He had a madness upon him and thrust with his horns. But, Mindon,
your true son, flew in upon him and in a great fight he slit the
beast's throat with the knife you gave him. Did he not well?"
"Well," said the King briefly. "But is there no hurt? Have
searched? For he is mine."
There was arrogance in the last sentence and her proud soul
rebelled, but smoothly as ever she spoke: "I have searched and
there is not the littlest scratch. But Ananda is weeping because
the deer is dead, and his mother is angry. What should I do?"
"Nothing. Ananda is worthless and worthless let him be! And for
that pale shadow that was once a woman, let her be forgotten.
And now, drink, my Queen!"
And Dwaymenau drank but the drink was bitter to her, for a ghost
had risen upon her that day. She had never dreamed that such a
scandal had been spoken, and it stunned her very soul with fear,
that the Queen should know her vileness and the cheat she had put
upon the King. As pure maid he had received her, and she knew,
none better, what the doom would be if his trust were broken and
he knew the child not his.
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