首页 >出版文学> The Hunchback>第3章

第3章

  [Triestolookathimagain,butcannot。]
  Sostrongmyfears,DreadtoconfirmthemtakesawaythepowerTotryandendthem!Cometheworst,I’lllook。
  [Shetriesagain;andagainisunequaltothetask。]
  I’dsinkbeforehimifImethiseye!
  Clif。Will’tpleaseyourladyshiptotaketheletter?
  Julia。ThereCliffordspeaksagain!NotClifford’sheartCouldmoremakeClifford’svoice!NotClifford’stongueAndlipsmoreframeitintoClifford’sspeech!
  Aquestion,and’tisover!KnowIyou?
  Clif。Reverseoffortune,lady,changesfriends;
  Itturnsthemintostrangers。WhatIamIhavenotalwaysbeen!
  Julia。CouldInotnameyou?
  Clif。Ifyourdisdainforone,perhapstooboldWhenhollowfortunecalledhimfavourite,-
  NowbyherficklenessperforcereducedTotakeanhumbletone,wouldsufferyou-
  Julia。Imight?
  Clif。Youmight!
  Julia。Oh,Clifford!isityou?
  Clif。Youranswertomylord。
  [Givestheletter。]
  Julia。Yourlord!
  [Mechanicallytakingit。]
  Clif。Wiltwriteit?
  Or,willitpleaseyousendaverbalone?
  I’llbearitfaithfully。
  Julia。You’llbearit?
  Clif。Madam,Yourpardon,butmyhasteissomewhaturgent。
  Mylord’simpatient,andtousedespatchWerehisrepeatedorders。
  Julia。Orders?Well,I’llreadtheletter,sir。’TisrightyoumindHislordship’sorders。Theyareparamount!
  Nothingshouldsupersedethem!——standbesidethem!
  Theymeritallyourcare,andhaveit!Fit,Mostfit,theyshould!Givemetheletter,sir。
  Clif。Youhaveit,madam。
  Julia。So!HowpoorathingIlook!solost,whileheisallhimself!
  HaveInopride?
  [Sherings,theServantenters。]
  Paper,andpen,andink!
  Ifhecanfreeze,’tistimethatIgrowcold!
  I’llreadtheletter。
  [Opensit,andholdsitasabouttoreadit。]
  Mindhisorders!So!
  Quicklyhefitshishabitstohisfortunes!
  Heservesmylordwithallhiswill!Hisheart’sInhisvocation。So!Isthistheletter?
  ’Tisupsidedown——andhereI’mporingon’t!
  MostfitIlethimseemeplaythefool!
  Shame!Letmebemyself!
  [AServantenterswithmaterialsforwriting。]
  Atable,sir,Andchair。
  [TheServantbringsatableandchair,andgoesout。Shesitsawhile,vacantlygazingontheletter——thenlooksatCLIFFORD。]
  Howplainlyshowshishumblesuit!
  Itfitsnothimthatwearsit!Ihavewrongedhim!
  Hecan’tbehappy——doesnotlookit!——isnot。
  ThateyewhichreadsthegroundisargumentEnough!Helovesme。ThereIlethimstand,AndIamsitting!
  [Rises,takesachair,andapproachesCLIFFORD。]
  Prayyoutakeachair。
  [Hebows,asacknowledginganddecliningthehonour。Shelooksathimawhile。]
  Clifford,whydon’tyouspeaktome?
  [Sheweeps。]
  Clif。ItrustYou’rehappy。
  Julia。Happy!Very,veryhappy!
  YouseeIweep,Iamsohappy!TearsAresigns,youknow,ofnaughtbuthappiness!
  WhenfirstIsawyou,littledidIlookTobesohappy!——Clifford!
  Clif。Madam?
  Julia。Madam!
  IcalltheeClifford,andthoucall’stmemadam!
  Clif。Suchtheaddressmydutystintsmeto。
  ThouartthewifeelectofaproudEarl,Whosehumblesecretary,sole,amI。
  Julia。Mostright!Ihadforgot!Ithankyou,sir,Forsoremindingme;andgiveyoujoy,Thatwhat,Isee,hadbeenaburthentoyou,Isfairlyoffyourhands。
  Clif。Aburthentome!
  Meanyouyourself?Areyouthatburthen,Julia?
  Saythatthesun’saburthentotheearth!
  Saythattheblood’saburthentotheheart!
  Sayhealth’saburthen,peace,contentment,joy,Fame,riches,honours!everythingthatmanDesires,andgivesthenameofblessingtoE’ensuchaburthen,Juliaweretome,Hadfortuneletmewearher。
  Julia。[Aside。]OnthebrinkOfwhataprecipiceI’mstanding!Back,Back!whilethefacultyremainstodo’t!
  Aminutelonger,notthewhirlpool’sselfMoresuretosuckmedown!Oneeffort!There!
  [Shereturnstoherseat,recoversherself-possession,takesuptheletter,andreads。]
  Towedto-morrownight!Wedwhom?AmanWhomIcanneverlove!IshouldbeforeHavethoughtofthat。To-morrownight!ThishourTo-morrow!HowItremble!HappybandsTowhichmyheartsuchfreezingwelcomegives,Assendsanaguethroughme!AtwhatmeansWillnotthedesperatesnatch!What’shonour’sprice?
  Norfriends,norlovers,——no,norlifeitself!
  Clifford!Thismomentleaveme!
  [CLIFFORDretiresupthestageoutofJULIA’Ssight。]
  Ishegone?
