首页 >出版文学> The Hunchback>第2章

第2章

  Julia。Andwhatawardrobe!I’llhavechangeofsuitsForeverydayintheyear!andsetsfordays!
  Mymorningdress,mynoondress,dinnerdress,Andeveningdress!ThenwillIshowyoulaceAfootdeep,canIpurchase;ifnot,I’llspeciallybespeakit。Diamondstoo!
  Notbuckles,rings,andearringsonly——butWholenecklacesandstomachersofgems!
  I’llshine!besureIwill。
  Clif。[Aside。]Thenshineaway;
  Whocovetstheemaywearthee;——I’mnothe!
  Julia。Andthenmytitle!SoonasIputonThering,I’mLadyClifford。SoItakePrecedenceofplainmistress,wereshee’enTherichestheiressintheland!AttownOrcountryball,you’llseemetakethelead,WhilewivesthatcarryontheirbacksthewealthTodoweraprincess,shallgiveplacetome;-
  WillInotprofit,thinkyou,bymyright?
  BesureIwill!marriageshallprovetomeAnever-endingpageant。EverydayShallshowhowIamspoused!IwillbeknownForLadyCliffordallthecitythrough,Andfiftymilesthecountryroundabout。
  WifeofSirThomasClifford,baronet-
  Notperishableknight——who,whenhemakesAladyofme,doubtlessmustexpectToseemeplaythepartofone。
  Clif。[Comingforward。]Mosttrue;
  Butnotthepartwhichyoudesigntoplay。
  Julia。Alistener,sir!
  Clif。Bychance,andnotintent,Yourspeechwasforceduponmineear,thatne’erMorethanklessdutytomyheartdischarged!
  Wouldforthatheartitne’erhadknownthesenseWhichtellsit’tisabankrupt,there,wheremostItcovetedtoberich,andthoughtitwasso!
  OJulia,isityou?CouldIhavesetAcoronetuponthatstatelybrow,WherepartialnaturehathalreadyboundAbrightercirclet——radiantbeauty’sown-
  Ihadbeenproudtoseetheeproudofit,Soforthedonorthouhadstta’enthegift,Notforthegiftta’enhim。CouldIhavepouredThewealthofrichestCroesusinthylap,Ihadbeenblesttoseetheescatterit,SoIwasstillthyrichesparamount!
  Julia。Knowyoume,sir!
  Clif。Ido。OnMondayweekWeweretowed——andare——soyou’recontent;
  Thedaythatweds,wivesyoutobewidowed。TakeTheprivilegeofmywife;beLadyClifford!
  Outshinethetitleinthewearingon’t!
  Mycoffers,lands,allareatthycommand;
  Wearall!but,formyself,shewearsnotme,Althoughthecovetedofeveryeye,Whowouldnotwearmeformyselfalone。
  Julia。Anddoyoucarryitsoproudly,sir?
  Clif。Proudly,butstillmoresorrowfully,lady!
  I’llleadtheetothechurchonMondayweek。
  Tillthen,farewellandthen,farewellforever!
  OJulia,Ihaveventuredforthylove,Astheboldmerchant,who,foronlyhopeOfsomerichgain,allformergainswillrisk。
  BeforeIaskedaportionofthyheart,Iperilledallmyown;andnow,all’slost!
  [CLIFFORDandMODUSgoout。]
  Julia。Helen!
  Helen。Whatailsyou,sweet?
  Julia。Icannotbreathe——quick,loosemygirdle,oh!
  [Faints。]
  [MASTERWALTERandMASTERHEARTWELLcomeforward。]
  Wal。GoodMasterHeartwell,helptotakeherin,WhilstImakeafterhim!andlooktoher!
  Unluckychancethattookmeoutoftown!
  [Theygooutseverally。]
  SCENEIII。——TheStreet。
  [EnterCLIFFORDandSTEPHEN,meeting。]
  Ste。Letters,SirThomas。
  Clif。Takethemhomeagain,Ishallnotreadthemnow。
  Ste。Yourpardon,sir,Buthereisonedirectedstrangely。
  Clif。How?
  Ste。"ToMasterClifford,gentleman,nowstyledSirThomasClifford,baronet。"
  Clif。Indeed!
  Whencecomesthatletter?
  Ste。Fromabroad。
  Clif。Whichisit?
  Ste。Sopleaseyou,this,SirThomas。
  Clif。Giveitme。
  Ste。Thatletterbringsnotnewstowishhimjoyupon。Ifhewasdisturbedbefore,whichIguessedbyhislookshewas,heisnotmoreateasenow。Hishandtohishead!Amostunwelcomeletter!
  Ifitbringshimnewsofdisaster,fortunedoesnotgivehimhisdeserts;forneverwaitedservantuponakindermaster。
  Clif。Stephen!
  Ste。SirThomas!
  Clif。FrommydoorremoveTheplatethatbearsmyname。
  Ste。Theplate,SirThomas!
  Clif。Theplate——collectmyservantsandinstructthemTomakeouteachtheirclaims,untotheendOftheirrespectiveterms,andgivetheminTomysteward。Himandthemapprise,goodfellow,ThatIkeephousenomore。Asyougohome,Callatmycoachmaker’sandbidhimstopThecarriageIbespoke。TheoneIhaveSendwithmyhorsestothemartwhereatSuchthingsaresoldbyauction。They’reforsale;
  Packupmywardrobe,havemytrunksconveyedTotheinninthenextstreet;andwhenthat’sdone,Goroundmytradesmenandcollecttheirbills,Andbringthemtomeattheinn。
  Ste。Theinn!
  Clif。Yes;Igohomenomore。Why,what’sthematter?
  Whathasfallenouttomakeyoureyesfillup?
  You’llgetanotherplace。I’llcertifyYou’rehonestandindustrious,andallThataservantoughttobe。
  Ste。Isee,SirThomas,Somegreatmisfortunehasbefallenyou?
  Clif。No!
  Ihavehealth;Ihavestrength;myreason,Stephen,andAheartthat’sclearintruth,withtrustinGod。
  NogreatdisastercanbefallthemanWho’sstillpossessedofthese!Goodfellow,leaveme。
  Whatyouwouldlearn,andhavearighttoknow,Iwouldnottellyounow。GoodStephen,hence!
  Mischancehasfallenonme——butwhatofthat?
