To all this misery of the mind was
she exposed by the severity of one who, while he pretended to
dote upon her slightest glance, would not forego one act of poor
revenge, though the issue was to render her miserable.
All this flow of female eloquence was accompanied with the usual
arguments of tears and sighs, and uttered with such tone and
action as seemed to show that the Queen's resentment arose
neither from pride nor sullenness, but from feelings hurt at
finding her consequence with her husband less than she had
expected to possess.
The good King Richard was considerably embarrassed. He tried in
vain to reason with one whose very jealousy of his affection
rendered her incapable of listening to argument, nor could he
bring himself to use the restraint of lawful authority to a
creature so beautiful in the midst of her unreasonable
displeasure. He was therefore reduced to the defensive,
endeavoured gently to chide her suspicions and soothe her
displeasure, and recalled to her mind that she need not look back
upon the past with recollections either of remorse or
supernatural fear, since Sir Kenneth was alive and well, and had
been bestowed by him upon the great Arabian physician, who,
doubtless, of all men, knew best how to keep him living.
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