  Odocilelover!Dohismistress’wishThatwentagainsthisown!DoitsosoonErewell’twasuttered!Nogood-byetoher!
  Noword!nolook!’Twasbestthathesowent!
  Alas,thestraitofher,whoownsthatbest,Whichlastshe’dwishweredone?What’sleftmenow?
  Toweep!Toweep!
  [Leansherheaduponherarm,whichrestsuponthedesk,——herotherarmhanginglistlesslyatherside。CLIFFORDcomesdownthestage,looksamomentather,approachesher,andkneeling,takesherhand。]
  Clif。MyJulia!
  Julia。Hereagain!
  Up!up!ByallthyhopesofHeaven,gohence!
  Tostay’sperditiontome!Lookyou,Clifford!
  Werethereagravewherethouartkneelingnow,I’dwalkinto’t,andbeinearthedalive,Eretaintshouldtouchmyname!ShouldsomeonecomeAndseetheekneelingthus!Letgomyhand!
  Remember,Clifford,I’mapromisedbride-
  Andtakethyarmaway!IthasnorightToclaspmywaist!Judgeyousopoorlyofme,AsthinkI’llsufferthis?Myhonour,sir!
  [Shebreaksfromhim,quittingherseat。]
  I’mgladyou’veforcedmetorespectmyself-
  You’llfindthatIcandoso!
  Clif。Iwasbold-
  Forgetfulofyourstationandmyown;
  TherewasatimeIheldyourhandunchid!
  TherewasatimeImighthaveclaspedyourwaist-
  Ihadforgotthattimewaspastandgone!
  Iprayyou,pardonme!
  Julia。[Softened。]Idoso,Clifford。
  Clif。Ishallnomoreoffend。
  Julia。Makesureofthat。
  Nolongerisitfitthoukeep’stthypostIn’slordship’shousehold。Giveitup!Aday-
  Anhourremainnotinit!
  Clif。Wherefore?
  Julia。LiveInthesamehousewithme,andIanother’s?
  Putmiles,putleaguesbetweenus!ThesamelandShouldnotcontainus。Oceansshoulddivideus-
  Withbarriersofconstanttempests——suchAsmarinersdurstnottempt!OClifford!
  Rashwastheactsolightthatgavemeup,Thatstungawoman’spride,anddrovehermad-
  Tillinherfrenzyshedestroyedherpeace!
  Oh,itwasrashlydone!Hadyoureproved-
  Expostulated,——hadyoureasonedwithme-
  Triedtofindoutwhatwasindeedmyheart,-
  Iwouldhaveshownit——you’dhaveseenit。AllHadbeenasnaughtcaneverbeagain!
  Clif。Lovestthoume,Julia?
  Julia。Dostthouaskme,Clifford?
  Clif。Thesenuptialsmaybeshunned!-
  Julia。Withhonour?
  Clif。Yes!
  Julia。Thentakeme!——Stop——hearme,andtakemethen!
  Letnotthypassionbemycounsellor!
  Dealwithme,Clifford,asmybrother。BeThejealousguardianofmyspotlessname!
  Scanthoumycauseas’twerethysister’s。LetThyscrutinyo’erlooknopointofit,-
  Norturnitoveronce,butmanyatime:-
  Thatflaw,speck——yea,——theshadeofone,——asoilSoslight,notoneoutofathousandeyesCouldfinditout,maynotescapethee;thenSayifthesenuptialscanbeshunnedwithhonour!
  Clif。Theycan。
  Julia。Thentakeme,Clifford![Theyembrace。]
  Wal。[Entering。]Ha!What’sthis?
  Ha!treason!What!mybaronetthatwas,Mysecretarynow?Yourservant,sir!
  Is’tthusyoudothepleasureofyourlord,-
  Thatforyourservicefeedsyou,clothesyou,paysyou!
  Ortakestthoubutthenameofhisdependent?
  What’shere?——aletter。FiftycrownstooneAforgery!I’mwrong。Itishishand。
  Thisprovestheedoubletraitor!
  Clif。Traitor!
  Julia。Nay,Controlthywrath,goodMasterWalter!Do-
  AndI’llpersuadehimtogohence-
  [MASTERWALTERretiresupthestage。]IseeFormethoubearestthis,andthankthee,Clifford!
  Asthouhasttrulyshownthyhearttome,SotrulyItotheehaveopenedmine!
  Timeflies!To-morrow!IfthylovecanfindAway,suchasthousaidst,formyenlargementByanymeansthoucanst,apprisemeofit;
  And,soonasshown,I’lltakeit。
  Wal。Ishegone?
  Julia。Heisthismoment。Ifthoucovetestme,Winme,andwearme!MayItrustthee?Oh!
  Ifthat’sthysoul,that’slookingthroughthineeyes,Thoulovestme,andImay!——Isicken,lestIneverseetheemoreClif。Aslifeismine,Theringthatonthywedding-fingergoesNohandbutmineshallplacethere!
  Wal。Lingershe?
  Julia。Formysake,nowaway!Andyetaword。
  Byallthyhopesmostdear,betruetome!
  Gonow!——yetstay!Clifford,whileyouarehere,I’mlikeabarkdistressedandcompassless,Thatbyabeaconsteers;whenyou’reaway,Thatbarkaloneandtossingmilesatsea!
  Nowgo!Farewell!Mycompass——beacon——land!
  Whenshallmyeyesbeblessedwiththeeagain!
