 | The Scarf and the Flower |  |
SCENE III.
—THE GARDEN OF FABIO'S HOUSE.Enter LISIDA and CELIA.
LISIDA.
You're sure you saw him, then?
CELIA.
Unless
Sure sight could err.
LISIDA.
And that the favour
Which Chloris wore, 'twas Nise gave her,
After Enrico lost it?
CELIA.
Yes;
For in the garden as I loitered,
Listening to many an idle sally
Spoken by Pónlevi his valet,
323
Had I an opportunity
As now, I would have sooner said it.
LISIDA,
aside.
Since I must die else, shall I credit
This doubtful witness, Jealousy?—
Yes, for through design, nor chance,
Nor sly collusion, could it be
That his excuse could so agree
With this, in every circumstance;
Ah, me! how soon, when weak with woe,
[Aloud.
Whate'er we wish we seem to view—
It does not need a thing be true,—
It is enough it may be so:—
Alas! unhappy undeceiving!
Too late you come the wound to heal,
For now, my Celia, now I feel,
How harsh I was in not believing:
God! how his generous heart must swell
To think we parted severed friends,—
But I will make him full amends.
Await me here.
CELIA.
Consider well
What you ought now to do.
LISIDA.
To write
A letter free from every sting,
Which, my dear Celia, you must bring
Unto his hand, as swift as light:—
Whose gentle influence stealing o'er
His heart, will all its joys renew—
Love and the sun when breaking through
Quarrels and clouds shine out the more.
[Exit.
324
PONLEVI.
Scarcely have I, in the palace,
Left my lord, ungrateful Celia,
When you see me here returning—
The lightning of the cloak and sword—
To embrace you, like the lightning.
CELIA.
Without speaking, would'st embrace me?
PONLEVI.
Yes; I better know the practice
Than the theory of wooing.
CELIA.
And of wit, neither:—but, misfortune!
Woe is me! here cometh Chloris,
Walking thither through the garden;
If she sees thee, 'tis my death-stroke.
PONLEVI.
Therefore, you enjoy the pleasure
First of seeing me: but tell me
What am I to do?
CELIA.
To hide thee
Underneath these boughs.
PONLEVI.
Through terror
I my feet am scarce uplifting,
Like as in a comic drama,
In the dwelling of his lady
Is the king found by her father,
Tottering-footed and large-bearded.
[Conceals himself.
325
CHLORIS.
What has brought thee hither, Celia?
CELIA.
I am waiting till my lady
Lisida would leave her chamber
And come hither.
CHLORIS.
It is better
That within the house you wait her.
[Exit Celia.
Nise, ah! my friend, my cousin,
Little can you feel my anguish,
Since for such a time you leave me!
NISE.
Speaking through the trellised windows
Of these gardens, with Octavio
Have I been.
CHLORIS.
A proper reason
Hast thou given for thy detention,
If you truly love each other.
NISE.
Neither loving nor forgetting,
Thus at times his hopes I humour;—
But with thee, how art thou speeding
With the lesson?
CHLORIS.
I have studied
It so well, that I need only
An occasion to employ it.
326
LISIDA.
Was not Celia here this moment?
CHLORIS.
Here but now was Celia waiting;
I have just desired her enter
There within.
NISE.
I go to call her.
'Tis an excellent occasion
[Aside to CHLORIS.
Now to open the campaign—
Jealousy to blind and baffle.
[Exit.
CHLORIS
to LISIDA, who is retiring.
Lisida, awhile detain thee,
For I have many things to say.
LISIDA.
Then the consequence is certain
That I have many things to hear:
Begin.
PONLEVI,
peeping.
Now comes a mighty battle.
CHLORIS.
Lisida, we are now together,—
Thou art my sworn friend and sister,
As to a friend's and sister's bosom
Will I lay bare my secret soul,
Two years have flown, thou must remember
Since in my gardens, seemed Enrico
A living statue—so alive—
That all the plants were more indebted
Unto his eyes for tearful dew-drops
327
Then came his absence, and as Heaven
Varies so often our condition,
That the bright day of love forerunneth
Often the fickle eve of change,
Easily thus, the scattered ashes
Died in the fire but just enkindled,
And in the chilling air of absence
Vanished the flame of love itself.
Shortly the duke became my suitor,
And though my honour and good fame
Offered resistance, I acknowledge
Not with complete success; for some
Gentle impression such uncommon
Proofs of affection must have caused:
On his returning home, Enrico,
Jealous to see the duke's attachment,
Or having now become enamoured
Once again through jealousy's cause,
Striveth now to wreak his vengeance
Vainly through thee for my disdain:
Let this garden be a witness—
Whither in spite of all his anguish—
Lest I should be in plaintive mood
For having given the scarf thou'rt wearing,
He back returned to give this flower—
Type of the hope he still doth nourish.
