"T. H. White - The Once and Future King" - читать интересную книгу автора (White T.H)

gentleman who had worn his crown for half a lifetime in the teeth of fate.
Gareth threw himself on his knee.
"It has nothing to do with us!"
Gawaine, lumbering to one knee more slowly, joined him on the floor.
"Sir, I came ben hoping to control my brothers, but they willna listen. I dinna wish to hear what they


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may say."
Gaheris was the last to kneel.
"We want to go before they speak."
Arthur came into the room and lifted Gawaine gently.
"Of course you can go, my dear," he said, "if you wish it. I hope I am not going to cause a family
trouble?"
Gawaine turned blackly on the others.
"It is a trouble," he said, drawing the old language of knighthood round him like a cloak, "that will aye
destroy the flower of chivalry in all the world: a mischief to our noble fellowship: and all by cause of
two unhappy knights!"
When Gawaine had swept contemptuously out of the room, pushing Gaheris before him and followed by
Gareth with a helpless gesture, the King walked over to the throne in silence. He took two cushions from
the seat and put them on the steps.
"Well, nephews," he said evenly, "sit down and tell me what you want,"
"We would rather stand."
"You can please yourselves, of course."
Such a beginning did not suit the policy of Agravaine. He protested: "Ah, Mordred, come! Nay, we are
not quarrelling with our King. There is no thought of that about it."
"I shall stand."
Agravaine sat on one of the cushions humbly.
"Would you care for two cushions?"
"No, thank you, sir."
The old man watched and waitedтАФas a man who was to be hanged might submit to the hangman, but
who would not need to help with the noose. He watched with a tired irony, leaving the work to them.
"Perhaps it would be wiser," said Agravaine, with well-made reluctance, "to say no more about it."
"Perhaps it would."
Mordred burst through the situation by main force.
"This is ridiculous. We came to tell our uncle and it is right he should be told."
"It is unpleasant."

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"In that case, my dear boys, if you would prefer it, don't let us talk about the matter any further. These
spring nights are too beautiful for us to worry with unpleasant things, so who don't the two of you go off
and make it up with Gawaine? You could ask him to lend you that clever goshawk of his for tomorrow.
The Queen was mentioning just now, how she would enjoy a nice young leveret for dinner."
He was fighting for her, perhaps for all of them.