II
27 lines✦
he state bed shivers in the watery dawn. Drip--hiss--fall the raindrops.For the storm never stops. On the velvet coverlet lie two bodies, stripped and fair in the cold,grey air. Drip--hiss--fall the blood-drops, for the bleeding never stops.The bodies lie quietly. At each side of the bed, on the floor, is a head.A man's on this side, a woman's on that, and the red blood oozes alongthe rush mat. A wisp of paper is twisted carefully into the strands of the dead man's hair.It says, "My Lord: Your wife's paramour has paid with his lifefor the high favour." Through the lady's silver fillet is wound another paper. It reads,"Most noble Lord: Your wife's misdeeds are as a double-strandednecklace of beads. But I have engaged that, on your return,she shall welcome you here. She will not spurn your love as before,you have still the best part of her. Her blood was red, her body white,they will both be here for your delight. The soul inside was a lump of dirt,I have rid you of that with a spurt of my sword point. Good luckto your pleasure. She will be quite complaisant, my friend, I wager."The end was a splashed flourish of ink. Hark! In the passage is heard the clink of armour, the tread of a heavy man.The door bursts open and standing there, his thin hair waveringin the glare of steely daylight, is my Lord of Clair. Over the yawning chimney hangs the fog. Drip--hiss--drip--hiss--fall the raindrops. Overhead hammers and chinks the rain which never stops. The velvet coverlet is sodden and wet, yet the roof beams are tight.Overhead, the coronet gleams with its blackened gold, winking and blinking.Among the rushes three corpses are growing cold.
✦