If you are then my friend and sister,
As I have said; if thou wouldst share
Part of my joy as all my sorrow,
Do then this single act for me:—
Love thou Enrico much—repaying
With a firm faith and true affection
His faith and love which are so false,
Do not in any way exhibit
Your knowledge that he feigns and hides
Through thee his vengeance: to awaken
Love, 'tis enough to think he loves:—
328
For being jealous, thus Enrico
Feel full security in love,
And in his lord's recovered favour,—
I will gain quiet—you a spouse,
And all more joy and less disquiet.
LISIDA,
aside.
She thinks that me she is deceiving,
When 'tis herself that is deceived:—
Certainly, Chloris, when I saw thee
Making such prefaces and prologues,
I thought the affair was very arduous
That should be done by me for thee:—
Do you not ask me more, my sister,
Than to deceive a man? Was never
Anything easier? Insufficient
Is it to know that I'm a woman?
Needed it then to urge me so?—
But notwithstanding all, to serve thee
This I will say, that though I thought
Never to speak to thee more, obedient
Will I be now to thy commands;
From this day thou'lt see me with him—
Ever from dusky night till dawn—
Ever from dawn till night descendeth—
And ere upon that starry pyre
The sun renews his life, consuming
His golden plumes in silver fires—
I will despatch to him a letter,
Filled with a thousand fond entreaties,
Telling him come to see me, so
Worded, that you will be persuaded
Even yourself that it is true:—
Or at the least, no clear distinction
Will you be able to discover
Betwixt these feigned and false endearments:
Do you wish more?
329
Not even so much.
PONLEVI,
aside.
Did ever I hear a trick more artful
Than this they have planned to fool Enrico?—
Never in all my days: I'll slip
Out of this place, while they are speaking;—
I burst—I burn to tell him all:
[While they converse together, PONLEVI slips out unperceived.
LISIDA.
Lose all anxiety, and trust me
All shall be right.
CHLORIS.
Adieu then: [aside]
cursed
Be the revenge that turns to love,
As well as the love that turns to vengeance!
[Exit.
LISIDA.
If Chloris bids me for Enrico feign
Love that the sooner he might her forget—
Then with her sorrows would my eyes be wet,
While I should feel my own love's sharp disdain:
But if she thus my fondness would restrain,
Snaring my love within this subtle net—
Oh! it were doubly wrong in me to let
Action and thought attempt a risk so plain:
And since the mark at which her arrows fly
Is pictured in this green-girt rose's hue—
Gathered by stealth and speedily to die—
Heedless I may, her jealous efforts, view—
For he who once is guilty of a lie,
Is always doubted though he speaketh true.
330
ENRICO.
You are lying.
PONLEVI.
No; I lie not.
ENRICO.
That this happened?
PONLEVI.
As I told you.
ENRICO.
What, that Chloris doth forget me,
And that Lisida deceives me?
PONLEVI.
Yes, my lord, for both the ladies
Are two super-cunning sly ones.
ENRICO.
I will prove this.
PONLEVI.
In what manner?
ENRICO.
Lisida herself will prove it;
When we parted, she was angry,—
If I find, upon our meeting
All her jealous wrath abated,
Ere I've made her satisfaction,
It is true.
PONLEVI.
Then wait a little
For a letter she will write you,
331
Who could ever have such patience?
LISIDA,
advancing.
Welcome mayest thou be, Enrico,
For it seems my soul advanceth
Ere my tardy words to call thee,
Falsifying thus the slowness
Of thy absence.
ENRICO.
Why wait longer?
[Aside.
Stay, thou false ungrateful siren,
[Aloud.
Cunning crocodile, delay thee,
If you weep, your tears destroy me,
If you sing, your songs are fatal,
Proved too well by all your changes:
Since to-day your jealous weeping
Gave me mortal anguish, tyrant,
And the strains that speak forgiveness
Also give me death; Oh! leave me,
Since of thee I am not certain,
Whether tears or songs you give me.
LISIDA.