  Mischancehasfallenonmanyabetterman。
  Ipritheeleaveme。IgrowsadderwhileIseetheeyewithwhichyouviewmygrief。
  ’Sdeath,theywillout!Iwouldhavebeenaman,Hadyoubeenlessakindandgentleone。
  Now,asyouloveme,leaveme。
  Ste。NevermasterSowelldeservedtheloveofhimthatservedhim。
  [STEPHENgoesout。]
  Clif。Misfortunelikethcompany;itseldomVisitsitsfriendsalone。Ha!MasterWalter,Andruffledtoo。I’minnomoodforhim。
  [EnterMASTERWALTER。]
  Wal。So,Sir——SirThomasClifford!whatwithspeedAndcholer——Idogaspforwantofbreath。
  Clif。Well,MasterWalter?
  Wal。You’rearashyoungman,sir;
  Strong-headedandwrong-headed,andIfear,sir,NotoverdelicateinthatfinesenseWhichmenofhonourpridethemselvesupon!
  Clif。Well,MasterWalter?
  Wal。Ayoungwoman’sheart,sir,Isnotastonetocarveaposyon!
  Whichknowsnotwhatiswriton’t;whichyoumaybuy,Exchange,orsell,sir,keeporgiveaway,sir:
  Itisaricher——yetapoorerthing;
  Pricelesstohimthatownsandprizesit;
  Worthless,whenowned,notprized;whichmakesthemanThatcovetsit,obtainsit,anddiscardsit-
  Afool,ifnotavillain,sir。
  Clif。Well,sir?
  Wal。Youneverlovedmyward,sir!
  Clif。ThebrightHeavensBearwitnessthatIdid!
  Wal。ThebrightHeavens,sir,Bearnotfalsewitness。ThatyoulovedhernotIsclear——forhadyoulovedher,you’dhavepluckedYourheartfromoutyourbreast,erecastherfromyourheart!
  OldasIam,Iknowwhatpassionis。
  Itisthesummer’sheat,sir,whichinvainWelookforfrostin。Ice,likeyou,sir,knowsButlittleofsuchheat!Wearewronged,sir,wronged!
  Youwearasword,andsodoI。
  Clif。Well,sir!
  Wal。Youknowtheuse,sir,ofasword?
  Clif。Ido。
  Towhipaknave,sir,oranhonestman!
  Awisemanorafool——atoneforwrong,Ordoubletheamounton’t!MasterWalter,Touchingyourward,ifwrongisdone,IthinkOnmysideliesthegrievance。IwouldnotsaysoDidInotthinkso。Asforlove——look,sir,Thathand’sawidower’s,toitsfirstmateswornToclaspnosecondone。Asforamends,sir,You’refreetogetthemfromamaninwhomYou’vebeenforestalledbyfortune,forthespiteWhichshehasventedonhim,ifyoustillEsteemhimworthyouranger。PleaseyoureadThatletter。Now,sir,judgeiflifeisdearToonesomuchaloser。
  Wal。What,allgone!
  Thycousinlivingtheyreporteddead!
  Clif。Titleandland,sir,untowhichaddlove!
  Allgone,savelifeandhonour,which,ereI’lllose,I’lllettheothergo。
  Wal。We’republichere,Andmaybeinterrupted。LetusseekSomespotofprivacy。Yourletter,sir。
  [Givesitback。]
  Thoughfortuneslightsyou,I’llnotslightyou;notYourtitleorthelackofitIheed。
  Whetheruponthescoreofloveorhate,WithyouandyoualoneIsettle,sir。
  We’vegonetoofar。’TwerefollynowtopartWithoutareckoning。
  Clif。Justasyouplease。
  Wal。You’vedoneAnobleladywrong。
  Clif。Thatlady,sir,Hasdonemewrong。
  Wal。Goto,thouartaboyFittobetrustedwithaplaything,notAwoman’sheart。Thouknowestnotwhatitis!
  AndthatI’llprovetothee,soonaswefindConvenientplace。Comeon,sir!youshallgetAlessonthatshallserveyoufortherestOfyourlife。I’llmakeyouownher,sir,apieceOfNature’shandiwork,ascostly,freeFrombias,flaw,andfair,aseveryetHercunninghandturnedout。Comeon,sir!come!
  [Theygoout。]
  ACTIII。
  SCENEI。——ADrawing-room。
  [ENTERLORDTINSELandtheEARLOFROCHDALE。]
  Tin。Refusealord!Asaucyladythis。
  Iscarcecancreditit。
  Roch。She’llchangehermind。
  Myagent,MasterWalter,isherguardian。
  Tin。HowcanyoukeepthatHunchbackinhisoffice?
  Hemocksyou。
  Roch。Heisuseful。Neverheedhim。
  MyoffernowdoIpresentthroughhim。
  Hehasthetitle-deedsofmyestates,She’lllistentotheirwooing。Imusthaveher。
  NotthatIloveher,butthatallallowShe’sfairestofthefair。
  Tin。Distinguishedwell!
  ’Tweremostunseemlyforalordtolove!-
  Leavethattocommoners!’Tisvulgar——she’sBetrothed,youtellme,toSirThomasClifford?
  Roch。Yes。
  Tin。Thatacommonershouldthwartalord!
  Yetnotacommoner。AbaronetIsfishandflesh。Ninepartsplebeian,andPatricianinthetenth。SirThomasClifford!
  Aman,theysay,ofbrains!IabhorbrainsAsIdotools:they’rethingsmechanical。
  SofarareweaboveourforefathersTheytotheirbrainsdidowetheirtitles,asDolawyers,doctors。Wetonothingowethem,Whichmakesusfarthenobler。
  Roch。Isitso?
  Tin。Believeme。Youshallprofitbymytraining;
  Yougrowalordapace。IsawyoumeetAbevyofyourformerfriends,whofainHadshakenhandswithyou。Yougavethemfingers!
  You’renowanotherman。Yourhouseischanged-
  Yourtablechanged——yourretinue——yourhorse-
  Whereonceyourodeahack,younowbackblood;-
  Befitsit,then,youalsochangeyourfriends!
  [EnterWILLIAMS。]
  Will。Agentlemanwouldseeyourlordship。
  Tin。Sir!
  What’sthat?
  Will。Agentlemanwouldseehislordship。
  Tin。Howknowyou,sir,hislordshipisathome?
  Isheathomebecausehegoesnotout?
  He’snotathome,thoughthereyouseehim,sir;
  Unlesshecertifythathe’sathome!
  Bringupthenameofthegentleman,andthenYourlordwillknowifhe’sathomeornot。
  [WILLIAMSgoesout。]
  Yourmanwasportertosomemerchant’sdoor,WhonevertaughthimbetterbreedingThantospeakthevulgartruth!Well,sir?