  Clif。Farewell![Goesout。]
  Julia。Artgone?All’schance——all’scare——all’sdarkness。
  [IsledoffbyMASTERWALTER。]
  ACTV。
  SCENEI。——AnApartmentintheEarlofRochdale’s。
  [EnterHELENandFATHOM。]
  Fath。Thelongandshortofitisthis——ifshemarriesthislord,she’llbreakherheart!Iwishyoucouldseeher,madam。Poorlady!
  Helen。Howlooksshe,prithee?
  Fath。Marry,foralltheworldlikeadripping-wetcambrichandkerchief!Shehasnocolournorstrengthinher;anddoesnothingbutweep——poorlady!
  Helen。Tellmeagainwhatsaidshetothee?
  Fath。SheofferedmeallshewasmistressoftotakethelettertoMasterClifford。Shedrewherpursefromherpocket——theringfromherfinger——shetookherveryearringsoutofherears——butIwasforbidden,andrefused。AndnowI’msorryforit!Poorlady!
  Helen。Thoushouldstbesorry。Thouhastahardheart,Fathom。
  Fath。I,madam!Myheartisassoftasawoman’s。YoushouldhaveseenmewhenIcameoutofherchamber——poorlady!
  Helen。Didyoucry?
  Fath。No;butIwasasnearitaspossible。Iahardheart!I
  woulddoanythingtoserveher,poorsweetlady!
  Helen。Willyoutakeherletter,askssheyouagain?
  Fath。No——Iamforbid。
  Helen。WillyouhelpMasterCliffordtoaninterviewwithher?
  Fath。No——MasterWalterwouldfinditout。
  Helen。Willyoucontrivetogetmeintoherchamber?
  Fath。No——youwouldbesuretobringmeintomischief。
  Helen。Goto!Youwoulddonothingtoserveher。Youasoftheart!Youhavenoheartatall!Youfeelnotforher!
  Fath。ButItellyouIdo——andgoodrightIhavetofeelforher。
  Ihavebeeninlovemyself。
  Helen。Withyourdinner!
  Fath。Iwouldithadbeen!Mypainwouldsoonhavebeenover,andatlittlecost。AfortuneIsquandereduponher!——trinkets——
  trimmings——treatings——whatswalloweduptherevenueofawholeyear!
  Wasn’tIinlove?SixmonthsIcourtedher,andadozencrownsallbutonedidIdisburseforherinthattime!Wasn’tIinlove?Anhostler——atapster——andaconstable,courtedheratthesametime,andIofferedtocudgelthewholethreeofthemforher!Wasn’tI
  inlove?
  Helen。Youareavaliantman,Fathom。
  Fath。AmnotI?WalksnottheearththemanIamafraidof。
  Helen。FearyounotMasterWalter?
  Fath。No。
  Helen。Youdo!
  Fath。Idon’t!
  Helen。I’llproveittoyou。Youseehimbreakingyouryoungmistress’sheart,andhavenotthemanhoodtostandbyher。
  Fath。WhatcouldIdoforher?
  Helen。Letheroutofprison。Itweretheactofaman。
  Fath。ThatmanamI!
  Helen。Wellsaid,braveFathom!
  Fath。Butmyplace!
  Helen。I’llprovidetheewithabetterone。
  Fath。’Tisacapitalplace!Solittletodo,andsomuchtogetfor’t。Sixpoundsintheyear;twosuitsoflivery;shoesandstockings,andafamouslarder。He’dbeaboldmanthatwouldputsuchaplaceinjeopardy。Myplace,madam,myplace!
  Helen。ItelltheeI’llprovidetheewithabetterplace。Thoushalthavelesstodo,andmoretoget。Now,Fathom,hastthoucouragetostandbythymistress?
  Fath。Ihave!
  Helen。That’sright。
  Fath。I’llletmyladyout。
  [EnterMASTERWALTERunperceived。]
  Helen。That’sright。When,Fathom?
  Fath。To-night。
  Helen。Sheistobemarriedto-night。
  Fath。Thisevening,then。MasterWalterisnowinthelibrary,thekeyisontheoutside,andI’lllockhimin。
  Helen。Excellent!You’lldoit?
  Fath。Relyuponit。Howhe’llstarewhenhefindshimselfaprisoner,andmyyoungladyatliberty!
  Helen。Mostexcellent!You’llbesuretodoit?
  Fath。Dependuponme!WhenFathomundertakesathing,hedefiesfireandwater-
  Wal。[Comingforward。]Fathom!
  Fath。Sir!
  Wal。Assemblestraighttheservants。
  Fath。Yes,sir!
  Wal。Mind,AndhavetheminthehallwhenIcomedown。
  Fath。Yes,sir!
  Wal。Andseeyoudonotstirastep,ButwhereIorderyou。
  Fath。Notaninch,sir!
  Wal。Seethatyoudon’t——away!So,myfairmistress,[FATHOMgoesout。]
  What’sthisyouhavebeenplotting?AnescapeFormistressJulia?
  Helen。Iavowit。
  Wal。Doyou?
  Helen。Yes;andmoreovertoyourfaceItellyou,Mosthardlydoyouuseher!
  Wal。Verily!
  Helen。Iwonderwhere’sherspirit!HadshemineShewouldnottake’tsoeasily。DoyoumeanToforcethismarriageonher?
  Wal。Withyourleave。
  Helen。Youlaugh。
  Wal。Withoutit,then。Idon’tlaughnow。
  Helen。IfIwereshe,I’dfindawaytoescape。
  Wal。Whatwouldyoudo?
  Helen。I’dleapoutofthewindow!
  Wal。Yourwindowshouldbebarred。
  Helen。I’dcheatyoustill!-
  I’dhangmyselfereI’dbeforcedtomarry!