Neither to-day was feigned my weeping,
Nor is my laughter false, Enrico,
Opposite though they be, the twain
Born of the soul are twin affections,
If I, to day, wept jealousy's sorrows,
I, to-day, sing praises to love;
Joyously thanking all his unravellings,
Since from Celia, secretly listening,
Full explanation I have received!—
Then it is not a siren that calls thee,
Feigning tenderness, to her arms,
Nor a crocodile is it that wrongs thee
With the show of false flowing tears;—
332
Singeth or weepeth equally true,
When he weepeth and when he singeth.
ENRICO.
Dost thou think, that I am ignorant
All the words that now thou art speaking
Are but feigned?
LISIDA.
And can this letter
Be also feigned I was going to send?
[Gives him the letter.
ENRICO.
Peace! peace! for even this letter
Is a witness stronger than all
The other grounds of my unhappiness,
Since you promised Chloris your sister
That you would write a letter like this:
This is not love; it is a stratagem
Planned by you two.
LISIDA.
And who so speedily......?
PONLEVI,
aside.
Now I enter into the dance.
LISIDA.
Could have told you that we were speaking
Lately together?
PONLEVI,
aside.
Oh! what matter?
Leave me under the cloud, I pray.
333
Pónlevi here, who was carefully listening,
Secretly hidden under the boughs,
Heard what you and Chloris were planning,
Cruelly planning against my peace.
PONLEVI.
I, my lady, said nothing about it;
My master, begging his pardon, lies;
Not a word of all he has uttered
Has he ever been told my me.
[PONLEVI seems disposed to retire through fear of LISIDA.
LISIDA.
Do not fear: say where was I speaking
When you o'erheard me?
PONLEVI.
If I must speak,
Since it was you yourself that ordered me,
It was here.
LISIDA.
How long is it since?
PONLEVI.
But an instant.
LISIDA.
That is sufficient,
Since if I did not go away
Out of this spot, nor here was it written,
It is clear, the cause of it is,
My being undeceived in my jealousy,
Not what Chloris has said to me.
PONLEVI.
Cleverly is the problem proven.
334
So that it seems I am bound to believe
You spoke falsely then to your sister,
Now you are speaking the truth to me.
LISIDA.
Saw you never, Enrico, a table,
Which when placed in one light presents
A perfect form of exquisite beauty,
And in another a monster feigns?
For the figure is so indebted
Unto the pencil's magical art,
Opposite things it represents:—
So is my love: in the light of Chloris
It a monster of terror seems,
But in that of Enrico, perfect
Beauty becomes; and this alone
In the soul is the only difference
'Twixt true love and one that is feigned.
ENRICO.
I know not how thy words are so potent,
Notwithstanding my being deceived,
That they make me credit you: let me
At thy feet my gratitude show,
Kissing the flower that their touch produces,
Not to say, upon which they tread.
LISIDA.
Are not, think you, my arms more near thee?
ENRICO.
No, for they are a sphere too high.
Enter CHLORIS and NISE.
CHLORIS,
aside to NISE.
We have come at an evil moment.
335
to ENRICO.
Lest this tiresome couple delay,
And weary us waiting, take thy departure
But for a little while, 'till they pass,
And then return.
ENRICO.
Yes: I will do so.
[Exit.
LISIDA.
Truly you owe me much, my sister,
What would you more? I have embraced him,
Merely to do what you command.
[Exit.
CHLORIS.
Ah! you have given me death, my cousin,
You from my hands have ta'en my arms,
And given my weapons, even the weapons
With which she strikes the deadly blow.
NISE.
It is quite true; yes, this deception
Has turned out badly; but let us see
If we may not strike out another.
Have you some paper in your sleeve?
CHLORIS.
None but this, which is some trifling
Bill or other.
[Gives her a paper.
NISE.
'Twill do quite well;
Leave me now for awhile: the issue
You, concealed, can easily see.
[Exit Chloris.
Ponlevi!
PONLEVI.
Your will, Señora?
336
Listen to me.
PONLEVI.
What do you command?
NISE.
This.
[She strikes him.
PONLEVI.
Good Heavens! you're going to strangle me!
NISE.
Caitiff vile! is it thus you dare
To wrong my sense of honour?
PONLEVI.
What honour?
NISE.
Thus with blushless face of assurance
So to dare?
PONLEVI.
But what have I dared?
NISE.
Wretch, be silent!
[Strikes him again.
PONLEVI.
You are stabbing me
With ten tapering daggers of crystal
Bearing ten mother-of-pearl points.
NISE.
Thou to me?
[She tears the paper.
337
LISIDA.
What meaneth this outcry?
What has happened, cousin?
NISE.
'Tis nought:—
Hence, thou scoundrel, infamous pander,
Ere from a window out you fly;
Thus I scatter the torn pieces,
Numerous as spotted butterflies here,
Of the letter you dared to bring me.