  [WILLIAMShavingre-entered。]
  Will。Hisname,Sopleaseyourlordship,Markham。
  Tin。DoyouknowThething?
  Roch。Rightwell!I’faithaheartyfellow,Sontoaworthytradesman,whowoulddoGreatthingswithlittlemeans;soenteredhimIntheTemple。Agoodfellow,onmylife。
  Noughtsmackingofhisstock!
  Tin。You’vesaidenough!
  Hislordship’snotathome。
  [WILLIAMSgoesout。]
  WedonotgoByhearts,butorders!Hadhefamily-
  Blood——thoughitonlywereadrop——hisheartWouldpassforsomething;lackingsuchdesert,Wereittentimestheheartitis,’tisnought!
  [EnterWILLIAMS。]
  Will。OneMasterJoneshathaskedtoseeyoulordship。
  Tin。AndwhatwasyourreplytoMasterJones?
  Will。Iknewnotifhislordshipwasathome。
  Tin。You’lldo。Who’sMasterJones?
  Roch。Acurate’sson。
  Tin。Acurate’s!Betterbeayeoman’sson!
  Wasittherector’sson,hemightbeknown,Becausetherectorisarisingman,Andmaybecomeabishop。Hegoeslight,Thecurateeverhathaloadedback!
  Hemaybecalledtheyeomanofthechurch,Thatsweatingdoeshiswork,anddrudgeson,Whilelivesthehopefulrectorathisease。
  Howmadeyouhisacquaintance,pray?
  Roch。WereadLatinandGreektogether。
  Tin。Droppingthem-
  As,nowthatyou’realord,ofcourseyou’vedone-
  Drophim——You’llsayhislordship’snotathome。
  Will。Sopleaseyourlordship,Iforgottosay,OneRichardCricketlikewiseisbelow。
  Tin。Who?——RichardCricket!Youmustseehim,Rochdale!
  Anoblelittlefellow!Agreatman,sir!
  Notknowingwhom,youwouldbenobody!
  Iwonfivethousandpoundsbyhim!
  Roch。Whoishe?
  Ineverheardofhim。
  Tin。What!neverheardOfRichardCricket!——neverheardofhim!
  Why,he’sthejockeyofNewmarket;youMaywinacupbyhim,orelseasweepstakes。
  Ibadehimcalluponyou。Youmustseehim。
  HislordshipisathometoRichardCricket。
  Roch。Bidhimwaitintheante-room。
  [WILLIAMSgoesout。]
  Tin。Theante-room!
  Thebestroominyourhouse!YoudonotknowTheuseofRichardCricket!Showhim,sir,Intothedrawing-room。YourlordshipneedsMustkeeparacingstud,andyou’lldowellTomakeafriendofRichardCricket。Well,sir:
  What’sthat?
  [EnterWILLIAMS。]
  Will。Sopleaseyourlordship,apetition。
  Tin。Hadstnotaservice’mongsttheHottentotsErethoucamesthither,friend?PresentthylordWithapetition!Atmechanics’doors,Attradesmen’s,shopkeepers’,andmerchants’only,Havesuchthingsleavetoknock!Makethylord’sgateAwickettoaworkhouse!Letusseeit-
  Subscriptionstoabookofpoetry!
  CorneliusTense,M。A。
  WhichmeansheconstruesGreekandLatin,worksProblemsinmathematics,canchoplogic,Andisaconjurerinphilosophy,Bothnaturalandmoral。——Pshaw!amanWhomnobody,thatisanybody,knows!
  Who,thinkyou,followshim?Why,anM。D。,AnF。R。S。,anF。AS。,andthenAD。D。,DoctorofDivinity,UsheringinanLL。D。,whichmeansDoctorofLaws——theirharmony,nodoubt,Thedifferenceoftheirtrades!There’snothinghereButlanguages,andsciences,andarts。
  Notaniotaofnobility!
  Wecannotgiveournames。Takebackthepaper,Andtellthebearerthere’snoanswerforhim:-
  Thatisthelordlywayofsaying"No。"
  But,talkingofsubscriptions,hereisoneTowhichyourlordshipmayaffixyourname。
  Roch。Pray,who’stheobject?
  Tin。Amostworthyman!
  Amanofsingulardeserts;amanInservingwhomyourlordshipwillserveme,-
  SignorCantata。
  Roch。He’safriendofyours?
  Tin。Oh,no,Iknowhimnot!I’venotthatpleasure。
  ButLadyDangleknowshim;she’shisfriend,Hewillobligeuswithasetofconcerts,Sixconcertstotheset。——Theset,threeguineas。
  Yourlordshipwillsubscribe?
  Roch。Oh,byallmeans。
  Tin。Howmanysetsoftickets?Twoatleast。
  You’llliketotakeafriend?I’llsetyoudownSixguineastoSignorCantata’sconcerts,Andnow,myLord,we’lltohim;thenwe’llwalk。
  Roch。Nay,Iwouldwaitthelady’sanswer。
  Tin。Wait!takeanexcursiontothecountry;letHeranswerwaitforyou!
  Roch。Indeed!
  Tin。Indeed!
  Befitsalordnoughtlikeindifference。
  Sayanestateshouldfalltoyou,you’dtakeitAsitconcernedmoreastanderbyThanyou。Asyou’realord,besureyoueverOfthatmakelittleothermenmakemuchof;
  Nordothethingtheydo,buttherightcontrary。
  Wherethedistinctionelse’twixtthemandyou?
  [Theygoout。]
  SCENEII。——AnApartmentinMasterHeartwell’sHouse。
  [MASTERWALTERdiscoveredlookingthroughtitle-deedsandpapers。]
  Wal。Sofallsouteverything,asIwouldhaveit,Exactinplaceandtime。Thislord’sadvancesReceivesshe,——as,Iaugur,inthespleenOfwoundedprideshewill,——mycourseisclear。
  Shecomes——all’swell——thetempestragesstill。
  [JULIAenters,andpacestheroominastateofhighexcitement。]
  Julia。Whathavemyeyestodowithwater?FireBecomesthembetter!
  Wal。True!
  Julia。Yet,mustIweepTobesomonitored,andbyaman!
  Amanthatwasmyslave!whomIhaveseenKneelatmyfeetfrommorntillnoon,contentWithleavetoonlygazeuponmyface,Andtellmewhathereadthere,——tillthepageIknewbyheart,I’gantodoubtIknew,Emblazonedbythecommentofhistongue!