  Wal。Wellsaid!Youshallbemarried,then,tonight。
  Helen。Marriedto-night!
  Wal。AssureasIhavesaidit。
  Helen。Twowordstothat。Praywho’stobemybridegroom?
  Wal。Adaughter’shusbandisherfather’schoice。
  Helen。Myfather’sdaughterne’ershallwedsuchhusband!
  Wal。Indeed!
  Helen。I’llpickahusbandformyself。
  Wal。Indeed!
  Helen。Indeed,sir;andindeedagain!
  Wal。Godressyouforthemarriageceremony。
  Helen。But,MasterWalter,whatisityoumean?
  [EnterMODUS。]
  Wal。Herecomesyourcousin;——heshallbeyourbridesman!
  Thethought’sasuddenone,——thatwillexcuseDefectinyourappointments。Aplaindress,-
  So’tisofwhite,——willdo。
  Helen。I’lldressinblack。
  I’llquitthecastle。
  Wal。Thatyoushallnotdo。
  Itsdoorsareguardedbymylord’sdomestics,Itsavenues——itsgrounds。Whatyoumustdo,Dowithagoodgrace!Inanhour,orless,Yourfatherwillbehere。MakeupyourmindTotakewiththankfulnessthemanhegivesyou。
  Now,[Aside]iftheyfindnotouthowbeattheirhearts,Ihavenoskill,notI,infeelingpulses。
  [Goesout。]
  Helen。Why,cousinModus!What!willyoustandbyAndseemeforcedtomarry?CousinModus!
  Haveyounotgotatongue?Haveyounoteyes?
  DoyounotseeI’mvery——veryill,Andnotachairinallthecorridor?
  Mod。I’llfindoneinthestudy。
  Helen。Hangthestudy!
  Mod。Myroom’sathand。I’llfetchonethence。
  Helen。Youshan’tI’dfaintereyoucameback!
  Mod。WhatshallIdo?
  Helen。Whydon’tyouoffertosupportme?Well?
  Givemeyourarm——bequick![MODUSoffershisarm。]
  IsthatthewayTohelpaladywhenshe’sliketofaint?
  I’lldropunlessyoucatchme![MODUSsupportsher。]
  Thatwilldo。
  I’mbetternow——[MODUSofferstoleaveher]don’tleaveme!IsonewellBecauseone’sbetter?Holdmyhand。Keepso。
  I’llsoonrecoversoyoumovenot。Loveshe-
  [Aside。]
  WhichI’llbeswornhedoes,he’llownitnow。
  Well,cousinModus?
  Mod。Well,sweetcousin!
  Helen。Well?
  YouheardwhatMasterWaltersaid?
  Mod。Idid。
  Helen。Andwouldyouhavememarry?Can’tyouspeak?
  Sayyesorno。
  Mod。No,cousin!
  Helen。Bravelysaid!
  Andwhy,mygallantcousin?
  Mod。Why?
  Helen。Ay,why?-
  Women,youknow,arefondofreasons——whyWouldyounothavememarry?Howyoublush!
  Isitbecauseyoudonotknowthereason?
  YoumindmeofastoryofacousinWhooncehercousinsuchaquestionasked。
  Hehadnotbeentocollege,though——forbooks,Hadpassedhistimeinreadingladies’eyes。
  Whichhecouldconstruemarvellouslywell,Thoughwritinlanguageallsymbolical。
  Thusstoodtheyoncetogether,onaday-
  Aswestandnow——discoursedaswediscourse,-
  Butwiththisdifference,——fiftygentlewordsHespoketoher,foroneshespoketohim!-
  Whatadearcousin!Well,asIdidsay,AsnowIquestionedthee,shequestionedhim。
  Andwhatwashisreply?TothinkofitSetsmyheartbeating——’twassokindaone!
  Solikeacousin’sanswer——adearcousin!
  Agentle,honest,gallant,lovingcousin!
  Whatdidhesay?——Amanmightfinditout,ThoughneverreadheOvid’sArtofLove-
  Whatdidhesay?He’dmarryherhimself!
  Howstupidareyou,cousin!Letmego!
  Mod。Youarenotwellyet?
  Helen。Yes。
  Mod。I’msureyou’renot。
  Helen。I’msureIam。
  Mod。Nay,letmeholdyou,cousin!Ilikeit。
  Helen。Doyou?IwouldwageryouYoucouldnottellmewhyyoulikeit。Well?
  YouseehowtrueIknowyou!Howyoustare!
  Whatseeyouinmyfacetowonderat?
  Mod。Apairofeyes!
  Helen。Atlasthe’llfindhistongue——[Aside。]
  Andsawyoune’erapairofeyesbefore?
  Mod。Notsuchapair。
  Helen。Andwhy?
  Mod。Theyaresobright!
  YouhaveaGreciannose。
  Helen。Indeed。
  Mod。Indeed!
  Helen。WhatkindofmouthhaveI?
  Mod。Ahandsomeone。Ineversawsosweetapairoflips!
  Ine’ersawlipsatalltillnow,dearcousin!
  Helen。Cousin,I’mwell,——youneednotholdmenow。
  Doyounothear?ItellyouIamwell!
  Ineedyourarmnolonger——take’taway!
  Sotightitlocksme,’tiswithpainIbreathe!
  Letmego,cousin!WhereforedoyouholdYourfacesoclosetomine?Whatdoyoumean?
  Mod。You’vequestionedme,andnowI’llquestionyou。
  Helen。Whatwouldyoulearn?
