His thought had forerun hers.  “Yes, some must die, so that in the end I may be King, and the general happiness may rest at my disposal.  The adventure of this world is wonderful, and it goes otherwise than under the strict tutelage of reason.”

“It would not be yours, but Gloucester’s and his barons’.  Friend, they would set you on the throne to be their puppet and to move only as they pulled the strings.  Thwart them in their maraudings and they will fling you aside, as the barons have pulled down every king that dared oppose them.  No, they desire to live pleasantly, to have fish on Fridays, and white bread and the finest wine the whole year through, and there is not enough for all, say they.  Can you alone contend against them? and conquer them? for not unless you can do this may I dare bid you reign.”

The sun had grown too bright, too merciless, but as always she drew the truth from him.  “I could not venture to oppose in anything the barons who supported my cause:  for if I did, I would not endure a fortnight.  Heaven help us, nor you nor I nor any one may transform through any personal force this bitter world, this piercing, cruel place of frost and sun.  Charity and Truth are excommunicate, and a king is only an adorned and fearful person who leads wolves toward their quarry, lest, lacking it, they turn and devour him.  Everywhere the powerful labor to put one another out of worship, and each to stand the higher with the other’s corpse as his pedestal; and Lechery and Greed and Hatred sway these proud and inconsiderate fools as winds blow at will the gay leaves of autumn.  We walk among shining vapors, we aspire to overpass a mountain of unstable sparkling sand!  We two alone in all the scuffling world!  Oh, it is horrible, and I think that Satan plans the jest!  We dream for a while of refashioning this bright desolation, and know that we alone can do it! we are as demigods, you and I, in those gallant dreams! and at the end we can but poultice some dirty rascal!”

The Queen answered sadly:  “Once and only once did God tread this tangible world, for a very little while, and, look you, to what trivial matters He devoted that brief space!  Only to chat with fishermen, and to talk with light women, and to consort with rascals, and at last to die between two cutpurses, ignominiously!  If Christ Himself achieved so little that seemed great and admirable, how should we two hope to do any more?”

He answered:  “It is true.  Of anise and of cumin the Master gets His tithe—­” Maudelain broke off with a yapping laugh.  “Puf!  Heaven is wiser than we.  I am King of England.  It is my heritage.”

“It means war.  Many will die, thousands will die, and to no betterment of affairs.”

“I am King of England.  I am Heaven’s satrap here, and answerable to Heaven alone.  It is my heritage.”  And now his large and cruel eyes were aflame as he regarded her.