  Andhetolessonme!LethimcomehereOnMondayweek!Hene’erleadsmetochurch!
  Iwouldnotprofitbyhisrank,orwealth,Thoughkingsmightcallhimcousin,fortheirsake!
  I’llshowhimIhavepride!
  Wal。You’reveryright!
  Julia。Hewouldhavehadto-dayourwedding-day!
  Ifixedamonthfromthis。Heprayedandprayed;
  Idroppedaweek。Heprayedandprayedthemore!
  Idroppedasecondone。Stillmoreheprayed!
  AndItookoffanotherweek,——andnowIhavehisleavetowed,ornottowed!
  He’llseethatIhavepride!
  Wal。Andsoheought。
  Julia。O!forsomewaytobringhimtomyfoot!
  Butheshouldliethere!Why,’twillgoabroadThathehascastmeoff。ThatthereshouldliveThemancouldsayso!OrthatIshouldliveTobetheleavingsofaman!
  Wal。ThycaseIownahardone!
  Julia。Hard?’Twilldrivememad!
  Hiswealthandtitle!Irefusedalord-
  Idid!——thatprivilyimploredmyhand,Andnevercaredtotellhimon’t!SomuchIhatehimnow,thatlordshouldnotinvainImploremyhandagain!
  Wal。You’dgiveithim?
  Julia。Iwould。
  Wal。You’dwedthatlord?
  Julia。ThatlordI’dwed;-
  Oranyotherlord,——onlytoshowhimThatIcouldwedabovehim!
  Wal。GivemeyourhandAndwordtothat。
  Julia。There!Takemyhandandword!
  Wal。Thatlordhathofferedyouhishandagain。
  Julia。Hehas?
  Wal。Yourfatherknowsit:heapprovesofhim。
  Therearethetitle-deedsoftheestates,Sentformyjealousscrutiny。Allsound,-
  Noflaw,orspeck,thate’enthelynx-eyedlawItselfcouldfind。Alordofmanylands!
  InBerkshirehalfacounty;andthesameInWiltshire,andinLancashire!AcrossTheIrishSeaaprincipality!
  Andnotaroodwithbondorlienonit!
  Wiltgivethatlordawife?WiltmakethyselfAcountess?Here’stheprofferofhishand。
  Writethoucontent,andwearacoronet!
  Julia。[Eagerly。]Givemethepaper。
  Wal。There!Here’spenandink。
  Sitdown。Whydoyoupause?AflourishofThepen,andyou’reacountess。
  Julia。MypoorbrainWhirlsroundandround!Iwouldnotwedhimnow,WerehemorelowlyatmyfeettosueThane’erhedid!
  Wal。Wedwhom?
  Julia。SirThomasClifford。
  Wal。You’reright。
  Julia。Hisrankandwealtharerootstodoubt;
  Andwhiletheylasted,stilltheweedwouldgrow,Howe’eryoupluckedit。No!That’so’er——that’sdone。
  WasneverladywrongedsofoulasI![Weeps。]
  Wal。Thou’rttobepitied。
  Julia。[Aroused。]Pitied!NotsobadAsthat。
  Wal。Indeedthouart,tolovethemanThatspurnsthee!
  Julia。Lovehim!Love!IfhatecouldfindAwordmoreharshthanitsownname,I’dtakeit,TospeaktheloveIbearhim![Weeps。]
  Wal。Writethyownname,Andshowhimhownearakinthyhate’stohate。
  Julia。[Writes。]’Tisdone!
  Wal。’Tiswell!I’llcometoyouanon![Goesout。]
  Julia。[Alone。]I’mglad’tisdone!I’mveryglad’tisdone!
  I’vedonethethingIought。FrommydisgraceThislordshallliftme’bovethereachofscorn-
  Thatidlywagsitstongue,wherewealthandstateNeedonlybeckontohavecrowdstolaud!
  Thenhowthetableschange!ThehandhespurnedHisbetterstake!Letmerememberthat!
  I’llgracemyrank!Iwill!I’llcarryitAsIwasborntoit!IwarrantnoneShallsayitfitsmenot:-but,oneandallConfessIwearitbravely,asIought!
  Andheshallhearit!Ay,andheshallseeit!
  IwillrollbyhiminanequipageWouldmortgagehisestate——butheshallownHisslightofmewasmyadvancement!Loveme!
  Heneverlovedme!ifhehad,hene’erHadgivenmeup!Love’snotaspider’swebButfittomeshafly——thatyoucanbreakByonlyblowingon’t!Heneverlovedme!
  Heknowsnotwhatloveis!——or,ifhedoes,Hehasnotbeeno’ercharyofhispeace!
  Andthathe’llfindwhenI’manother’swife,Lost!——losttohimforever!Tearsagain!
  WhyshouldIweepforhim?Whomaketheirwoes。
  Deservethem!WhathaveItodowithtears?
  [EnterHELEN。]
  Helen。News,Julia,news!
  Julia。What!is’taboutSirThomas?
  Helen。SirThomas,sayyou?He’snomoreSirThomas!
  Thatcousinlives,asheirtowhom,hiswealthAndtitlecametohim。
  Julia。Washenotdead?
  Helen。NomorethanIamdead。
  Julia。Iwould’twerenotso。
  Helen。Whatsayyou,Julia?
  Julia。Nothing!
  Helen。IcouldkissThatcousin!couldn’tyou,Julia?
  Julia。Wherefore?
  Helen。WhyForcomingbacktolifeagain,as’twereUponhiscousintorevengeyou。
  Julia。Helen!
  Helen。Indeed’tistrue。WithwhatasorrygraceThegentlemanwillbearhimselfwithoutHistitle!MasterClifford!HaveyounotSometokentoreturnhim?Somelove-letter?
  Somebrooch?Somepin?Someanything?I’llbeYourmessenger,fornothingbutthepleasureOfcallinghimplain"MasterClifford。"
  Julia。Helen!
  Helen。Orhasheaughtofthine?Writetohim,Julia,Demandingit!Do,Julia,ifyouloveme;
  AndI’lldirectitinaschoolboy’shand,AsroundasIcanwrite,"ToMasterClifford。"
  Julia。Helen!
  Helen。I’llthinkoffiftythousandwaysTomortifyhim!I’veatwentiethcousin,Acare-for-nought,atmischief。HimI’llset,Withtwentyothermadcapslikehimself,TowalkthestreetsthetraitormostfrequentsAndgivehimsalutationashepasses-
  "Howdoyou,MasterClifford?"
  Julia。[Highlyincensed。]Helen!