  Mod。Theuseoflips。
  Helen。Tospeak。
  Mod。Naughtelse?
  Helen。Howboldmymodestcousingrows!
  Why,otheruseknowyou?
  Mod。Ido!
  Helen。Indeed!
  You’rewondrouswise?Andpraywhatisit?
  Mod。This![Attemptstokissher。]
  Helen。Soft!myhandthanksyou,cousin——formylipsIkeepthemforahusband!——Nay,standoff!
  I’llnotbeheldinmanaclesagain!
  Whydoyoufollowme?
  Mod。Iloveyou,cousin!
  Helen。Ocousin,sayyouso!That’spassingstrange!
  Fallsoutmostcrossly——isadiremishap-
  Athingtosighfor,weepfor,languishfor,Anddiefor!
  Mod。Diefor!
  Helen,Yes,withlaughter,cousin,For,cousin,Iloveyou!
  Mod。Andyou’llbemine?
  Helen。Iwill。
  Mod。Yourhanduponit。
  Helen。Handandheart。
  Hietothydressing-room,andI’lltomine-
  Attiretheeforthealtar——sowillI。
  Whoe’ermayclaimme,thou’rtthemanshallhaveme。
  Away!Despatch!Butharkyou,ereyougo,Ne’erbragofreadingOvid’sArtofLove!
  Mod。Andcousin!stop——onelittlewordwithyou!
  [Shereturns,hesnatchesakiss——Theygooutseverally。]
  SCENEII。——Julia’sChamber。
  [EnterJULIA。]
  Julia。Nowordfromhim,andeveningnowsetin!
  Hecannotplaymefalse!HismessengerIsdogged——orletterintercepted。I’mBesetwithspies!——Norescue!——Noescape!-
  Thehourathandthatbringsmybridegroomhome!
  Norelativetoaidme!friendtocounselme。
  [Aknockatthedoor。]
  Comein。
  [EntertwoFemaleAttendants。]
  Yourwill?
  FirstAttendant。Yourtoiletwaits,mylady;
  ’Tistimeyoudress。
  Julia。’TistimeIdie![Apealofbells。]What’sthat?
  FirstAttendant。Yourweddingbells,mylady。
  Julia。MerrilyTheyringmyknell!
  [SecondAttendantpresentsanopencase。]
  Andprayyouwhatarethese?
  SecondAttendant。Yourweddingjewels。
  Julia。Setthemby。
  SecondAttendant。Indeed。
  Wasne’erabraverset!Anecklace,brooch,Andearringsallofbrilliants,withahoopToguardyourweddingring。
  Julia。’TwouldneedaguardThatlacksahearttokeepit!
  SecondAttendant。Here’saheartSuspendedfromthenecklace——onehugediamondImbeddedinahostofsmallerones!
  Oh!howitsparkles!
  Julia。Showitme!Brightheart,Thylustre,shouldIwearthee,willbefalse,-
  Forthoutheemblemartofloveandtruth,-
  Fromherthatwearstheeuntohimthatgivesthee。
  Backtothycase!Betterthoune’ershouldstleaveit-
  BetterthygemsathousandfathomsdeepIntheirnativemineagain,thangracemyneck,Andlendthyfairfacetopalmoffalie!
  FirstAttendant。Will’tpleaseyoudress?
  Julia。Ah!ininfectedclothesNewfromapest-house!Leaveme!IfIdress,Idressalone!Oforafriend!Timegallops!
  [Attendantsgoout。]
  Hethatshouldguardmeismineenemy!
  Constrainsmetoabidethefataldie,Myrashness,notmyreasoncast!Hecomes,Thatwillexacttheforfeit!——MustIpayit?-
  E’enatthecostofutterbankruptcy!
  What’stobedone?PronouncethevowthatpartsMybodyfrommysoul!TowhatitloathesLinksthat,whilethisislinkedtowhatitloves!
  Condemnedtosuchperdition!What’stobedone?
  Standatthealtarinanhourfromthis!
  Anhourthenceseatedathisboard——awifeThence!——frenzy’sinthethought!What’stobedone?
  [EnterMASTERWALTER。]
  Wal。What!runthewavessohigh?Notreadyyet!
  Yourlordwillsoonbehere!Theguestscollect。
  Julia。Showmesomewayto’scapethesenuptials!Doit!
  Someopeningforavoidanceorescape,-
  OrtothychargeI’lllayabrokenheart!
  Itmaybe,brokenvows,andblastedhonour,Orelseaminddistraught!
  Wal。What’sthis?
  Julia。ThestraitI’mfallenintomypatiencecannotbear。
  Itfrightsmyreason——warpsmysenseofvirtue!
  Religion!——changesmeintoathingIlookatwithabhorring!
  Wal。Listentome。
  Julia。Listentome!IfthiscontractThouholdestmeto——abidethoutheresult!
  AnswertoheavenforwhatIsuffer!——act!
  PreparethyselfforsuchcalamityTofallonme,andthosewhoseevilstarsHavelinkedthemwithme,asnopastmishap,Howeverrare,andmarvellouslysadCanparallel!laythyaccounttoliveAsmilelesslife,dieanunpitieddeath-
  Abhorred,abandonedofthykind,——asoneWhohadtheguardingofayoungmaid’speace,-
  Lookedonandsawherrashlyperilit;
  Andwhenshesawherdanger,andconfessedHerfault,compelledhertocompleteherruin!
  Wal。Hastdone?
