 | Blue Beard |  |
Scene Second.
—In Abomelique's Castle.Enter Margot, with a guitar.
Mar.
Dear me, where can O'Shac O'Back be gone?
It's very lonesome to be all alone
In a lone house, with no one else besides;
That's why our lord brings home so many brides.
I've carried this about so long and far,
I've left off thinking it a light guitar;
And am in such a humour I could strike it,
And sing a favourite song, or something like it.
Song—Margot—“A lowly youth.”
It's very lonesome to be all alone
In a lone house, with no one else besides;
That's why our lord brings home so many brides.
I've carried this about so long and far,
I've left off thinking it a light guitar;
And am in such a humour I could strike it,
And sing a favourite song, or something like it.
A lowly youth, of “mountain dew,”
Beneath his cloak a flask concealed—
His secret as the cork he drew,
To Echo only he revealed.
“Oh, if you could,” he cried, “be taught,
How good it is, how sweet, how strong!”
And Echo licked her lips and thought
To take a drop would not be wrong!
Beneath his cloak a flask concealed—
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To Echo only he revealed.
“Oh, if you could,” he cried, “be taught,
How good it is, how sweet, how strong!”
And Echo licked her lips and thought
To take a drop would not be wrong!
The drop she took, though only one,
So potent proved—that youth unknown
Found Echo's tongue began to run,
In praise of whiskey, like his own!
And, from that day, a private still,
The nymph set up the hills among—
And if you say, “How strong!” she will,
In whispers soft, repeat “How strong!”
So potent proved—that youth unknown
Found Echo's tongue began to run,
In praise of whiskey, like his own!
And, from that day, a private still,
The nymph set up the hills among—
And if you say, “How strong!” she will,
In whispers soft, repeat “How strong!”
Cheer up, fond heart, what rapturous sounds are those?
It is my love who blows his precious nose!
He comes! He heard me about whiskey talking;
And to this spot, the Irish dear is stalking.
It is my love who blows his precious nose!
He comes! He heard me about whiskey talking;
And to this spot, the Irish dear is stalking.
Enter O'Shac O'Back, pausing at wing.
O'Shac.
One female with a head, at last! huzza!
Sweetest of women, is it there ye are?
Mar.
In pensive mood—
O'Shac.
Don't talk of moods or tenses.
I have been frightened out of my seven senses!
And I'm so glad to see you, you can't think;
Haven't you got a little drop o' drink?
Mar.
I rather fancy I can find you some—
I've got a bottle of my lord's old rum!
(fetches it)
O'Shac.
I'm low—so anything to make me frisky;
(takes it)
But rum is not to be compared to whiskey!
Mar.
You see for comfort, love, you needn't far go.
O'Shac.
I've looked for you through all the château, Margot!
Mar.
But what has frightened you?
O'Shac.
Why, what I've seen
In the Blue Chamber—
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(eagerly)
Is it there you've been?
O'Shac.
Oh, yes, I have—I mean—oh, no, I've not—
(aside)
I was to lie, that's true, I quite forgot—
Mar.
You're as confused as ever you can be;
There is some secret,—tell it, love, to me!
O'Shac.
I'm not confused, although I own I shew it;
But if I tell the secret, then you'll know it!
Mar.
That's what I want, so tell me!
O'Shac.
(aside)
I must blink
The question! (aloud)
Give me t'other sup o'drink.
Mar.
What keeps he in that chamber on the shelf?
Tell me, or else I'll drink it all myself.
O'Shac.
(in a hollow tone)
Spirits!
Mar.
(frightened)
What spirits? Answer, dearest, come.
O'Shac.
(aside)
I'll give her an evasive answer. (aloud and holding out his glass)
Rum.
Mar.
No shuffling now, but tell the secret pat.
O'Shac.
There is a secret there,—I tell you that;
But if I tell you more I lose my head,
And then I'd be almost as good as dead.
Mar.
I want no ghost to tell me that.
O'Shac.
Oh, fie!
Don't talk so; you don't want ghosts less than I.
Mar.
Tell me, what's in the chamber?
O'Shac.
Botheration!
I wish to fate you'd change the conversation.
Mar.
Tell me if there are people in it.
O'Shac.
Plenty.
Mar.
What do you mean by that?
O'Shac.
Why nearly twenty.
Mar.
Answer me one more question, and I'm dumb,—
What sort of looking people are they?
O'Shac.
(holding out his glass)
Rum!
Mar.
Then I must ask—
O'Shac.
(takes bottle)
Don't ask another thing.
You're dumb, you know, so hold your tongue and sing.
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O'Shac.
Yes, Margot,—This, Margot, when I fain would jolly grow.
Dram drinking, heart sinking, soon can drive away.
Mar.
Bad hearing, I'm fearing, on you will this folly grow.
Now mind what to you, O'Shac O'Back, I say.
I think, I think, I think the light guitar would cheer you.
I think, I think, I think, I think that drinking is a sin!
O'Shac.
Drink, drink, oh, drink, oh, drink, I really cannot hear you!
'Till, 'till for me you pour out whiskey, rum, or gin.
Both.
