HAROLD. Conditions? What conditions? pay him back His ransom? 'easy '--that were easy--nay-- No money-lover he! What said the King? 'I pray you do not go to Normandy.' And fate hath blown me hither, bound me too With bitter obligation to the Count-- Have I not fought it out? What did he mean? There lodged a gleaming grimness in his eyes, Gave his shorn smile the lie. The walls oppress me, And yon huge keep that hinders half the heaven. Free air! free field! [_Moves to go out. A_ MAN-AT-ARMS _follows him_. HAROLD (_to the_ MAN-AT-ARMS). I need thee not. Why dost thou follow me? MAN-AT-ARMS. I have the Count's commands to follow thee. HAROLD. What then? Am I in danger in this court? MAN-AT-ARMS. I cannot tell. I have the Count's commands. HAROLD. Stand out of earshot then, and keep me still In eyeshot. MAN-AT-ARMS. Yea, lord Harold. [_Withdraws_. HAROLD. And arm'd men Ever keep watch beside my chamber door, And if I walk within the lonely wood, There is an arm'd man ever glides behind! _Enter_ MALET. Why am I follow'd, haunted, harass'd, watch'd? See yonder! [_Pointing to the_ MAN-AT-ARMS. MALET. 'Tis the good Count's care for thee! The Normans love thee not, nor thou the Normans, Or--so they deem. HAROLD. But wherefore is the wind, Which way soever the vane-arrow swing, Not ever fair for England? Why but now He said (thou heardst him) that I must not hence Save on conditions. MALET. So in truth he said. HAROLD. Malet, thy mother was an Englishwoman; There somewhere beats an English pulse in thee! MALET. Well--for my mother's sake I love your England, But for my father I love Normandy. HAROLD. Speak for thy mother's sake, and tell me true. MALET. Then for my mother's sake, and England's sake That suffers in the daily want of thee, Obey the Count's conditions, my good friend. HAROLD. How, Malet, if they be not honourable! MALET. Seem to obey them. HAROLD. Better die than lie! MALET. Choose therefore whether thou wilt have thy conscience White as a maiden's hand, or whether England Be shatter'd into fragments. HAROLD. News from England? MALET. Morcar and Edwin have stirr'd up the Thanes Against thy brother Tostig's governance; And all the North of Humber is one storm. HAROLD. I should be there, Malet, I should be there! MALET. And Tostig in his own hall on suspicion Hath massacred the Thane that was his guest, Gamel, the son of Orm: and there be more As villainously slain. HAROLD. The wolf! the beast! Ill news for guests, ha, Malet! More? What more? What do they say? did Edward know of this? MALET. They say, his wife was knowing and abetting. HAROLD. They say, his wife!--To marry and have no husband Makes the wife fool. My God, I should be there. I'll hack my way to the sea.