  Helen。Blessme!
  Julia。Ihateyou,Helen!
  [EnterMODUS。]
  Mod。Joyforyou,fairlady!
  Ourbaronetisnowplaingentleman-
  Andhardlythat,notmasterofthemeansTobearhimselfassuch。ThekinsmanlivesWhoseonlyrumoureddeathgavewealthtohim,Andtitle。Ahardcreditorheproves,Whokeepsstrictreckoning——willhaveinterest。
  Aswellasprincipal。AruinedmanIsnowSirThomasClifford!
  Helen。I’mgladon’t。
  Mod。AndsoamI,AscurvytrickitwasHeservedyou,madam。Usealadyso!
  Imerelyborewithhim。Ineverlikedhim。
  Helen。NomoredidI。No,nevercouldIthinkHelookedhistitle。
  Mod。No,noractedit。
  Ifrightlytheyreport,hene’erdisbursedToentertainhisfriends,’tisbroadlysaid,Ahundredpoundsintheyear!HewasmostpoorIntheappointmentsofamanofrank,Possessingwealthlikehis。Hishorses,hacks!
  Hisgentleman,afootman!andhisfootman,Agroom!ThesportsthatmenofqualityAndspiritcountenance,hekeptalooffrom,Fromscrupleofeconomy,nottaste,-
  Asracingandthelike。Inbrief,helackedThoseshiningpointsthat,morethanname,denoteHighbreeding;and,moreover,wasamanOfveryshallowlearning。
  Julia。Silence,sir!
  Forshame!
  Helen。Why,Julia!
  Julia。Speaknottome!Poor!
  Mostpoor!Itellyou,sir,hewasthemakingOffiftygentlemen——eachoneofwhomWeremorethanpeerforthee!Histitle,sir,Lenthimnogracehedidnotpayitback!
  Thoughithadbeenthehighestofthehigh,Hewouldhavelookedit,feltit,actedit,Asthoucouldstne’erhavedone!WhenfoundyououtYoulikedhimnot?Itwasnotereto-day!
  OrthatbasespiritImustreckonyoursWhichsmileswhereitwouldscowl——canstooptohateAndfeartoshowit!Hewasyourbetter,sir,Andis!——Ay,is!thoughstrippedofrankandwealth,Hisnature’s’boveorfortune’sloveorspite,Toblazonortoblurrit![Retires。]
  Mod。[ToHELEN。]IwastoldMuchtodisparagehim——Iknownotwherefore。
  Helen。AndsowasI,andknowasmuchthecause。
  [EnterMASTERWALTER,withparchments。]
  Wal。Joy,myJulia!
  Impatientlovehasforesight!LoyouhereThemarriagedeedsfilledup,exceptablankTowriteyourjointure。Whatyouwill,mygirl!
  Isthisalover?Look!ThreethousandpoundsPerannumforyourprivatecharges!Ha!
  There’spin-money!Isthisalover?MarkWhatacres,forests,tenements,aretaxedForyourrevenue;andsosetapart,Thatfingercannottouchthem,savethineown。
  Isthisalover?Whatgoodfortune’sthine!
  Thoudostnotspeak;but,’tisthewaywithjoy!
  Withrichestheart,ithasthepooresttongue!
  Mod。Whatgreatgoodfortune’sthisyouspeakof,sir?
  Wal。Acoronet,MasterModus!YoubeholdThewifeelect,sir,ofnolessamanThanthenewEarlofRochdale——heirofhimThat’srecentlydeceased。
  Helen。MydearestJulia,Muchjoytoyou!
  Mod。Allgoodattendyou,madam!
  Wal。Thisletterbringsexcusesfromhislordship,Whoseabsenceitaccountsfor。HerepairsTohisestateinLancashire,andthitherWefollow。
  Julia。When,sir?
  Wal。Now。Thisveryhour。
  Julia。Thisveryhour!Ocruel,fatalhaste!
  Wal。"Ocruel,fatalhaste!"Whatmeanestthou?
  HaveIdonewrongtodothybidding,then?
  Ihavedonenomore。Thouwastanoffcastbride,Andwouldstbeanaffiancedone——thouartso!
  Thou’dsthavetheslightthatmarkedtheeoutforscorn,Convertedtoameansofgracingthee-
  Itisso!Ifourwishescometoosoon,Whatcanmakesureofwelcome?InmyzealTowintheethine,thouknow’st,atanytimeI’dplaythesteed,whosewilltoservehislord,Withhislastbreathgiveshislastboundforhim!
  SinceonlynoonhaveIdespatchedwhatwellHadkeptabraceofclerks,andmore,onfoot-
  Andthen,perhaps,hadbeentodoagain!-
  Notfinishedsure,complete——thecompactfirm,Asfateitselfhadsealedit!
  Julia。Giveyouthanks!
  Though’tweremydeath!mydeath!
  Wal。Thydeath!indeed,Forhappinesslikethis,onewellmightdie!
  Takethylord’sletter!Well?
  [EnterTHOMAS,withaletter。]
  Thos。Thisletter,sir,ThegentlemanthatservedSirThomasClifford-
  OrhimthatwasSirThomas——gavetomeForMistressJulia。
  Julia。Giveitme!
  [Throwingawaytheonesheholds。]
  Wal。[Snatchingit。]Forwhat?
  Wouldstreadit?He’sabankrupt!strippedoftitle,House,chattels,lands,andall!Anakedbankrupt,Withneitherpurse,nortrust!Wouldstreadhisletter?
  Abeggar!Yea,averybeggar!——fasts,unlessHedinesonalms!Howdursthesendtheealetter!
  Afellowcutonthishand,andonthat;
  Bowsandiscutagain,andbowsagain!
  Whopaysyoufiftysmilesforhalfaone,-
  Andthatgivengrudgingly!Toyoualetter!
  Iburstwithcholer!ThusItreathisletter!
  [Tearsandthrowsitontheground。]
  So!Iwaswrongtolethimruffleme;
  Heisnotworththespendingangeron!
  Iprithee,MasterModus,usedespatch,Andpresentlymakereadyforourride。
  You,Helen,tomyJulialook——achangeOfdresseswillsuffice。Shemusthavenewones,Matchesforhernewstate!Haste,friends。MyJulia!
  Whystandyouporingthereupontheground?
  Timeflies。Yourriseastoundsyou?Neverheed-
  You’llplaymyladycountesslikeaqueen!
