University of Virginia Library

SCENE III.

OLYMPIA, VICTORIA.
OLYMPIA.
Ah! ah! VICTORIA!

[Throwing herself into a chair.]
VICTORIA.
Dear OLYMPIA, patience!—
What shall I do?—When I should comfort her
I weep myself.—My dear OLYMPIA!—

OLYMPIA.
Ah me!

VICTORIA.
This desperate grief will kill her.

OLYMPIA.
Oh! Oh! Oh!

VICTORIA.
My dear OLYMPIA, let us not indulge
This weakness of our spirit.—Come, my dearest,
Come rouse yourself.

OLYMPIA.
Alas! alas! VICTORIA!—
Do not despise me.

VICTORIA.
Nay, my dear, this weakness
Has nothing shameful in it. As it shews
A delicate mind, it is a beauty rather;
And only grows a fault and a misfortune
By too much yielding to it.

OLYMPIA.
Ah VICTORIA!—
I am so humbled with repeated shocks
That my tame spirit sinks beneath its wrongs.—
But for this letter—I am blind with weeping—
Read it, VICTORIA.

VICTORIA.
Burn it.

OLYMPIA.
Read it first.

VICTORIA.

“Madam, in spite of all your neglects I have prevailed upon myself to write to you once more, that you may know I have temper enough to forgive them. I am not so selfish as to disapprove of your choice; it is perfectly prudent; for wealth you know is the great support of female pride: vanity I should say, for pride is too noble a name for it. I wish you joy of your Count; there is one noble quality attends him—he is rich. But if he ever dares appear where I am, were he twenty times your husband, I shall take the liberty to put him in mind of some other qualities I have discovered in him. In the mean time I am so far from reproaching you with inconstancy, that I thank you for having shewn it before it could essentially hurt me. I am following your example, and shall forget all former attachments as fast as I can. It is what I owe in justice to myself, and to one of your sex who deserves all my love and esteem. Farewell, OLYMPIA! You are not what I thought you once. But may Heaven rain gold upon you! So prays the forgiving, tho' monstrously abused ALPHONSO”

OLYMPIA.
What does he say?

[Snatching the letter.]
VICTORIA.
Cousin, I give you joy
Of this deliverance from one worthless man.

OLYMPIA.
What does he say?—All my neglects—that's well.
He has prevailed upon himself—'Tis much
So great a spirit should condescend so far
As to abuse me!—I have temper enough—
Yes temper! surely—To forgive you, that's pleasant—
'Tis pity you should have reason to forgive me.
Your choice is perfectly prudent—Fool! what choice?
The only choice I ever made was a wrong one,
And I'm ashamed of't—thank Heaven I've missed it!—
Choice!—
What's this he talks
Of wealth—of female pride, and vanity?—
Such rambling stuff!—he's mad! the man's distracted!
You wish me joy. Heaven mend your crazy head!
Did you ever hear the like?

VICTORIA.
'Tis an original.

OLYMPIA.
But if he ever dares appear, &c.
How well he counterfeits anger, and plays the bully!—
But here's a stroke worth all the rest—I am so far
From reproaching you with inconstancy, &c.
—Before it could essentially hurt me—
What does he mean? There is no bearing this!
Base foul-mouthed perjured traitor, have you the face
Thus to abuse me, whose only fault to you
Was too much constancy? I'm well repaid
For all the griefs my foolish constancy
Has cost me!—Am I not, VICTORIA?

VICTORIA.
Curse him!
He is not worth your anger.

OLYMPIA.
I am following your example—
Good again!—and shall forget—forget
Me! by all means do. In justice to one
Of your sex who deserves all my love and
Esteem—
That she may do without deserving much.—
You are not what I thought you once—
No more are you—May Heaven
Rain all its plagues upon me, if you dwell
A moment longer here—Thus, thus I tear
The villain from my heart. 'Tis done at once.—
There, there—thou art no more.

[Tearing the letter.]
VICTORIA.
Who talks of want
Of spirit? How this haughtiness becomes thee!
This indignation's charming.

OLYMPIA.
Well, I'm cured
Of one great folly. How light my heart feels from
A villainous guest that sat like lead upon it!
My spirit mounts again. Believe me, cousin,
I'm glad of this man's baseness; I enjoy it:
There's luxury in it. I do not entertain
A wish so tame as that he had proved unalterable.
'Tis better as it is. It feeds my spite
Voluptuously to find him such a villain.
I wish he knew how heartily I scorn him!
How thoroughly I detest him!—He shall know it.
I'll make him feel it.—

VICTORIA.
Your absolute neglect,
As if such things had never past, will gall him.
'Twill be the finest vengeance! Cool neglect,
If there is pride in him, will humble him more
Than fifty thousand spiteful offices.

OLYMPIA.
Oh! that mean letter! I could tear myself.
I wish the palsy had seized this hand before
It did me such disgrace.

VICTORIA.
My dear OLYMPIA,
Ne'er let that hurt you. You did but what was honourable.
Were it to do again you should.—It leaves
His baseness no excuse.

OLYMPIA.
Pray, when this message came,
How did I look, VICTORIA? tell me plainly.
Did I seem violently shocked?

VICTORIA.
By no means.

OLYMPIA.
Look'd I not flush'd and pale by turns? No signs
Of wildness or disorder?

VICTORIA.
None that he could perceive.

OLYMPIA.
Did I not faulter in my speech a little?

VICTORIA.
Not more than I do now.

OLYMPIA.
Nor tremble?

VICTORIA.
No.
Thou didst behave with so composed a grace,
I could have hugg'd thee.

OLYMPIA.
Well, I'm glad of this.
And now, VICTORIA, I shall shew this false one
How slightly I regard him. I have the means
To shew him instantly 'twas honour, more
Than ill-directed love, that made me stand
So long and close a siege; made me hold out
To disobedience, almost to rebellion,
Against my father's threats, his warm intreaties,
Against his wiser choice. My honour now
Absolved, I cannot be too passive to
My filial duty.

VICTORIA.
What dost thou mean, OLYMPIA?

OLYMPIA.
To mortify a villain's insolence.

VICTORIA.
But how?

OLYMPIA.
By giving my rejected vows to
The man he hates; whom for his sake I scorned;
Whom now I love because I know he hates him.
Yes, I will give his mortal foe my hand.—
By heaven, I will!

OLYMPIA.
You will! indeed not you.

OLYMPIA.
Then, if I do not, may the—