It was very far from gay.

As for her, Richard believed her melancholy mad; he himself grew fretful, irritable, most quarrelsome.
Thus it was that he first plundered and then punched his brother.
After that Prince John disappeared for a little to nurse his sores, and Richard got within fair speaking distance of Madame Alois.

In fact, she sent for him late one night when the King, as he knew, was away, munching the ashes of charred pleasure in some stews or other.

He obeyed the summons with a half-shrug.
They received him with consternation.

The distracted lady was in a chair, hugging herself; the Cluniac stood by, a mortified emblem; a scared woman or two fled behind the throne.