第3章
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  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。

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