University of Virginia Library

Chapter XVII.

Scene—The Forest.
Enter Robbers quarrelling.
BROLSON.
Either be for me or against me, then!
Have with the deed, or leave the deed to me,
And keep not lurking thus from rock to bush,
Ever resolving, never resolute!
Make men of mice! Call rabbits valiant!
I'd rather be a hare for human hounds
To hunt and bark at than be such as thou:
Oh, I've no patience—none, with tender thieves!

RIVDILL.
If Midgley quits him, then his fate is sealed;
But not till then: one word's as good as fifty!
Old Midgley tended me when I was sick,
Dying of fever, and so might have died,
For any else but her. Thou'dst think it brave
To cut the throat of her who saved thy life?
I'm bad enough, and reckless of my road,
But there's one step too savage for me yet,
And that is—murdering Midgley!

BROLSON,
sneeringly.
Scruples of conscience! What is conscience worth?
Will it provide thee drink, or purchase bread?
Or canst thou market with it for a crust?
I'll rather to hell-common go at once,
And daisies pick at half a groat an acre!
Put up thy conscience now, and I'll be sworn
I buy thee fifty better consciences
For half the gold this short and easy deed
Will gild thy palm with! And the time, the place,
Never was such a spot for secret murder—
So dim and dreary, silent, wild, and lone!
As Nature meant it for such purposes.
Curses upon it to be hampered thus . . .
Why, thou agreedst . . .

RIVDILL.
To slay the lad, but not to injure her:
There is no sum set down for slaughtering her;
And if there were, I am not to be bought:
Nor harm, nor see harm done: so, have a care.

BROLSON.
Go threaten girls! The time, the place, the chance,
And all gone by! all lost! 'Twould vex a saint
To be thus bound and mated with a fool.

[Exit Brolson.]
RIVDILL.
A fool!
Perchance the dismal grave beyond the firs
Thou pick'dst for Midgley soon may prove thine own!

[Exit hastily.]
Scene—Edge of the forest; a level tract of country; village seen in the distance.
Enter Midgley and Adolphus.
MIDGLEY.
Come, cheer thee boy! the weary forest passed,
The way is smooth and easy; that we seek
Lies near; within the green and quiet dell,
Some less than half rood from yon castle-gate:
Few moments' walk the churchyard will be seen.
And so thou sayst thy nurse was kind to thee?

ADOLPHUS.
A second mother, tender to a fault,
And often chid old Dorothy, that she
Would rarely let my stool come nigh the fire:
Poor Nurse: more than two days from out her sight!
She's half distracted at my absence now.
Well! I'll tell her soon how kind and good thou wert,
And what a faithful friend I found in thee.
Thou'lt come and see us, Midgley: wilt thou not?

MIDGLEY.
Thou wouldst not shut the door to in my face?

ADOLPHUS.
What I?

MIDGLEY.
Nor set some brutal dog to wound my heels?

ADOLPHUS.
What I?

MIDGLEY.
Nor shriek out witch? nor set thy comrades on
With stones to clear the village of my rags?

ADOLPHUS.
Midgley! this to me?
I would not hurt the wing of a foul crow,
Nor harm a toad though it should cross my path;
God gave it life, and it should live, for me,
Unscared, unscathed; and thou, who'st been so kind—
Thou saidst it but to try me?

MIDGLEY.

[Exit, Adolphus following.]