It
distresses her that he does not come, for she has no desire to
see any one but him. Cliges, however, will soon be there, to
tell her of what he has seen and found. He came into the room
and spoke to her, but stayed only a moment, for Fenice, in order
that they might think she was annoyed by what pleased her so,
cried out aloud: "Be gone, be gone! You disturb and bother me
too much, for I am so seriously ill that I shall never rise up
again." Cliges, though pleased with this, goes away with a sad
face: you would never see so woeful a countenance. To judge from
his appearance he is very sad; but within his heart is gay in
anticipation of its joy.
(Vv. 5699-5718.) The empress, without being really ill,
complains and pretends that she is sick. And the emperor, who
has faith in her, ceases not to grieve, and summons a physician.
But she will not allow any one to see her or touch her. The
emperor may well feel chagrined when she says that she will never
have but one doctor, who can easily restore her to health
whenever it pleases him to do so. He can cause her to die or to
live, and to him she trusts her health and life. They think that
she refers to God; but her meaning is very different, for she is
thinking of no one but Cliges.
Pages:
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379