  Julia。Anothermoment,andIhave。
  Bewarned!BewarehowyouabandonmeTomyself!I’myoung,rash,inexperienced!temptedBymostinsufferablemisery!
  Bold,desperate,andreckless!ThouhastageExperience,wisdom,andcollectedness,-
  Power,freedom,——everythingthatIhavenot,Yetwant,asnonee’erwanted!Thoucanstsaveme,Thououghtst!thoumust!ItelltheeathisfeetI’llfallacorse——eremounthisbridalbed!
  Sochoosebetwixtmyrescueandmygrave;-
  Andquicklytoo!ThehourofsacrificeIsnear!AnontheimmolatingpriestWillsummonme!DevisesomespeedymeansTocheatthealtarofitsvictim。Doit!
  Norleavethetasktome!
  Wal。Hastdone?
  Julia。Ihave。
  Wal。Thenlisttome——andsilently,ifnotWithpatience。——[Bringschairsforhimselfandher。]
  HowIwatchedtheefromthychildhoodI’llnotrecalltothee。Thyfather’swisdom-
  WhosehumbleinstrumentIwas——directedYournonageshouldbepassedinprivacy,Fromyouraptmindthatfaroutstrippedyouryears,Fearingthetaintofaninfectedworld;-
  For,intherichgrounds,weedsoncetakingroot,Growstrongasflowers。Hemightberightorwrong!
  Ithoughthimright;andthereforedidhisbidding。
  Mostcertainlyhelovedyou——sodidI;
  Ay!wellasIhadbeenmyselfyourfather!
  [Hishandisrestinguponhisknee,JULIAattemptstotakeit——hewithdrawsit——looksather——shehangsherhead。]
  Well;youmaytakemyhand!IneednotsayHowfastyougrewinknowledge,andingoodness,-
  ThathopecouldscarceenjoyitsgoldendreamsSosoonfulfilmentrealisedthemall!
  Enough。Youcametowomanhood。Yourheart,Pureastheleafoftheconsummatebud,That’snewunfoldedbythesmilingsun,Andne’erknewblightnorcanker!
  [JULIAattemptstoplaceherotherhandonhisshoulder——heleansfromher——looksather——shehangsherheadagain。]
  Putitthere!
  WhereleftIoff?Iknow!WhenagoodwomanIsfitlymated,shegrowsdoublygood,Howgoodsoe’erbefore!IfoundthemanIthoughtamatchforthee;and,soonasfound,Proposedhimtothee。’Twasyourfather’swill,Occasionoffering,youshouldbemarriedSoonasyoureachedtowomanhood。——YoulikedMychoice,acceptedhim。——Wecametotown;
  Where,byimportantmattersummonedthence,Ileftyouanaffiancedbride!
  Julia。Youdid!
  Youdid![Leansherheaduponherhandandweeps。]
  Wal。Nay,checkthytears!Letjudgmentnow,Notpassion,beawake。Onmyreturn,Ifoundthee——what?I’llnotdescribethethingIfoundtheethen!I’llnotdescribemypangsToseetheesuchathing!TheengineerWholaysthelaststoneofhissea-builttower,Itcosthimyearsandyearsoftoiltoraise-
  And,smilingatit,tellsthewindsandwavesToroarandwhistlenow——but,inanight,Beholdsthetempestsportinginitsplace-
  Maylookaghast,asIdid!
  Julia。[Fallingonherknees。]Pardonme!
  Forgiveme!pityme!
  Wal。Resumethyseat。[Raisesher。]
  Ipitythee;perhapsnottheealoneItfitstosueforpardon。
  Julia。Mealone!
  Noneother!
  Wal。Buttovindicatemyself,Inamethylover’ssterndesertionofthee。
  Whatwastthouthenwithwoundedpride?AthingToleapintoatorrent!throwitselfFromaprecipice!rushintoafire!IsawThymadness——knewtothwartitweretochafeit-
  Andhumouredittotakethatcourse,Ithought,Adopted,least’twouldrue!
  Julia。’Twaswiselydone。
  Wal。Atleast’twasforthebest。
  Julia。ToblametheeforitWasaddingshametoshame!ButMasterWalter,Thesenuptials!——musttheyneedsgoon?
  Servant。[Entering。]MoreguestsArrive。
  Wal。Attendtothem。[Servantgoesout。]
  Julia。DearMasterWalter!
  Istherenowaytoescapethesenuptials?
  Wal。Know’stnotWhatwiththesenuptialscomes?Hastthouforgot?
  Julia。What?
  Wal。Nothing!——Ididtelltheeofathing。
  Julia。Whatwasit?
  Wal。Toforgetitwasafault!
  Lookbackandthink。
  Julia。Ican’trememberit。
  Wal。Fathers,makestrawsyourchildren!Nature’snothing,Bloodnothing!Onceinotherveinsitruns,Itnomoreyearnethfortheparentflood,Thandoththestreamthatfromthesourcedisparts。
  Talknotofloveinstinctive——whatyoucallsoIsbutthebratofcustom!YourownfleshByhabitcleavestoyou——without,Hathnoadhesion。[Aside。]So;youhaveforgotYouhaveafather,andareheretomeethim!
  Julia。I’llnotdenyit。
  Wal。Youshouldblushfor’t。
  Julia。No!
  No!no:hear,MasterWalter!what’safatherThatyou’venotbeentome?Nay,turnnotfromme,ForatthenameaholyaweIown,Thatnowalmostinclinesmykneetoearth!
