University of Virginia Library

SCENE V.

A beautiful Garden. Darthula is discovered tending the flowers. Enter Ardan.
ARDAN.
Fair queen! pardon me that I come this morn
So suddenly to disturb thy heavenly grace!
I took thee for the Angel of the flowers.

DARTHULA.
Was that the cause of thy so sudden entrance?

ARDAN.
It was, dear lady!

DARTHULA.
Then you did not come
Because I am Darthula?

ARDAN.
That I did,
For being thus an angel in disguise.

DARTHULA.
Then I'm not prized for what I am, but my
Resemblance to some heavenly dream of yours.
What if I should fall short of that rare dream?

ARDAN.
The rich embodiment of all my dreams!
The fairest Real of my Ideal ever born!

DARTHULA.
Thou shalt be called not Ardan, after this,
But Ardent, from the ardor of thy love.

ARDAN.
The Sun loves not the Moon with half the fire
My soul now burns for thee!

DARTHULA.
Art thou as true
To me as he is to the Moon?

ARDAN.
More so.
Art thou to me as she is to the Sun?

DARTHULA.
More so; for she does change at every month—
Sometimes crescent, sometimes apogee—
But I am always full—as full of love
As he of light—my love being heavenly fire.

ARDAN.
But still, through every change, she is the same—
Putting those several phases on each month,
To please her lord by being ever new.
Art thou the Angel of these flowers?

DARTHULA.
That is
For you to say—for me to call them mine.

ARDAN.
You are; for you do minister to them.
This garland I have woven for you. Read it—
Thou wilt find therein the poetry of love,
Spoken in odorous words, sweeter than tongue
Can tell.

DARTHULA.
Here are the Violet, Lily, Rose—
Which say Truth, Purity, and Love. It is
A beautiful bouquet. But, then, I would
Much rather hear the language of thy tongue—
This silent music thrilling not the soul,
Like the soft eloquence of passionate speech.

ARDAN.
When the tongue falters to express our love,
We have recourse to silence, to reveal
What none but Angels' tongues can tell.
For there are times our hearts are far too full
For the chained tongue to utter half our joys;
As noisy streams, when swollen by rains, flow on
In silence over the very shoals, that erst
Made music through the listening woods all day.

DARTHULA.
But 'tis not so with you—you are not dumb.

ARDAN.
I am—to tell half my deep love for thee!

DARTHULA.
Then let it be untold, till you have time
To hold such dialogue with me.

ARDAN.
I have
Time now, would you unchain your tongue, to loose,
The fetters that now silence mine. The rills
Of language flowing from our hearts, shall mix
And mingle, gathering volume as they flow,
Till, like Ezekiel's River, they do water all
The world with our immortal joy of love.

DARTHULA.
One drop would make my full cup overflow.

ARDAN.
That drop you then let fall in my full cup.
Oh! my Darthula! did you ever love?

DARTHULA.
Never till now.

ARDAN.
Then you are not like me—
For I have always loved—loved only thee.
Before mine eyes had ever seen thy face,
I had beheld thee in my dreams.

DARTHULA.
Oh! love!
You echo but the voice of mine own soul.

ARDAN.
Then we are one in soul, as we shall be
In blest reality of married joys—
If you but say all mine is thine—all thine
Is mine.

DARTHULA.
All mine is thine—all thine is mine.

ARDAN.
Forever thine. Then we are one in soul—
Soon to be joined together in the joy
Unspeakable of wedded bliss!

DARTHULA.
Oh! joy!

ARDAN.
Blest joy of joys! The union of two souls
In perfect love, like ours, is like the joy
The Christian feels on entering Heaven—divine!

DARTHULA.
But what will father say?

ARDAN.
What will he say?

DARTHULA.
I hardly know.

ARDAN.
You know so well, you durst
Not say.

DARTHULA.
I know so well, I do not care.

ARDAN.
Will he object?

DARTHULA.
Of course he will—as he
Would have me marry some great King, I do
Not love.

ARDAN.
Then he cannot object—for you
Do love a King—son of a King.

DARTHULA.
A King
To me.

ARDAN.
Then tell him so—if he object;
But be at peace—for I am so. But, love!
We have to part! Two, loving as we do,
Should never part—not, for one moment, part!

DARTHULA.
But we will meet again.

ARDAN.
We will—that soon.
Farewell! farewell! till we shall meet again!

[Embraces her, and exit.
DARTHULA.
Now he is gone, and I am left alone.

[Exit.