第26章

YoutalkofGaietyandInnocence！

Themomentwhenthefatalfruitwaseaten，Theypartedne’ertomeetagain:andMaliceHaseversincebeenplaymatetolightGaiety，FromthefirstmomentwhenthesmilinginfantDestroystheflowerorbutterflyhetoyswith，Tothelastchuckleofthedyingmiser，WhoonhisdeathbedlaughshislasttohearHiswealthyneighbourhasbecomeabankrupt。

OldPlay。

SirKennethwasleftforsomeminutesalone，andindarkness。

Herewasanotherinterruption，whichmustprolonghisabsencefromhispost，andhebeganalmosttorepentthefacilitywithwhichhehadbeeninducedtoquitit。ButtoreturnwithoutseeingtheLadyEdith，wasnownottobethoughtof。Hehadcommittedabreachofmilitarydiscipline，andwasdeterminedatleasttoprovetherealityoftheseductiveexpectationswhichhadtemptedhimtodoso。Meanwhile，hissituationwasunpleasant。Therewasnolighttoshowhimintowhatsortofapartmenthehadbeenled-theLadyEdithwasinimmediateattendanceontheQueenofEngland-andthediscoveryofhishavingintroducedhimselfthusfurtivelyintotheroyalpavilion，might，wereitdiscovered，leadtomuchanddangeroussuspicion。Whilehegavewaytotheseunpleasantreflections，andbeganalmosttowishthathecouldachievehisretreatunobserved，heheardanoiseoffemalevoiceslaughing，whispering，andspeaking，inanadjoiningapartment，fromwhich，asthesoundsgavehimreasontojudge，hecouldonlybeseparatedbyacanvaspartition。Lampswereburning，ashemightperceivebytheshadowylightwhichextendeditselfeventohissideoftheveilwhichdividedthetent，andhecouldseeshadesofseveralfiguressittingandmovingintheadjoiningapartment。ItcannotbetermeddiscourtesyinSirKenneth，that，situatedashewas，heoverheardaconversation，inwhichhefoundhimselfdeeplyinterested。

Callher-callher，forOurLady’ssake，’’saidthevoiceofoneoftheselaughinginvisibles。Nectabanus，thoushaltbemadeambassadortoPresterJohn’scourt，toshowthemhowwiselythoucanstdischargetheeofamission。’’

Theshrilltoneofthedwarfwasheard，yetsomuchsubdued，thatSirKennethcouldnotunderstandwhathesaid，exceptthathespokesomethingofthemeansofmerrimentgiventotheguard。

ButhowshallweridusofthespiritwhichNectabanushathraised，mymaidens？’’

Hearme，royalmadam，’’saidanothervoice；ifthesageandprincelyNectabanusbenotoverzealousofhismosttranscendentbrideandempress，letussendhertogetusridofthisinsolentknight-errant，whocanbesoeasilypersuadedthathigh-borndamesmayneedtheuseofhisinsolentandoverweeningvalour。’’

Itwerebutjustice，methinks，’’repliedanother，thatthePrincessGuenevrashoulddismiss，byhercourtesy，himwhomherhusband’swisdomhasbeenabletoenticehither。’’

Strucktotheheartwithshameandresentmentatwhathehadheard，SirKennethwasabouttoattempthisescapefromthetentatallhazards，whenwhatfollowedarrestedhispurpose。

Nay，truly，’’saidthefirstspeaker，ourcousinEdithmustfirstlearnhowthisvauntedwighthathconductedhimself，andwemustreservethepowerofgivingherocularproofthathehathfailedinhisduty。Itmaybealessonwilldogooduponher；for，creditme，Calista，Ihavesometimesthoughtshehasletthisnorthernadventurersitnearerherheartthanprudencewouldsanction。’’

OneoftheothervoiceswasthenheardtomuttersomethingoftheLadyEdith’sprudenceandwisdom。

Prudence，wench！’’wasthereply-Itismerepride，andthedesiretobethoughtmorerigidthananyofus。Nay，I

willnotquitmyadvantage。Youknowwell，thatwhenshehasusatfault，noonecan，inacivilway，layyourerrorbeforeyoumorepreciselythancanmyLadyEdith-Buthereshecomes。’’

Afigure，asifenteringtheapartment，castuponthepartitionashade，whichglidedalongslowlyuntilitmixedwiththosewhichalreadycloudedit。Despiteofthebitterdisappointmentwhichhehadexperienced-despitetheinsultandinjurywithwhichitseemedhehadbeenvisitedbythemalice，or，atbest，bytheidlehumourofQueenBerengaria(forhealreadyconcludedthatshewhospokeloudest，andinacommandingtone，wasthewifeofRichard)，theknightfeltsomethingsosoothingtohisfeelingsinlearningthatEdithhadbeennopartnertothefraudpractisedonhim，andsointerestingtohiscuriosityinthescenewhichwasabouttotakeplace，that，insteadofprosecutinghismoreprudentpurposeofaninstantretreat，helookedanxiously，onthecontrary，forsomerentorcrevice，bymeansofwhichhemightbemadeeyeaswellasearwitness

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