Читать «Айвенго / Ivanhoe» онлайн - страница 19

Prince John had to name the knight who had done best, and he declared that the honour of the day remained with the knight who was called the ‘Lazy Knight’. It was pointed out to the Prince, that the victory had been in fact won by the Disinherited Knight, but Prince John said that the Disinherited Knight and his party only won due to the powerful assistance of the Knight in the Black Armour.

To everybody’s surprise, however, this knight could not be found. He had left the lists and had been observed by some spectators to move in the direction of the forest. It became necessary to name another knight to receive the honours. Prince John had now no further excuse for resisting the claim of the Disinherited Knight, whom, therefore, he named the champion of the day.

Through a field slippery with blood the marshals of the lists again conducted the victor to the foot of Prince John’s throne.

“Disinherited Knight,” said Prince John, “we announce to you your right to claim and receive from the hands of the Queen of Love and Beauty the Crown of Honour, which you have justly deserved.” The Knight bowed low and gracefully, but returned no answer.

The marshals conducted the Disinherited Knight across the lists to the foot of that throne of honour which was occupied by the Lady Rowena.

On the lower step of this throne the champion was made to kneel down. Rowena, descending from her station with a graceful and dignified step, was about to place the crown which she held in her hand upon the helmet of the champion, when the marshals exclaimed with one voice, “His head must be bare.” The knight muttered faintly a few words, which showed his reluctance. From love of form or from curiosity the marshals paid no attention to this and took off the victor’s helmet, and everybody saw a well-formed face of a young man of twenty-five. This was Wilfred of Ivanhoe. His face was very pale.

When Rowena saw it, she gave a weak cry, but then, controlling emotion and making herself proceed, she placed upon the head of the victor his splendid prize.

The knight kissed the hand of the lovely Sovereign and then fainted at her feet.

Cedric, who had been struck mute by the sudden appearance of his banished son, now rushed forward to separate him from Rowena. But the marshals of the field, guessing the cause of Ivanhoe’s fall, took off his armour, and found that he was severely wounded.

* * *

The name of Ivanhoe flew from mouth to mouth and it soon reached the circle of the Prince.

“Front-de-Boeuf must prepare to give back the mansion and lands of Ivanhoe,” said De Bracy.

“Front-de-Boeuf,” replied John, “is a man more ready to swallow three mansions such as Ivanhoe, than to give one of them back”.

Waldemar Fitzurse, who went to see Ivanhoe, now returned. “The knight,” said he, “is likely to make little problem for your Highness and to leave Front-de-Boeuf in the quiet possession of his gains—he is severely wounded. And I was touched to see the grief of the Queen of Love and Beauty. This Lady Rowena suppressed her sorrow with such dignity, that it could only be discovered by her folded hands, and her tearless eye, which trembled when she looked at the body before her.”