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

will not yield. Kill me at once, for I shall only fight you again if you spare my life." He was crying,"
"We may depend upon it," said Agnes wisely, "that Sir Lancelot refused to strike a felled knight." "We
may depend."
"He was always a kind, good gentleman, though not what you may call a beauty." "He was the chief of
all,"
They fell silent, shy of their feelings, and began to stitch. Presently the Queen said: "The light gets bad,
Agnes. Do you think we could have the rushes?"
"Certainly, madam. I was thinking the same myself." She began lighting them at the fire, grumbling
about the backward place and the naked, northern savages to have no candles, while Guenever hummed
absently. It was the duet which she used to sing with Lancelot, and, when she recognized it, she stopped
abruptly.


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"There, madam. The days seem to draw out."
"Yes: we shall have the spring soon."
Sitting down and stitching away in the smoky light, Agnes resumed her catechism where it had broken
off.
"And what did the King say about the business?"
"He cried when he saw how Gawaine was spared. It made him remember things, and he became so
wretched that he was ill."
"Would that be what they call a nervous shakedown, madam?"
"Yes, Agnes. He fell sick for sorrow, and Gawaine had concussion, so they were bad together. But the
knights are keeping up the siege."
"Well, it isn't a very cheerful letter, is it, madam?"
"No, it isn't."
"I remember having a letter once--but there, they say bad news travels the fastest."
"Everything is letters nowтАФnow that the court is empty, and the world split, and nobody left but the
Lord Protector."
"Ah, that there Sir Mordred: I never could abide the likes of him. What does he want to go a-
speechifying at the people for, and taking off his hat to make them cheer? Why can't he dress more
cheerful like, instead of hanging about in that black, as if he were Holy doomsday? He caught it from
poor Sir Gawaine, I dare say."
"The uniform is supposed to be in mourning for Gareth."
"He never cared for Sir Gareth, that one didn't. I don't believe he cares for anybody."
"He cared for his mother, Agnes,"
"Aye, and she had her throat slit for being no better than she should be. They are a queer pack, the lot of
them."
"Queen Morgause," said Guenever thoughtfully, "must have been a strange person. It is common
knowledge, now that Mordred is made the Lord Protector, so it doesn't matter talking about it. But she
must have been a powerful woman to have caught our King when she had four big boys of her own.
Why, she caught Sir Lamorak when she was a grandmother. She must have had a terrible effect on her
sons, if one of them could have felt so fiercely about her that he killed her. She was nearly seventy. I
expect she ate Mordred, Agnes, like a spider."
"They did used to talk at one time, about the Cornwall sisters being witches. Of course, the worst of

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