  Butthoutome,exceptafather’sname,Hastallthefatherbeen:thecare——thelove-
  Theguidance——theprotectionofafather。
  Canstwonder,then,iflikethychildIfeel,-
  Andfeelingso,thatfather’sclaimforgetWhomne’erIknewsavebythenameofone?
  Oh,turntome,anddonotchideme!orIfthouwiltchide,chideon!butturntome!
  Wal。[Strugglingwithemotion。]MyJulia!
  [Embracesher。]
  Julia。Now,dearMasterWalter,hearme!
  Istherenowayto’scapethesenuptials?
  Wal。Julia,Apromisemadeadmitsnotofrelease,SavebyconsentorforfeitureofthoseWhoholdit——soitshouldbeponderedwellBeforeweletitgo。EremanshouldsayIbrokethewordIhadthepowertokeep,I’dlosethelifeIhadthepowertopartwith!
  Remember,Julia,thouandIto-dayMust,tothyfather,ofthytrainingrenderAstrictaccount。Whilehonour’slefttous,Wehavesomething——nothing,havingallbutthat。
  Nowforthylastactofobedience,Julia!
  Presentthyselfbeforethybridegroom![Sheassents。]Good!
  MyJulia’snowherself!Showhimthyheart,Andtohishonourleave’ttosettheefreeOrholdtheebound。Thyfatherwillbeby!
  SCENEIII。——TheBanqueting’Room。
  [EnterMASTERWALTERandMASTERHEARTWELL。]
  Heart。Thanks,MasterWalter!Ne’erwaschildmorebentTodoherfather’swill,you’llown,thanmine:
  Yetneveronemorefroward。
  Wal。Allrunsfair-
  Fairmayallend!To-dayyou’lllearnthecauseThattookmeoutoftown。Butsoftawhile,-
  Herecomesthebridegroom,withhisfriends,andhereTheall-obedientbride。
  [EnterononehandJULIA,andontheotherhandLORDROCHDALEwithLORDTINSELandfriends——afterwardsCLIFFORD。]
  Roch。Isshenotfair?
  Tin。She’lldo。Yourservant,lady!MasterWalter,We’regladtoseeyou。Sirs,you’rewelcomeall。
  Whatwaittheyfor?Arewetowedornot?
  We’reready——whydon’ttheypresentthebride?
  Ihopetheyknowsheistowedanearl。
  Roch。ShouldIspeakfirst?
  Tin。Notforyourcoronet!
  I,asyourfriend,maymakethefirstadvance。
  We’vecomeheretobemarried。Where’sthebride?
  Wal。Therestandsshe,lord;if’tisherwilltowed,Hislordship’sfreetotakeher。
  Tin。Notastep!
  I,asyourfriend,mayleadhertoyourlordship。
  Fairlady,byyourleave。
  Julia。No!nottoyou。
  Tin。Iaskyourhandtogiveittohislordship。
  Julia。Nortohislordship——savehewillacceptMyhandwithoutmyheart!butI’llpresentMykneetohim,and,byhisloftyrank,ImplorehimnowtodoaloftydeedWillliftitsstatelyheadabovehisrank,-
  Asserthimnobleryetinworththanname,-
  And,intheplaceofanunwillingbride,Untoawillingdebtormakehimlord,-
  Whosethanksshallbehisvassals,nightanddayThatstillshallwaituponhim!
  Tin。Whatmeansthis?
  Julia。Whatis’tbehovesawifetobringherlord?
  Wal。Awholeheart,andatrueone。
  Julia。Ihavenone!
  Nothalfaheart——thefractionofaheart!
  AmIawomanitbefitstowed?
  Wal。Why,where’sthyheart?
  Julia。Gone——outofmykeeping!
  Lost,pastrecovery:rightandtitletoit-
  Andallgivenup!andhethat’sowneron’t,Sofittowearit,wereitfiftyhearts,I’dgiveittohimall!
  Wal。ThoudostnotmeanHislordship’ssecretary?
  Julia。Yes。AwayDisguises!inthatsecretaryknowThemasteroftheheart,ofwhichthepoor,Unvalued,emptycasket,atyourfeet-
  Itsjewelgone——Inowdespairingthrow!
  [Kneels。]
  Ofhislord’sbridehe’slord!lordparamount!
  Towhomhervirginhomagefirstshepaid,-
  ’Gainstwhomrebelledinfrowardnessalone,Norknewherselfhowloyaltohim,tillAnotherclaimedherduty——thenawokeTosenseofallsheowedhim——allhisworth-
  Andallherundeservings!
  Tin。Lady,wecamenotheretotreatofhearts,-
  Butmarriage;which,sopleaseyou,iswithusAsimplejoining,bythepriest,ofhands。
  Aring’sputon,aprayerortwoissaid;
  You’remanandwife,——andnothingmore!Forhearts,Weoftenerdowithout,thanwiththem,lady!
  Clif。Sodoesnotwedthislady!
  Tin。Whoareyou?
  Clif。I’msecretarytotheEarlofRochdale。
  Tin。Mylord!
  Roch。Iknowhimnot-
  Tin。Iknowhimnow-
  Yourlordship’srival!OnceSirThomasClifford。
  Clif。Yes,andthebridegroomofthatladythen,Thenlovedher——lovesherstill!
  Julia。Waslovedbyher-
  Thoughthensheknewitnot!——islovedbyher,Asnowsheknows,andalltheworldmayknow!
  Tin。Wecan’tbelaughedat。Weareheretowed,Andshallfulfilourcontract。
  Julia。Clifford!
  Clif。Julia!
  Youwillnotgiveyourhand?
