第3章

FIFE。

Why,thatmustbethemeaningofmymule\'sRebellion——

ROS。

Hush!

SEG。

ButthenifmurderbeThelawbywhichnotonlyconscience—blindCreatures,butmantooprosperswithhiskind;

Wholeavingallhisguiltyfellowsfree,UnderyourfatalauspiceanddivineCompulsion,leaguedinsomemysteriousbanAgainstoneinnocentandhelplessman,Abusetheirlibertytomurdermine:

Andsworntosilence,liketheirmastersmuteInheaven,andlikethemtwirlingthroughthemaskOfdarkness,answeringtoallIask,Pointuptothemwhoseworktheyexecute!

ROS。

Ev\'nasIthought,somepoorunhappywretch,Bymanwrong\'d,wretched,unrevenged,asI!

Nay,somuchworsethanI,asbythosechainsCliptofthemeansofself—revengeonthoseWholayonhimwhattheydeserve。AndI,WhotauntedHeavenalittlewhileagoWithpouringallitswrathuponmyhead——

Alas!likehimwhocaughtthecast—offhuskOfwhatanotherbragg\'doffeedingon,Here\'sonethatfromtherefuseofmysorrowsCouldgatherallthebanquethedesires!

Poorsoul,poorsoul!

FIFE。

Speaklower——hewillhearyou。

ROS。

Andifheshould,whatthen?Why,ifhewould,Hecouldnotharmme——Nay,andifhecould,MethinksI\'dventuresomethingofalifeIcaresolittlefor——

SEG。

Who\'sthat?Clotaldo?Whoareyou,Isay,That,venturingintheseforbiddenrocks,Havelightedonmymiserablelife,Andyourowndeath?

ROS。

Youwouldnothurtme,surely?

SEG。

NotI;butthosethat,ironasthechainInwhichtheyslaymewithalingeringdeath,Willslayyouwithasudden——Whoareyou?

ROS。

Astrangerfromacrossthemountainthere,Who,havinglosthiswayinthisstrangelandAndcomingnight,drewhithertowhatseem\'dAhumandwellinghiddenintheserocks,AndwherethevoiceofhumansorrowsoonToldhimitwasso。

SEG。

Ay?Butnearer——nearer——

ThatbythissmokysupplementofdayButforamomentImayseewhospeaksSopitifullysweet。

FIFE。

Takecare!takecare!

ROS。

Alas,poorman,thatI,myselfsohelpless,Couldbetterhelpyouthanbybarrenpity,Andmypoorpresence——

SEG。

Oh,mightthatbeall!

Butthat——afewpoormoments——and,alas!

Theveryblissofhaving,andthedreadOflosing,undersuchapenaltyAseverymoment\'shavingrunsmorenear,StiflestheveryutteranceandresourceTheycryforquickest;tillfromsheerdespairOfholdingthee,methinksmyselfwouldtearTopieces——

FIFE。

There,hisword\'senoughforit。

SEG。

Oh,think,ifyouwhomoveaboutatwill,Andliveinsweetcommunionwithyourkind,AfteranhourlostintheselonelyrocksHungerandthirstaftersomehumanvoiceTodrink,andhumanfacetofeedupon;

Whatmustonedowhereallismute,orharsh,Andev\'nthenakedfaceofcrueltyWerebetterthanthemaskitworksbeneath?——

Acrossthemountainthen!Acrossthemountain!

WhatifthenextworldwhichtheytelloneofBeonlynextacrossthemountainthen,ThoughImustneverseeittillIdie,Andyouoneofitsangels?

ROS。

Alas;alas!

Noangel!Andthefaceyouthinksofair,\'Tisbutthedismalframe—workoftheserocksThatmakesitseemso;andtheworldIcomefrom——

Alas,alas,toomanyfacesthereArebutfairvizorstoblackheartsbelow,Oronlyservetobringthewearerwoe!

Buttoyourself——IfhaplytheredressThatIamhereuponmayhelptoyours。

Iheardyoutaxtheheavenswithordering,Andmenforexecuting,what,alas!

