78

Pre.

I do not fear. I have a heart

In whose strength I can trust.

Lara.

Listen to me.

I come here as your friend,-I am your friend,-
And by a single word can put a stop
To all those idle tales, and make your name
Spotless as lilies are. Here on my knees,
Fair Preciosa! on my knees I swear

I love you even to madness, and that love
Has driven me to break the rules of custom,
And force myself unasked into your presence.

[VICTORIAN enters behind.]

Pre. Rise, Count of Lara! This is not the place
For such as you are. It becomes you not
To kneel before me. I am strangely moved
To see one of your rank thus low and humbled;
For your sake I will put aside all anger,
All unkind feeling, all dislike, and speak
In gentleness, as most becomes a woman,
And as my heart now prompts me.
I no more
Will hate you, for all hate is painful to me.
But if, without offending modesty
And that reserve which is a woman's glory,
I may speak freely, I will teach my heart'
To love you.

Lara.

Pre.

O sweet angel!

Ay, in truth,

Far better than you love yourself or me.

Lara. Give me some sign of this, the slightest token. Let me but kiss your hand!

Pre.

Nay, come no nearer.

The words I utter are its sign and token.
Misunderstand me not! Be not deceived!
The love wherewith I love you is not such
As you would offer me.
To take from me the only thing I have,
For you come here
My honour. You are wealthy, you have friends
And kindred, and a thousand pleasant hopes
That fill your heart with happiness; but I
Am poor and friendless, having but one treasure,
And you would take that from me, and for what?
To flatter your own vanity, and make me

What you would most despise. O sir, such love,
That seeks to harm me, cannot be true love,
Indeed it cannot. But my love for you
Is of a different kind. It seeks your good.
It is a holier feeling. It rebukes

Your earthly passion, your unchaste desires,

And bids you look into your heart and see.
How you do wrong that better nature in you,
And grieve your soul with sin.

Lara.
I swear to you,
I would not harm you; I would only love you.
I would not take your honour, but restore it,
And in return I ask but some slight mark
Of your affection. If indeed you love me,
As you confess you do, O let me thus
With this embrace-

Vict. [rushing forward]. Hold! hold! This is too much.
What means this outrage?

Lara.

First, what right have you

To question thus a nobleman of Spain?
Viet. I too am noble, and you are no more!
Out of my sight!

Lara.

Are you the master here ?

Vict. Ay, here and

Gives me the right!
Pre. [to LARA].

elsewhere, when the wrong of others

Go! I beseech you, go!

Vict. I shall have business with you, Count, anon!

Lara. You cannot come too soon!

Pre.

O we have been betrayed!

Vict.

Victorian!

Ha ha! betrayed!

'Tis I have been betrayed, not we!—not we!

Pre. Dost thou imagine

I imagine nothing;

O speak not in that tone!

"Twas not meant to flatter.

It wounds me deeply.

Vict.

Pre. Too well thou knowest the presence of that man Is hateful to me!

Nay, say no more.

In my casket.

I know too much already. Thou art false!
I do not like these Gipsy marriages!

Where is the ring I gave thee?

Pre.

[Exit.

Vict. There let it rest! I would not have thee wear it; I thought thee spotless, and thou art polluted.

Pre. I call the Heavens to witness

Vict.

Nay, nay, nay!

Take not the name of Heaven upon thy lips!
They are forsworn!

Pre.

Victorian! dear Victorian!

Vict. I gave up all for thee; myself, my fame,
My hopes of fortune, ay, my very soul!
And thou hast been my ruin! Now, go on!
Laugh at my folly with thy paramour,
And, sitting on the Count of Lara's knee,
Say what a poor, fond fool Victorian was!

[He casts her from him and rushes out.]

Pre. And this from thee!

[Scene closes.]

SCENE V.-The COUNT OF LARA's rooms.

Enter the COUNT.

Lara. There's nothing in this world so sweet as love,
And next to love the sweetest thing is hate!
I've learned to hate, and therefore am revenged.
A silly girl to play the prude with me!

The fire that I have kindled

The men you wanted. They will be all there,
And at the given signal raise a whirlwind
Of such discordant noises, that the dance
Must cease for lack of music.

Lara.

Bravely done.
sweet Preciosa,
Sleep shall not close
Give me my cloak and sword.

