One jarring note, the tuneful chords among, May make mad discord of the sweetest song. E'en so with dissonant clamor through the breast Of Gawayne rang the Green Knight's merry jest; But what wild meaning must it not impart To the vague fears of gentle Elfinhart? For she had heard in the first trumpet-blast A signal to her from the far-gone past; And now, of all the strange things that had been, Her half forgotten compact with the queen Flushed through her memory, and a swift thought came Like sudden fear, a thought without a name, An unvoiced question and a blind alarm; And in sheer helplessness she reached an arm Toward Gawayne scarcely knowing what she would; Her eyes beheld him, and she understood. And is it Gawayne? He? Yes, Elfinhart, The hour has come, and you must play your part.
So now it's all explained; and I intend To go straight onward to the story's end. Sir Gawayne had cut off the Green Knight's head, And Arthur and his court had gone to bed; In the great hall the dying embers shone With a faint ghostly gleam, and there, alone, While all the rest of Camelot was sleeping, In the dark alcove Elfinhart lay weeping. But as she lay there, all about her head There fell a checkered beam of moonlight, shed Through the barred casement; and she faintly stirred, For in her troubled soul it seemed she heard Vague music from some region far away! She raised her head and, turning where she lay, Saw in the silver moonlight the serene And tranquil beauty of the fairy queen!
"We sent before you called us, Elfinhart, For love lent keener magic to our art, And warned us of the thoughts that in your breast Awoke new rapture, trembling unconfessed." And Elfinhart moved closer to her knees And hid her face in the white draperies That veiled the fairy form, till, nestling there, Her heart recovered from that blank despair, And whispered her that whatsoe'er befell Love ruled the world, and all would yet be well. And the good fairy stroked the maiden's head And kissed her tear-starred eyes, and smiling said: "Fie on you women's hearts! Consistency Hides her shamed head where mortal women be! True love breeds faith and trust, it makes hearts strong; The heart's anointed king can do no wrong! And yet you weep as if you feared to prove him;-- Upon my word, I don't believe you love him!" And Elfinhart replied: "Laugh if you will, My queen, but let me be a woman still. You fairies love where love is wise and just; We mortal women love because we must: And if I feared to prove him, I confess I fear I still must love him none the less." She paused, for once again her eyes grew dim: "Think you I love his virtues? I love him! But yet you judged me wrongly, for believe me, (And then laugh once again, and so forgive me), If at the first I feared what you might do, My doubts were not of Gawayne, but of you!" And so both laughed, and for a little space Folded each other in a glad embrace; (For fairies, bathed the whole year round in bliss, May yet be gladdened by a fair maid's kiss); And Elfinhart spoke on: "Do what you will, I trust you with my all, and fear no ill. But oh, my friend, to wait the long, long year,-- To keep my heart in silence, not to hear The words my whole soul hungers for, nor say One syllable to brighten his dark day! Must it be so, my queen? And how shall I School eyes and lips to act this year-long lie? From the dear teacher-guardian of my youth The only ways I learned were ways of truth! I tried my skill this night, and learned to know That there are deeps below the deeps of woe; Hearts may be bruised and broken, yet still live;-- The wounds that kill us are the wounds we give!"