Inowbehold。Butwhy,andwhotheyareWhodo,andyouwhosuffer——

SEG。(pointingupwards)。

Askofthem,Whom,asto—night,Ihavesooftenask\'d,Andask\'dinvain。

ROS。

Butsurely,surely——

SEG。

Hark!

Thetrumpetofthewatchtoshutusin。

Oh,shouldtheyfindyou!——Quick!Behindtherocks!

To—morrow——ifto—morrow——

ROS。(flingingherswordtowardhim)。

Takemysword!

(RosauraandFifehideintherocks;EnterClotaldo)

CLOTALDO。

ThesestormydaysyouliketoseethelastofArebutillopiates,Segismund,Ithink,Fornighttofollow:andto—nightyouseemMorethanyourwontdisorder\'d。What!Asword?

Withinthere!

(EnterSoldierswithblackvizorsandtorches)

FIFE。

Here\'sapleasantmasquerade!

CLO。

WhoseverwatchthiswasWillhavetopayhead—reckoning。Meanwhile,Thisweaponhadawearer。Bringhimhere,Aliveordead。

SEG。

Clotaldo!goodClotaldo!——

CLO。(toSoldierswhoencloseSegismund;otherssearchingtherocks)。

Youknowyourduty。

SOLDIERS(bringinginRosauraandFife)。

Herearetwoofthem,Whoevermoretofollow——

CLO。

Whoareyou,ThatindefianceofknownproclamationArefound,atnight—falltoo,aboutthisplace?

FIFE。

Oh,myLord,she——Imeanhe——

ROS。

Silence,Fife,Andletmespeakforboth。——Twoforeignmen,TowhomyourcountryanditsproclamationsAreequallyunknown;andhadweknown,OurselvesnotmastersofourlawlessbeastsThat,terrifiedbythestormamongyourrocks,Flungusuponthemtoourcost。

FIFE。

Mymule——

CLO。

Foreigners?Ofwhatcountry?

ROS。

Muscovy。

CLO。

Andwhitherbound?

ROS。

Hither——ifthisbePoland;

Butwithnoilldesignonher,andthereforeTakingitillthatweshouldthusbestoptUponherthresholdsouncivilly。

CLO。

WhitherinPoland?

ROS。

Tothecapital。

CLO。

Andonwhaterrand?

ROS。

Setmeontheroad,Andyoushallbethenearertomyanswer。

CLO。(aside)。

Soresoluteandreadytoreply,Andyetsoyoung——and——

(Aloud。)

Well,——

YourbusinesswasnotsurelywiththemanWefoundyouwith?

ROS。

Hewasthefirstwesaw,——

Andstrangersandbenighted,aswewere,Asyoutoowouldhavedoneinalikecase,Accostedhimatonce。

CLO。

Ay,butthissword?

ROS。

Iflungittowardhim。

CLO。

Well,andwhy?

ROS。

Andwhy?ButtorevengehimselfonthosewhothusInjuriouslymisusehim。

CLO。

So——so——so!

\'TiswellsuchresolutionwantsabeardAnd,Isuppose,isnevertoattainone。

Well,Imusttakeyouboth,youandyoursword,Prisoners。

FIFE。(offeringacudgel)。

Praytakemine,andwelcome,sir;

I\'msureIgaveittothatmuleofmineTomightylittlepurpose。

ROS。

Mineyouhave;

AndmayitwinussomemorekindlinessThanwehavemetwithyet。

CLO(examiningthesword)。

Moremystery!

Howcameyoubythisweapon?

ROS。

Frommyfather。

CLO。

Anddoyouknowwhencehe?

ROS。

Oh,verywell:

FromoneofthissamePolishrealmofyours,Whopromisedareturn,shouldcomethechance,OfcourtesiesthathereceivedhimselfInMuscovy,andleftthispledgeofit——

Notlikelyyet,itseems,toberedeem\'d。