  [Theygoout。]
  ACTIV。
  SCENEI。——ARoomintheEarlofRochdale’s[EaterHELEN。]
  Helen。I’mwearywanderingfromroomtoroom;
  Acastleafterallisbutahouse-
  Thedullestonewhenlackingcompany。
  WereIathome,IcouldbecompanyUntomyself。IseenotMasterWalter,He’severwithhisward。Iseenother。
  ByMasterWalter’swillshebidesalone。
  Myfatherstopsintown。Ican’tseehim。
  Mycousinmakeshisbookshiscompany。
  I’llgotobedandsleep。No——I’llstayupAndplaguemycousinintomakinglove!
  For,thathelovesme,shrewdlyIsuspect。
  HowdullheisthathathnotsensetoseeWhatliesbeforehim,andhe’dliketofind!
  I’llchangemytreatmentofhim。Crosshim,whereBeforeIusedtohumourhim。Hecomes,Poringuponabook。What’sthatyouread?
  [EnterMODUS。]
  Mod。Latin,sweetcousin。
  Helen。’Tisanaughtytongue,Ifear,andteachesmentolie。
  Mod。Tolie!
  Helen。Youstudyit。Youcallyourcousinsweet,Andtreatherasyouwouldacrab。Assour’Twouldseemyouthinkher,asyoucovether!
  Whyhowthemonsterstares,andlooksabout!
  YouconstrueLatin,andcan’tconstruethat!
  Mod。Ineverstudiedwomen。
  Helen。No;normen。
  Elsewouldyoubetterknowtheirways:norreadInpresenceofalady。[Strikesthebookfromhishand。]
  Mod。Rightyousay,Andwellyouservedme,cousin,sotostrikeThevolumefrommyhand。Iownmyfault;
  Sopleaseyou——mayIpickitupagain?
  I’llputitinmypocket!
  Helen。Pickitup。
  HefearsmeasIwerehisgrandmother!
  Whatisthebook?
  Mod。’TisOvid’sArtofLove。
  Helen。ThatOvidwasafool!
  Mod。Inwhat?
  Helen。Inthat:
  Tocallthatthinganart,whichartisnone。
  Mod。Andisnotloveanart?
  Helen。Areyouafool,AswellasOvid?Loveanart!NoartButtakethtimeandpainstolearn。LovecomesWithneither!Is’ttohoardsuchgrainasthat,Youwenttocollege?Betterstayathome,AndstudyhomelyEnglish。
  Mod。Nay,youknownotTheargument。
  Helen。Idon’t?IknowitbetterThaneverOviddid!Theface——theform-
  Theheart——themindwefancy,cousin;that’sTheargument!Why,cousin,youknownothing。
  Supposealadywereinlovewiththee:
  CouldstthoubyOvid,cousin,finditout?
  Couldstfinditout,wastthouinlovethyself?
  CouldOvid,cousin,teachtheetomakelove?
  Icould,thatneverreadhim!YoubeginWithmelancholy;thentosadness;thenTosickness;thentodying——butnotdie!
  Shewouldnotletthee,weresheofmymind!
  She’dtakecompassiononthee。Thenforhope;
  Fromhopetoconfidence;fromconfidenceToboldness;——thenyou’dspeak;atfirstentreat;
  Thenurge;thenflout;thenargue;thenenforce;
  Makeprisonerofherhand;besiegeherwaist;
  Threatenherlipswithstorming;keepthywordAndcarryher!Mysampler’gainstthyOvid!
  Whycousin,areyoufrightened,thatyoustandAsyouwerestrickendumb?Thecaseisclear,Youarenosoldier。You’llne’erwinabattle。
  Youcaretoomuchforblows!
  Mod。Youwrongmethere,AtschoolIwasthechampionofmyform;
  AndsinceIwenttocollege-
  Helen。Thatforcollege!
  Mod。Nay,hearme!
  Helen。Well?What,sinceyouwenttocollege?
  Youknowwhatmenaresetdownfor,whoboastOftheirownbravery!Goon,bravecousin:
  What,sinceyouwenttocollege?WastherenotOneQuentinHalworththere?Youknowtherewas,Andthathewasyourmaster!
  Mod。Hemymaster!
  Thricewasheworstedbyme。
  Helen。StillwasheYourmaster。
  Mod。HeallowedIhadthebest!
  Allowedit,markme!nortomealone,ButtwentyIcouldname。
  Helen。AndmasteredyouAtlast!Confessit,cousin,’tisthetruth!
  Aproctor’sdaughteryoudidbothaffect-
  Lookatmeanddenyit!OfthetwainShemoreaffectedyou;——I’vecaughtyounow,Boldcousin!Markyou?opportunityOnopportunityshegaveyou,sir-
  Denyitifyoucan!——butthoughtoothers,Whenyoudiscoursedofher,youwereaflame;
  Toheryouwereawickthatwouldnotlight,Thoughheldintheveryfire!Andsohewonher-
  Wonher,becausehewooedherlikeaman。
  Forallyourcuffings,cuffingyouagainWithmostusuriousinterest。Now,sir,Protestthatyouarevaliant!
  Mod。CousinHelen!
  Helen。Well,sir?
  Mod。Thetaleisallaforgery!
  Helen。Aforgery!
  Mod。Fromfirsttolast;ne’erspokeI
  Toaproctor’sdaughterwhileIwasatcollege。
  Helen。’Twasascrivener’sthen——orsomebody’s。
  Butwhatconcernsitwhose?
  Enough,youlovedher!
  And,shameuponyou,letanothertakeher!
  Mod。Cousin,I’lltellyou,ifyou’llonlyhearme,IlovednowomanwhileIwasatcollege-
  Saveone,andherIfanciedereIwentthere。
  Helen。Indeed!NowI’llretreat,ifhe’sadvancing。
  Comeshenoton!Owhatastock’stheman!
  Well,cousin?
  Mod。Well!Whatmorewouldsthavemesay?
  IthinkI’vesaidenough。
  Helen。AndsothinkI。
  Ididbutjestwithyou。Youarenotangry?
  Shakehands!Why,cousin,doyousqueezemeso?
  Mod。[Lettinghergo。]IswearIsqueezedyounot。
  Helen。Youdidnot?
  Mod。No。I’lldieifIdid!
  Helen。Whythenyoudidnot,cousin,Solet’sshakehandsagain-
  [Hetakesherhandasbefore。]OgoandnowReadOvid!Cousin,willyoutellmeonething:
  WoreloversruffsinMasterOvid’stime?
  Behovedhimteachthem,then,toputthemon;-
  Andthatyouhavetolearn。Holdupyourhead!
  Why,cousin,howyoublush!Plagueontheruff!
