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

clapping one hand to his dagger, cried: "I take your meaning in that. Ye mean Sir Lamorak...." The
Bishop of Rochester lifted his glove. "Gawaine, cannot we leave this wrangling to another time? The
immediate business is to restore the Queen. No doubt Sir Lancelot would like to make an explanation of
the trouble, so that the Church may be justified in her reconciliation."
"Thank you, my lord."
Gawaine glared about him, till the King's tired voice prompted the proceedings. They were going
forward clumsily, by a series of jerks.
"You were taken with the Queen."
"Sir, I was sent for to my lady your Queen, I know not for what cause; but I was not so soon within the
chamber door when immediately Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred beat upon it, calling me traitor and

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recreant knight."
"They called thee right."
"My lord Sir Gawaine, in their quarrel they proved thelmselves not in the right. I speak for the Queen,
not for my own worship."
"Well, well, Sir Lancelot."
The ill-made knight turned to his oldest friend, to the first person he had loved with his poises. He
dropped the language of chivalry, falling into the simple tongue.
"Can't we be forgiven? Can't we be friends again? We have come back in penitence, Arthur, when we
needn't have come at all. Won't you remember the old days, when we fought together and were friends.
All this wickedness could be smoothed out by the goodwill of Sir Gawaine, if you would give us
mercy."
"The King gives justice," said the red man. "Did ye give mercy to my brothers?"
"I have given mercy to all of you, Sir Gawaine. I dare say I may speak without boasting, when I say that
many in this room are indebted to me for liberty, if not for life. I have fought for the Queen in others'
quarrels, so why not in my own? I have fought for you also, Sir Gawaine, and saved you from an ignoble
death."
"Yet now," said Mordred, "there are but two of Orkney left."
Gawaine flung back his head.
"The King may do as he will. My mind was made six months ago, when I found Sir Gareth in his blood
тАФunarmed."
"I would to God he had been armed, for then he might have withstood me. He might have killed me, and
saved our misery."
"A noble speech."
The old fellow cried out passionately and suddenly, to anybody who would listen: "Why will you
believe that I wanted to kill them? I knighted Gareth. I loved him. The moment I heard he was dead, I
knew you would never forgive. I knew it meant the end of hope. It was against my interest to kill Sir
Gareth."
Mordred whispered: "It was against our heart."
Lancelot tried one last effort of persuasion.
"Gawaine, forgive me. My own heart bleeds for what I have done. I know how you are hurt, because it

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