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。