  Icannotgive’taset。You’reblushingstill!
  Whydoyoublush,dearcousin?So!——’twillbeatme!
  I’llgiveitup。
  Mod。Nay,prithee,don’t——tryon!
  Helen。AndifIdo,Ifearyou’llthinkmebold。
  Mod。Forwhat?
  Helen。Totrustmyfacesoneartothine。
  Mod。Iknownotwhatyoumean。
  Helen。I’mgladyoudon’t!
  Cousin,Iownrightwellbehavedyouare,Mostmarvellouslywellbehaved!They’vebredYouwellatcollege。WithanothermanMylipswouldbeindanger!Hangtheruff!
  Mod。Nay,giveitup,norplaguethyself,dearcousin。
  Helen。Dearfool![Throwstheruffontheground。]
  IsweartheruffisgoodforjustAslittleasitsmaster!There!——’Tisspoiled-
  You’llhavetogetanother!Hieforit,Andwearitinthefashionofawisp,EreIadjustitforthee!Farewell,cousin!
  You’dneedtostudyOvid’sArtofLove。
  [HELENgoesout。]
  Mod。[Solus。]Wentsheinanger!Iwillfollowher,-
  No,Iwillnot!Heigho!Ilovemycousin!
  Owouldthatshelovedme!WhydidshetauntmeWithbackwardnessinlove?Whatcouldshemean?
  SeessheIloveher,andsolaughsatme,BecauseIlackthefronttowooher?Nay,I’llwooherthen!Herlipsshallbeindanger,Whennextshetruststhemnearme!LookedsheatmeTo-dayasneverdidshelookbefore!
  Aboldheart,MasterModus!’TisasayingAfaintoneneverwonfairladyyet!
  I’llwoomycousin,comewhatwillon’t。Yes:
  [Beginsreadingagain,throwsdownthebook。]
  HangOvid’sArtofLove!I’llwoomycousin!
  [Goesout。]
  SCENEII。——TheBanqueting-roomintheEarlofRochdale’sMansion。
  [EnterMASTERWALTERandJULIA。]
  Wal。Thisisthebanqueting-room。ThouseestasfarItleavesthelastbehind,asthatexcelsTheformerones。AllisproportionhereAndharmony!Observe!ThemassypillarsMaywelllookproudtobearthegildeddome。
  Youmarkthosefull-lengthportraits?They’retheheads,Thestatelyheads,ofhisancestralline。
  Hereo’erthefeasttheyhaplystillpreside!
  Markthosemedallions!StandtheyforthornotInboldandfairrelief?Isnotthisbrave?
  Julia。[Abstractedly。]Itis。
  Wal。Itshouldbeso。TocheerthebloodThatflowsinnobleveinsismadethefeastThatgladdenshere!Youseethisdrapery?
  ’Tisrichestvelvet!Fringeandtassels,gold!
  Isnotthiscostly?
  Julia。Yes。
  Wal。Andchaste,thewhile?
  Bothchasteandcostly?
  Julia。Yes。
  Wal。Comehither!There’samirrorforyou。See!
  Onesheetfromfloortoceiling!Lookintoit,Saluteitsmistress!Dostnotknowher?
  Julia。[Sighingdeeply。]Yes。
  Wal。Andsighestthoutoknowher?WaituntilTo-morrow,whenthebanquetshallbespreadInthefairhall;theguests——alreadybid,Aroundit;here,herlord;andthere,herself;
  Presidingo’erthecheerthathailshimbridegroom,Andherthehappybride!Dosthearme?
  Julia。[Sighingstillmoredeeply。]Yes。
  Wal。Thesearetheday-roomsonly,wehaveseen。
  Forpublicanddomesticuseskept。
  I’llshowyounowthelodging-rooms。
  [Goes,thenturnsandobservesJULIAstandingperfectlyabstracted。]
  You’retired。
  Letitbetillafterdinner,then。YetoneI’dliketheemuchtosee——thebridalchamber。
  [JULIAstarts,crossesherhandsuponherbreast,andlooksupwards。]
  Iseeyou’retired:yetitisworththeviewing,IfonlyforthetapestrywhichshowsTheneedlelikethepencilglowswithlife;
  [Bringsdownchairs——theysit。]
  Thestory’sofapagewholovedthedameHeserved——aprincess!——Love’saheedlessthing!
  Thatnevertakesaccountofobstacles;
  Makesplainsofmountains,rivuletsofseas,Thatpartitfromitswish。Soprovedthepage,Whofromastatesolowly,lookedsohigh,-
  Butlove’sagreaterlackwitstillthanthis。
  Sayitaspires——that’sgain!Lovestoops——that’sloss!
  Youknowwhatcomes。Theprincesslovedthepage。
  ShallIgoon,orhereleaveoff?
  Julia。Goon。
  Wal。EachsideofthechambershowsadifferentstageOfthisfondpage,andfonderlady’slove。{2}
  First——no,itisnotthat。
  Julia。Oh,recollect!
  Wal。Andyetitis。
  Julia。Nodoubtitis。Whatis’t?
  Wal。Heholdstoherasalver,withacup;
  HischeeksmoremantlingwithhispassionthanThecupwiththerubywine。Sheheedshimnot,Fortoogreatheedofhim:-butseemstoholdDebatebetwixtherpassionandherpride-
  That’sliketolosetheday。YoureaditinHervacanteye,knitbrow,andpartedlips,WhichspeakahearttoobusyallwithinTonotewhat’sdonewithout。Likeyouthetale?
  Julia。Ilisttoeveryword。
  Wal。ThenextsidepaintsThepageuponhisknee。Hehastoldhistale;
  Andfoundthatwhenhelosthisheart,heplayedNolosinggame:butwonaricherone!
  Theremayyoureadinhim,howlovewouldseemMosthumblewhenmostbold,——youquestionwhichAppearstokissherhand——hisbreath,orlips!
  InheryoureadhowwhollylostissheWhotrustsherhearttolove。ShallIgiveo’er?
  Julia。Nay,tellittotheend。Is’tmelancholy?
  Wal。Toanswerthat,wouldmarthestory。
  Julia。Right。
  Wal。Thethirdsidenowwecometo。
  Julia。Whatshowsthat?
  Wal。Thepageandprincessstill。ButstandshersireBetweenthem。Sternhegraspshisdaughter’sarm,Whoseeyeslikefountainsplay;whilethroughhertearsHerpassionshines,asthroughthefountaindropsThesun!Hisminionscrowdaroundthepage!