  [Apause。JULIAseemsutterlylost。]
  Wal。YouhaveforgotAgain。Youhaveafather!
  Julia。Bringhimnow,-
  ToseethyJuliajustifythytraining,Andlayherlifedowntoredeemherword!
  Wal。Andsoredeemsherall!Isityourwill,Mylord,thesenuptialsshouldgoon?
  Roch。Itis。
  Wal。Thenisitminetheystop!
  Tin。ItoldyourlordshipYoushouldnotkeepaHunchbackforyouragent。
  Wal。Thoughtlikemyfather,mygoodlord,whosaidHewouldnothaveaHunchbackforhisson-
  SodoIpardonyouthesavageslight。
  Mylord,thatIamnotasstraightasyou,Wasblemishneitherofmythoughtnorwill,Myheadnorheart。Itwasnoactofmine-
  YetdiditcurdleNature’skindlymilkE’enwhere’tisrichest——inaparent’sbreast-
  Tocastmeouttoheartlessfosterage,Norheartlessalways,asitproved——andgiveMyportiontoanother!thesameblood-
  ButI’llbesworn,invein,mylord,andsoul-
  Althoughhistrunkdidswervenomorethanyours-
  NothalfsostraightasI。
  Tin。UponmylifeYou’vegotamodestagent,Rochdale!NowHe’llprovehimselfdescended——markmywords-
  FromsomesmallgentlemanWal。Andsoyouthought,WhereNatureplayedthechurl,itwouldbefitThatfortuneplayedittoo。YouwouldhavehadMylordabsolvemeofmyagency!
  Fairlord,theflawdidcostmefiftytimes-
  Ahundredtimesmyagency:-butall’sRecovered。Look,mylord,atestamentTomakeapensionofhislordship’srent-roll!
  Itismyfather’s,andwasleftbyhim,Incasehisheirshoulddiewithoutason,Thentobeopened。HeavendidsendasonToblesstheheir。Heaventookitsgiftaway,Hedied——hisfatherdied。AndMasterWalter-
  Theunsightlyagentofhislordshipthere-
  TheHunchbackwhomyourlordshipwouldhavestrippedOfhisagency——isnowtheEarlofRochdale!
  Tin。We’vemadeasmallmistakehere。Nevermind,’Tisnothinginalord。
  Julia。TheEarlofRochdale!
  Wal。Andwhatofthat?Thouknow’stnothalfmygreatness!
  Aproudertitle,Julia,haveIyet,SoonerthanpartwithwhichI’dgivethatup,AndbeagainplainMasterWalter。What!
  Dostthounotapprehendme?Yes,thoudost!
  Commandthyself;don’tgasp。Mypupil——daughter!
  Cometothyfather’sheart!
  [JULIArushesintohisarms。]
  [EnterFATHOM。]
  Fath。Thievery!Elopement——escape——arrest!
  Wal。What’sthematter?
  Fath。MistressHelenisrunningawaywithMasterModus——MasterModusisrunningawaywithMistressHelen——butwehavecaughtthem,securedthem,andheretheycome,toreceivetherewardoftheirmerits。
  [EnterHELENandMODUS,followedbyServants。]
  Helen。I’llne’erwedman,ifnotmycousinModus。
  Mod。NorwomanI,savecousinHelen’sshe。
  Wal。[ToMASTERHEARTWELL。]Adaughter,haveyou,andanephew,too,Withouttheirmatchinduty!Letthemmarry。
  Foryou,sir,whoto-dayhavelostanearldom,Yetwouldhavesharedthatearldomwithmychild-
  Myonlyone——contentyourselfwithprospectOfthesuccession;itmustfalltoyou,Andfityourselftograceit。ApenotthoseWhorankbypride。ThemanofsimplestbearingIsyetalord,whenhe’salordindeed!
  Tin。Theparadoxisobsolete。Ne’erheed!
  Learnfromhisbook,andpractiseoutofmine!
  Wal。SirThomasClifford,takemydaughter’shand!
  Ifnowyouknowthemasterofherheart!
  Giveit,myJulia!Yoususpect,Isee,Andrightly,therehasbeensomemaskinghere。
  Contentthee,daughter,thoushaltknowanon,Howjealousyofmymis-shapenbackMadememistrustfulofachild’saffections-
  Whodoubtede’enawife’s——sothatIdroppedThetitleofthyfather,lestthydutyShouldpaythedebtthylovecouldsolvealone。
  Allthisandmore,thattothyfriendsandtheePertains,atfittingtimethoushaltbetold。
  Butnowthynuptialswait——thehappycloseOfthyhardtrial——wholesome,thoughsevere!
  Theworldwon’tcheattheenow——thyheartisproved;-
  Thouknow’stthypeacebyfindingoutitsbane,Andne’erwillactfromrecklessimpulsemore!
  Footnotes:
  {1}Theotherplay,TheLove-Chase,isreleasedinaseparatedeTextwithProjectGutenbergandnotincludedhere。——DP。
  {2}Inrepresentation,thepassagesfollowingthisarecurtailedandthescenerunsasfollows:-
  MasterWaltercontinues-
  Thefirstsideshowstheirpassioninthedawn-
  Inthenextside’tisshiningopenday-
  Inthethirdthere’sclouding——IbuttouchontheseTomakealongtalebrief,andbringtheetoThelastside。
  Julia。Whatshowsthat?
  Wal。ThefateofloveThatwillnotbeadvised。——Thescene’sadungeon,Itstenantisthepage——heliesinfetters。
  Julia。Hard!
  Hardasthesteel,thehandsthatputthemon!&c。