PONLEVI.
I?
NISE.
Presume not to answer a word.
Hence!
PONLEVI.
Please Heaven.....
NISE.
Come, no replying.
PONLEVI.
That.....
NISE.
What, still dost thou dare to talk?
Off with you!
PONLEVI.
Yes, I will do so.—Masters,
[Aside.
This lady has taken a drop too much.
[Exit.
LISIDA.
Will you not tell me what has happened?
338
Why, this fellow, before my face,
Had the insolence to inform me
That his master.....
LISIDA.
Speak!
NISE.
Desired
Him to offer to me this letter;
As he saw that he could not give
Jealousy through thy means to Chloris,
Now his hopes had turned to me.
LISIDA,
aside.
This is another stroke of cunning;
She must not carry her point in this.
[Lifts up the pieces of torn paper.
NISE.
What are you doing, Lisida?
LISIDA.
Raising
Merely the paper which you have torn.
NISE.
To what purpose?
LISIDA.
To this purpose,
Nise, that as you once upraised
A certain flower, which was Enrico's,
Even from this very ground, to give
It to Chloris, as if from Enrico,
So do I, for a similar cause,
Raise these pieces of torn paper.
339
aside.
Bless me! what unfortunate days
Have been these for my efforts at lying.
[LISIDA reads the fragments which she has collected.
LISIDA.
This says here, some lavender water—
Here, a fresh egg—and here again,
Powder of sublimate. This is sufficient—
It showeth more concern than love;
Since Enrico takes such precautions
That you should wash your face so well,
You must not have appeared to him thoroughly
Neat, my Nise.
NISE.
Who can prevent
The air from playing with pieces of paper?
One it wafts, and another brings back;
This, of course, cannot be the letter
That I tore.
LISIDA.
It may be so: think
How unhappy has been the issue
Of all thy stratagems, all thy wiles.
NISE.
What are the wiles, and what the stratagems?
LISIDA.
These:—
NISE.
But do not compel me to say
The many days that with passionate eagerness
Unto me has Enrico paid court:—
340
Tiring me out with his ceaseless suit.
You yourself may hear him addressing
To me the language of love, if you
Hide for a little.
LISIDA.
I do not desire
To take upon thee a greater vengeance,
Than to convict thee of this lie;
And since he will return, protected
By these jessamines, I shall see
If he writes to you, if he speaks to you.
NISE.
Heavens! Lisida dear, how quickly
Thus you are taking me at my word!
Do you not see I was only jesting?
LISIDA.
No, your object was to deceive.
NISE.
I but meant a little to rally thee;
That was the object,—nothing more.
LISIDA.
Whether or no, I soon shall see it.
[Conceals herself.
NISE.
Who e'er saw a more difficult pass?
With the falsehood, Lisida holds me
As within the jaws of a trap,—
For in all his life, Enrico
Scarcely a word to me has said.
341
PONLEVI.
Why like a bee around a hive,
Do you circle this garden?
ENRICO.
'Tis my centre;
If now and then I did not enter,
It were impossible to live.
CHLORIS enters at the side scene, where she remains listening.
CHLORIS,
from her place of concealment.
Here my attention I can give.
LISIDA,
from hers.
From this spot the whole can be heard.
ENRICO.
Lisida promised not to have stirred
Out of that spot.
PONLEVI.
She is not there,
But in her place is Nise the fair.
NISE,
aside.
Ah! he departs without saying a word.
ENRICO,
aside.
Good God! here is Nise alone,—
No one sees me, no one is near,
If I could only conquer my fear,
Opening the mine as the duke hath shown,
I could serve his love and secure my own:—
For a love that is secret and occult
Should always a secret hour consult:
I am alone and invisible here
To Lisida, so I need not fear
342
Fair seraph of this sweet Paradise,
[To NISE.
This beautiful garden, love's bright bower,
Since thou art both the guard and the flower,
At once the protectress and the prize,
Sheath the flashing sword of thine eyes,
Hear the delicious sounds divine—
Hear the trembling wishes that pine
In the lover's bosom like prisoned doves,
Accept this spoken homage as love's—
And not, fair Nise, as if it were mine.
NISE,
aside.
What is this that I hear?
CHLORIS,
aside.
Ah, me!
LISIDA,
aside.
Death my confidence doth reward.
PONLEVI.
Recollect this is Nise, my lord,
And not Lisida.
ENRICO.
