man's soul outside the gates Of Paradise! Who art thou, fool? Art thou Magician? Art thou ghost? Art thou some soul Forever wandering for some evil deed? Art thou some faithless lover barred from Heav'n And Hell eternally, whose punishment It is to wander restless through the world Forever begging love from women's hearts? Did God permit that thou shouldst know what none, Save only Tristram and myself have known? That thou shouldst taste of bitter torment still By thinking thou art Tristram and shouldst thus Make greater expiation for thy sins?

Str. Jester. I am a faithless lover who has loved Most faithfully, Iseult, belovèd one!

Iseult. Why criest thou my name unceasingly, As scream enhungered owls, thou pallid fool? Why starest thou at me with eyes that tears And pain have rendered pitiless? I know Naught of thy grief and am no leech to cure Thy fool's disease!

Str. Jester. Iseult!

Iseult (in growing agitation). Shall I shave off My hair as thou hast done? Shall I too wear A jester's parti-colored garb? Shall I Go through the land, and howling in the streets Bawl out Lord Tristram's name to make the throng Of greasy knaves laugh? Speak? Is this the cure Thou needest for thy grief? Does Tristram mock Me through thy ribald wit? Does he revenge Himself upon me thus because I loved Him long before he saw Iseult, the Fair Whitehanded Queen, and gave my soul and blood To him? In scornful and in bitter words Has he revealed our secret love to thee? Has he betrayed me to his wife? Art thou In league with her? Has her black spirit sent Thee here to torture me by raising up The phantom images of that past life Which once I knew, but which is dead? Confess! And! I will load thee down with precious gifts, And daily pray for thee! I'll line thy way With servants and I'll honor thee as though Thou wert of royal blood where e'er thou art!

[She falls on her knees.]

Release my soul, thou fool, before I turn A fool from very horror and from dread!

Str. Jester (raising her). Kneel not to me, Beloved One! Arise!

Iseult (remains a moment in his arms and then draws away shuddering). When Tristram called, the Heavens echoed back A golden peal, as echoes through the land The music of a golden bell; the world rejoiced And from its depths sprang up sweet sounds of joy. And with them danced my heart exultingly! When Tristram stood beside me, all the air Was wont to quiver with a secret bliss That made the beasts move 'round uneasily. The birds sang in the dead of night and so Betrayed us! Say, who broke the bond that knit Our kindred souls in one?

Str. Jester. Lord Tristram broke The bond and, faithless, took another wife! Oh see, Iseult, how great the wrong he did Us both!

Iseult (looking at him fixedly). I hear a raven's croak; I feel The icy breath of some strange body when Thou standest burning by my side, thou fool! Thou pallid ghost!

Str. Jester. Yet hast thou oft embraced These limbs upon the journey o'er the wide And purple sea along the starry way Of our great happiness—just thou and I, Alone in blissful loneliness! And thou Hast often listened to this voice when it. In the deep forest, called the nightingales, Alluring them to sing above thy head, And like them whispered in thine ears Soft words that made a wave of passion flow, Sweet and voluptuous, through thy burning veins! Iseult, shall I repeat those words? Wilt thou Again go wandering through the world With singing blood that makes our hearts beat high In perfect unison of love, with souls that dream In silent happiness?

Iseult. Lord Tristram's steps Beside me made my blood soar heavenward And bore me up until the earth bowed down, And bent beneath our feet like surging waves, And carried us like lofty ships that sail To victory!

Str. Jester. Ay, Ay, Iseult, 'Twas so we walked! Iseult, art thou still mindful of the day When, hawk on fist, we galloped o'er the downs, For Mark was with Lord Dinas on that day? Dost thou remember how I lifted thee From thy good steed and placed thee on mine own, And held thee close embraced, while thou didst cling To me like some fond child.

Iseult. And Tristram, bold In the intoxication of his love, Let go the reins, and gave his horse the spurs, Till, like an arrow in full flight, it clove The golden air and bore us heavenward! How often have I dreamed of that wild ride. And now with Isot of the Fair White Hands He rides, as formerly with me—!

Str. Jester. And shall I sing to thee, Iseult the Goldenhaired, The lay of that White-handed wife who sits And grieves by day and night? It is the sad And sombre song of my great guilt. Her eyes Are red from weeping—!

Iseult. Ay, and mine are red From weeping too! Fool, Fool, why mock'st thou me? But since thou knowst so much of Tristram, tell Me this; why did Lord Tristram marry her—, This Isot of the Fair White Hands?

Str. Jester (slowly and painfully). There plays About her mouth a silver smile; this smile Enchanted him one lonely night. But, when, At cold gray dawn, he heard her called Iseult He nigh went mad with sorrow and with joy From thinking of the real Iseult—of her, The Goldenhaired—the beautiful, about Whose mouth there plays a golden smile. Then, sick At heart, and weary of this life, he wished To die, until his sorrow drove him here, To Cornwall, once again to see his love Before he died and, face to face stand once Again with her!—The rest thou knowest well.

Iseult (angrily). Ay, fool, I know the rest, and I know too That for these black and loathsome lies of thine There's one reward!—And that is death! I'll put An end to my great suffering! If thou Art Tristram thou shalt live, and, in mine arms, That yearn for Tristram, thou shalt find a hot And passionate forgetfulness of cool And silver smiles thou fledest from! If thou Hast lied no longer shalt thou dream at night Of golden and of silver smiles!

(To Brangaene. )

Go fetch The key, Brangaene, of the upper cell!

Brangaene (horrified). Iseult, what wouldst thou do?

Iseult. Obey me, girl! Now listen, spectre, to my words. There lives Within these walls a hound who has become A wild and raging beast from his great love For Tristram, once his master. Fool, this dog Is full as savage as a fierce white wolf That lusts for human flesh; his food is thrust Into his cage on sticks. Since Tristram left, The beast has slain three keepers. Fool, what think'st Thou of this hound? Would he attack and tear Lord Tristram like a wolf should Tristram chance To step within his cage?

Str. Jester (rising, tall, determined, and noble). Oh Queen Iseult—! Oh Queen Iseult—! Old Husdent ever was My faithful hound—. Let me go to him now.

Iseult (starting back). Thou knowst his name—!

Str. Jester. Brangaene, lead the fool. Obey thy mistress's command. Thou needst Not lead me to the cage! I know the way. Give me the key!

[He snatches the key from Brangaene's hand and disappears with long strides behind the stairs. He is erect and proud. The two women stand looking at each other amazed and motionless.]