  Theydraghimtoadungeon。
  Julia。Haplessyouth!
  Wal。Haplessindeed,that’stwiceacaptive!heartAndbodybothinbonds。Butthat’sthechain,Whichbalancecannotweigh,rulemeasure,touchDefinethetextureof,oreyedetect,That’sforgedbythesubtlecraftoflove!
  Noneedtotellyouthathewearsit。SuchThecunningofthehandthatpliedtheloom,You’vebuttomarkthestrainingofhiseye,Tofeelthecoilyourself!
  Julia。Ifeel’twithout!
  You’vefinishedwiththethirdside;nowthefourth!
  Wal。Itbringsustoadungeon,then。
  Julia。Thepage,Thethralloflove,morethanthedungeon’sthrall,Isthere?
  Wal。Heis。Heliesinfetters。
  Julia。Hard!
  Hardasthesteel,thehandsthatputthemon。
  Wal。Someoneunrivetsthem!
  Julia。Theprincess?’Tis!
  Wal。Itisanotherpage。
  Julia。Itisherself!
  Wal。Herskinisfair;andhisisberry-brown。
  Hislocksareravenblack;andhersaregold。
  Julia。Love’scunningofdisguises!spiteoflocks,Skin,vesture,——itisshe,andonlysheWhatwillnotconstantwomandoforloveThat’slovedwithconstancy!Setherthetask,Virtueapproving,thatwillbaffleher!
  O’ertaxherstooping,patience,courage,wit!
  Mylifeuponit,’tistheprincess’self,Transformedintoapage!
  Wal。ThedungeondoorStandsopen,andyouseebeyond-
  Julia。Herfather!
  Wal。No;asteed。
  Julia。[Startingup。]O,welcomesteed,Myheartboundsatthethoughtofthee!ThoucomestTobearthepagefrombondstoliberty。
  Whatelse?
  Wal。[Rising。]Thestory’stold。
  Julia。Toobrieflytold;
  Ohappyprincess,thathadwealthandstateTolaythemdownforlove!WhoseconstantloveAppearancesapproved,notfalsified!
  Awinnerinthyloss,aswellasgain。
  Wal。Weighslovesomuch?
  Julia。Whatwouldyouweigh’gainstloveThat’strue?Tellmewithwhatyou’dturnthescale?
  Yea,maketheindexwaver?Wealth?Afeather!
  Rank?Tinselagainstbullioninthebalance!
  Theloveofkindred?Thattoset’gainstlove!
  Friendshipcomesnearestto’t;butputitin,Friendshipwillkickthebeam!——weighnothing’gainstit!
  Weighloveagainsttheworld!
  Yetaretheyhappythathavenaughttosaytoit。
  Wal。Andsuchaoneartthou。Whowiselywed,Wedhappily。Thelovethouspeak’stof,Aflowerisonly,thatitsseasonhas,Whichtheymustlooktoseethewitheringof,Whopleasureinitsbuddinganditsbloom!
  ButwisdomistheconstantevergreenWhichlivesthewholeyearthrough!Bethat,yourflower!
  [EnteraServant。]
  Well?
  Serv。Mylord’ssecretaryiswithout。
  Hebringsaletterforherladyship,Andcravesadmittancetoher。
  Wal。Showhimin。
  Julia。No。
  Wal。Thoumustseehim。Toshowslighttohim,Wereslightinghimthatsenthim。Showhimin!
  [Servantgoesout。]
  Someerrandproperforthyprivateear,Besidestheletterhemaybring。WhatmeanThispalenessandthistrembling?Markme,Julia!
  If,fromthesenuptials,whichthyselfinvited-
  Whichatthyseekingcame——thouwouldstbefreed,Thouhastgonetoofar!Recedingweredisgrace,Soonerthanseetheesufferwhich,theheartsThatlovetheemostwouldwishtheedead!Reflect!
  Takethought!collectthyself!WithdignityReceivethybridegroom’smessenger!forsureAsdawnsto-morrow’ssun,to-morrownightSeestheeaweddedbride!
  [Goesout。]
  Julia。[Alone。]Aweddedbride!
  Isitadream?Isitaphantasm?’TisToohorribleforreality!foraughtelseToopalpable!Owoulditwereadream!
  HowwouldIblessthesunthatwakedmefromit!
  Iperish!LikesomedesperatemarinerImpatientofastrangeandhostileland,Whorashlyhoistshissailandputstosea,Andbeingfastonreefsandquicksandsborne,Essaysinvainoncemoretomaketheland,Whencewindandcurrentdrivehim;I’mwreckedBymineownact!What!noescape?nohope?
  None!Imuste’enabidethesehatednuptials!
  Hated!——Ah!ownit,andthencursethyself!
  Thatmadestthebanethouloathest——fortheloveThoubear’sttoonewhonevercanbethine!
  Yes——love!Deceivethyselfnolonger。FalseTosay’tispityforhisfall——respect,Engenderedbyahollowworld’sdisdain,Whichhootswhomficklefortunecheersnomore!
  ’Tisnoneofthese;’tislove——andifnotlove,Whythenidolatry!Ay,that’sthenameTospeakthebroadest,deepest,strongestpassion,Thateverwoman’sheartwasborneawayby!
  Hecomes!Thou’dstplaythelady,——playitnow!
  [EnteraServant,conductingCLIFFORD,plainlyattiredastheEARL
  OFROCHDALE’SSecretary。]
  Servant。Hislordship’ssecretary。
  [Servantgoesout。]
  Julia。Speakshenot?OrdoeshewaitfororderstounfoldHisbusiness?StoppedhisbusinesstillIspoke,I’dholdmypeaceforever!
  [CLIFFORDkneels;presentingaletter。]
  Doeshekneel?
  AladyamItomyheart’scontent!
  Couldheunmakemethatwhichclaimshisknee,I’dkneeltohim——Iwould!Iwould!——Yourwill?
  Clif。Thisletterfrommylord。
  Julia。Ofate!Whospeaks?
  Clif。Thesecretaryofmylord。
  Julia。Ibreathe!
  Icouldhavesworn’twashe!
  [Makesanefforttolookathim,butisunable。]
  Solikethevoice-
  Idarenotlook,lesttheretheformshouldstand!
  Howcamehebythatvoice?’TisClifford’svoice,IfeverCliffordspoke!Myfearscomeback-
  Cliffordthesecretaryofmylord!
  Fortunehathfreaks,butnonesomadasthat!
  Itcannotbe!——Itshouldnotbe!——Alook,Andallweresetatrest。