Ah! little dost thou dream,
What lies in wait for thee.
Thine eyes this night!

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.-A retired spot beyond the city gates. Enter VICTORIAN and HYPOLITO.

Vict. O shame! O shame! Why do I walk abroad

By daylight, when the very

sunshine mocks me,

And voices, and familiar sights and sounds,

Cry, "Hide thyself!" O what a thin partition
Doth shut out from the curious world the knowledge
Of evil deeds that have been done in darkness!
Disgrace has many tongues. My fears are windows,
Through which all eyes seem gazing. Every face
Expresses some suspicion of my shame,

And in derision seems to smile at me!

Hyp. Did I not caution thee? Did I not tell thee I was but half-persuaded of her virtue?

Vict. And yet, Hypolito, we may be wrong, We may be over-hasty in condemning!

The Count of Lara is a cursed villain.

Hyp. And therefore is she cursed, loving him.

Vict. She does not love him! "Tis for gold! for gold! Hyp. Ay, but remember, in the public streets

He shows a golden ring the Gipsy gave him,

A serpent with a ruby in its mouth.

Vict. She had that ring from me! God! she is false ! But I will be revenged! The hour is passed. Where stays the coward?

Hyp.

Nay, he is no coward;

A villain, if thou wilt, but not a coward.

I've seen him play with swords; it is his pastime.
And therefore be not over-confident,

He'll task thy skill anon. Look, here he comes.
[Enter LARA, followed by FRANCISCO.]

Good evening, Count.
long in waiting.
Are you prepared ?

Lara. Good evening, gentlemen.
Hyp.
Lara. I trust I have not kept you
Vict. Not long, and yet too long.
Lara. I am.
Hyp.
It grieves me much to see this quarrel
Between you, gentlemen. Is there no way
Left open to accord this difference,

But you must make one with your swords?
Vict.

I do entreat thee, dear Hypolito,

Stand not between me and my foe. Too long

No! none!

Our tongues have spoken. Let these tongues of steel
End our debate. Upon your guard, Sir Count!

[They fight. VICTORIAN disarms the COUNT.]

Your life is mine; and what shall now withhold me
From sending your vile soul to its account?
Lara. Strike! strike!

Vict. You are disarmed. I will not kill you.

I will not murder you. Take up your sword.

[FRANCISCO hands the COUNT his sword, and HYPOLITO interposes.]

G

Hyp. Enough! Let it end here! The Count of Lara Has shown himself a brave man, and Victorian

A generous one, as ever. Now be friends.

Put up your swords; for, to speak frankly to you,
Your cause of quarrel is too slight a thing

To move you to extremes.

Lara.

I am content.

I sought no quarrel. A few hasty words,
Spoken in the heat of blood, have led to this.
Vict. Nay, something more than that.
Lara.

Therein I did not mean to cross your path.

I understand you.

To me the door stood open, as to others.
But, had I known the girl belonged to you,
Never would I have sought to win her from you.
The truth stands now revealed; she has been false
To both of us.

Vict.

Ay, false as hell itself!

Lara. In truth I did not seek her; she sought me; And told me how to win her, telling me

The hours when she was oftenest left alone.

Vict. Say, can you prove this to me? O, pluck out
These awful doubts, that goad me into madness!
Let me know all! all! all!

You shall know all.

Lara.
Here is my page, who was the messenger
Between us. Question him. Was it not so,
Francisco ?

Fran. Ay, my lord.
Lara.

If farther proof
Is needful, I have here a ring she gave me.
Vict. Pray let me see that ring! It is the same.

[Throws it upon the ground, and tramples upon it.]

Thus may she perish who once wore that ring!
Thus do I spurn her from me; do thus trample
Her memory in the dust! O Count of Lara,
We both have been abused, been much abused!
I thank you for your courtesy and frankness.
Though, like the surgeon's hand, yours gave me pain,
Yet it has cured my blindness, and I thank you.

I now can see the folly I have done,

Though 'tis, alas! too late. So fare you well!
To-night I leave this hateful town for ever.
Regard me as your friend. Once more, farewell!
Hyp. Farewell, Sir Count.

Lara.

[Exeunt VICTORIAN and HYPOLITO.]

Farewell!, farewell!

Thus have I cleared the field of my worst foe!