第2章
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  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。

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