I saw thee,
Therefore I love thee: so it should be:
From that moment dazzled and blind,
Heart and soul to thee I resign'd,—
Motes that no other sunbeam know,—
For thy form of beautiful snow
Lives in a sphere of fire confined.
Ever since then, my love to tell
Day after day, an occasion I seek.
PONLEVI.
Think, my lord, 'tis to Nise you speak.
ENRICO.
I am not blind,—I know it well.
343
aside.
As love lives! it was truth that fell
From Nise but now, whom he doth adore!
CHLORIS,
aside.
Heavens! can there be a miracle more?
It is for Nise that now he sighs!
PONLEVI,
aside.
All in a moment for Nise he dies!
NISE,
aside.
It must be love that but now he swore:—
Who ever saw such a strange confusion!
What was spoken in jest but now
Turns out true one knows not how:
Let me favour the new illusion.
ENRICO.
Though I have lived so long in delusion,
Now undeceiving, at least, I die.
NISE,
aside.
Never in all my life have I
Seen a man more in love:— [aloud]
But you
Paid court to Chloris a time?
ENRICO.
'Tis true,
My will a slave at her feet did lie.
CHLORIS,
aside.
Ah! the traitor, how soon it fled.
NISE.
Then it seems your affection is turn'd
To Lisida, and for her you burn'd?
344
My spirit was chain'd where her feet would tread:—
This is the only true word I have said!
[Aside.
LISIDA,
aside.
Ah! how cruel!
NISE.
And now to me
You offer your heart, the last of the three.
ENRICO.
In you my glory is all complete.
NISE.
Never in all my life did I meet
A Florentine more Portuguese-like.
ENRICO.
To be
Attached to two others will not be deem'd
Any loss to the third, if you'll recollect.
NISE.
Why, can there be a greater defect?
ENRICO.
Rather a merit. No one has dream'd
That anything should be less esteem'd,
A book or a painting, a statue or blade,
Because the artist perchance hath made
Some others before it: no, it is thought
Better fashion'd, more skilfully wrought,
From his greater experience in art or trade.
Thus I infer, in my love for you,
It doth redound to its credit more,
My having loved two others before;
Not through election now I woo,
Force, as God knows, I yield me to.
345
All that my love, my fortune can do—
All the experience over me gone—
Is to make a perfect work in one
Of what I but learn'd in the other two.
CHLORIS.
This must I hear?
LISIDA.
This must I see?
[NISE goes and takes LISIDA by the hand, and leads her where CHLORIS is standing.
NISE.
To back a palpable sophistry,
You must reply, dear cousin mine,
See if thou wilt thy claim resign.
LISIDA,
to ENRICO.
Tell me again to trust to thee.
PONLEVI.
What could hither our steps allure?
ENRICO.
Help me, Heaven!
NISE,
to CHLORIS.
You are now secure.
CHLORIS.
Not altogether:—
NISE.
What can it be
That you now require?
346
To be sure of thee,
Who will secure me?—so that the cure
Worse than the old disease may prove.
NISE.
I have brought a doubt on his love,
That was all I wish'd to produce.
[Exeunt NISE and CHLORIS.
LISIDA,
to ENRICO.
What have you now to say in excuse?
Have you no tongue?
ENRICO.
It cannot move.
LISIDA.
Defend thy contract.
ENRICO.
'Twere vain to try.
LISIDA.
Explain the cause.
ENRICO.
No power have I.
LISIDA.
Deceive me again.
ENRICO.
'Twere little use.
LISIDA.
Speak.
ENRICO.
'Tis fear that my words repress.
347
Whose is the falsehood?
ENRICO.
Mine, I know.
LISIDA.
Whose is the truth?
ENRICO.
'Tis mine also.
LISIDA.
Then what you said was a falsehood?
ENRICO.
Yes.
LISIDA.
This is not an evasion?
ENRICO.
No.
LISIDA.
No new deception has enter'd thy brain?
ENRICO.
Sincerity never has need to feign.
PONLEVI.
Did I not tell you over and over,
That this was not the place for a lover?
You wouldn't believe me, now all is vain.
LISIDA.
Such a false deceiving lover may die.
348
Firm in his faith he means to live.
LISIDA.
What proofs of your firmness do you give?
ENRICO.
My silence, and my constancy.
LISIDA.
You are easy to melt.
ENRICO.
A diamond, I,
LISIDA.
Jealousy, anger, cloud my sense.
ENRICO.
Ah! upon what a slight pretence,
Can the little sly god with wiles
Turn into frowns the sunniest smiles,
And make of love itself an offence.
| The Scarf and the Flower | |