Page:Stories from Old English Poetry-1899.djvu/203

Rh Cordelia looked into his handsome, earnest face and gave him her hand without a word. Even if she had not thought of him before, his noble offer was enough to make her love him as much as a prince of so rare qualities deserved to be loved. And hand in hand, without a single attendant, she went out with her royal lover, in the footsteps of poor Kent, whom Leon had so madly banished.

Immediately Goneril, with her husband, the Duke of Albany, took command of their new kingdom, and the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall went to occupy their palace. Lear only reserved for himself a hundred knights and warriors for his train of followers, and trusted the keeping of them all to the generosity of the two daughters to whom he had given everything.

He resolved to live one month with Goneril, and spend the next with Regan, and so changing from month to month, spend equal time with each daughter. For a few days, Goneril disguised her wicked temper,but only for a few days. She waited for the first slight pretext to complain of her father and take away some of his pleasures. One day when his men, who were nearly all soldiers and rough fellows, used to being at battle in the field, had been a little noisy in one of the court-yards of her palace, she sent for her father, and told him he kept too many