ISEULT (angrily). Would'st shame Me in my shame? Thou beast! STR. LEPER. I wish to save Thee now. Dost thou love Tristram still? ISEULT (going down a few steps, slowly and carefully). Thou art A messenger of his?--And dost thou come, Perchance, to take me to him? (Breaking out.) Does thy Lord Desire me, to give me as a gift From some strange land, to his new bride? [The Strange Leper hides his face in his hands.] Am I To sit within a cage and watch him kiss Her? Listen to him call his wife "Iseult?" Was this his sweet design, or does Iseult The Snowy Handed crave my golden hair To make a pillow for voluptuous hours? How strange that Tristram should so long for me That he sends forth his messengers! And will He lay us both within the self-same bed? Caress and kiss us both at once throughout The night's long, heavy hours? In other days More modest was thy Lord in his desires. (Passionately.) Now kill me, kill me, beast! I've lived enough. STR. LEPER. Iseult, dost thou not know me yet? ISEULT. How should I know thee, beast, or in what roadside ditch Lord Tristram found thee as he fled away This morning through the Morois from a man Who called upon him in my name? STR. LEPER. Oh, judge Him not too quickly. Queen Iseult! He stood And waited for the man, who in thy name Had called! ISEULT (in fierce anger). He stood, say'st thou? Why then He has not wed Iseult, white handed Queen? I dreamed it all, and sobbed but in my dreams, Perhaps? 'Twas then dream-tears I wept at this Report? STR. LEPER. Be merciful to Tristram, Queen! [ISEULT descends a few more steps; looks at him searchingly, and speaks, in a way, questioningly.] ISEULT. Wast thou his servant while he still was true, And caught'st the plague while on his wedding trip? Then weep for him, thou poor diseased beast! I know thee not. And if thy master stood Here too,--Lord Tristram, whom I once did love And who returned my love in youthful years-- If he now stood before me here, I should Not recognize his face behind the mask Of cowardice which he has worn of late. His faithlessness sticks to him like black slime! Go tell him that!--I hate him in this mask! He was so loving and so true when first I knew and loved him! God shall punish him! STR. LEPER. Iseult, great God has punished him enough; His soul is writhing in its agony Before thy feet!