Think, think, I, &c.
Drink, drink, I, &c.
O'Shac.
Once sighing—sick, dying—something has come over me.
Quite queerly—drunk nearly—on the ground I lay;
There moaning—deep groaning—Margot did discover me.
Mar.
Strains soothing, hair smoothing, I began to say,
I think, think, I think, I think the sweet guitar would cheer you.
O'Shac.
Drink, drink, oh, drink, oh, drink! I thought a better thing.
Drink, drink, oh, drink, 'tis pleasure to be near you!
For, darling, you give me spirits while you sing.
(horn sounds at Castle gate)
Yes, Margot,—This, Margot, when I fain would jolly grow.
Dram drinking, heart sinking, soon can drive away.
Mar.
Bad hearing, I'm fearing, on you will this folly grow.
Now mind what to you, O'Shac O'Back, I say.
I think, I think, I think the light guitar would cheer you.
I think, I think, I think, I think that drinking is a sin!
O'Shac.
Drink, drink, oh, drink, oh, drink, I really cannot hear you!
'Till, 'till for me you pour out whiskey, rum, or gin.
Both.
Think, think, I, &c.
Drink, drink, I, &c.
O'Shac.
Once sighing—sick, dying—something has come over me.
Quite queerly—drunk nearly—on the ground I lay;
There moaning—deep groaning—Margot did discover me.
Mar.
Strains soothing, hair smoothing, I began to say,
I think, think, I think, I think the sweet guitar would cheer you.
O'Shac.
Drink, drink, oh, drink, oh, drink! I thought a better thing.
Drink, drink, oh, drink, 'tis pleasure to be near you!
For, darling, you give me spirits while you sing.
Mar.
Hark! there's the horn—some one on Blue Beard calls.
O'Shac.
'Tis he himself, so just look out for squalls.
Mar.
He's brought another wife home, I declare;
You may say what you like, but it's not fair.
O'Shac.
What?
(gives her bottle and glass)
Mar.
Why, that he should have so many wives,
And worry them, poor things, out of their lives.
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Mind what you're saying, bridle up that tongue.
Mar.
Why, warn't they all of them cut off quite young?
O'Shac.
Be aisy, darling, don't that way be going it,
You're letting out the secret without knowing it.
Mar.
I don't care what you say, my mind I'll speak.
O'Shac.
Begone, you devil! Here's Abomelique.
(exit Margot)
Enter Abomelique.
Ab.
So, slave, you're here?
O'Shac.
I'm not quite sure of that.
(aside)
When I see him my head feels like a hat,
That may be whipped off at a moment's warning,
Before a gentleman can say good morning.
Ab.
Are you alive, man? Heard you what I said?
O'Shac.
Just as you please, sir, I'm alive or dead.
Ab.
Then be alive, and quickly, villain, say,
What has been stirring since I've been away.
You know what I committed to your care?
O'Shac.
What, the Blue Chamb—there's nothing stirring there.
Ab.
For my new bride have you therein made room?
O'Shac.
Yes, sir. (aside)
I wish it was for the bridegroom.
(aloud)
And dusted all the heads and every body.
Ab.
And kept the secret?
O'Shac.
Yes, sir, like Tom Noddy.
Ab.
'Tis well. (takes keys)
This victim will complete the score,
And then your service I shall need no more.
O'Shac.
(aside)
Faix, and you shouldn't have it now, my honey,
If 'twasn't for the secret service money.
(Exit)
Ab.
Successful, surely, I this time shall be,
Or I know nothing of phrenology.
She has, if rightly I her cranium read,
Inquisitiveness very large indeed.
Her head completes the tale, and then I may,
Perhaps, know something of a quiet day.
Song—“The Admiral.”
Or I know nothing of phrenology.
She has, if rightly I her cranium read,
Inquisitiveness very large indeed.
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Perhaps, know something of a quiet day.
Though gallantly, though merrily, my days appear to fly,
The notion is all moonshine, I might say, all my eye;
I've made an ugly bargain, with a still more ugly sprite,
A creature who for payment, bothers morning, noon, and night.
Blue devils haunt me all the day, and when I go to sleep,
Strange things come up to frighten me, and through my curtains peep;
Wide-awake I feel more bilious, at being in the dark,
Than any Yellow Admiral at Cheltenham you may mark.
The notion is all moonshine, I might say, all my eye;
I've made an ugly bargain, with a still more ugly sprite,
A creature who for payment, bothers morning, noon, and night.
Blue devils haunt me all the day, and when I go to sleep,
Strange things come up to frighten me, and through my curtains peep;
Wide-awake I feel more bilious, at being in the dark,
Than any Yellow Admiral at Cheltenham you may mark.
I hear a horrid whisper, that tells me fail I may,
In making up the twenty crowns that I am bound to pay;
And I've taken to strong waters, what they will do to see,
But my whistle while I wet, I feel I whistle may for glee.
“A lecture upon heads” my guilty conscience reads me still,
Each night is but one long black draught, each day a large blue pill;
And I never have a moment wherein I do not see,
The tail of the black gentleman who waits below for me.
In making up the twenty crowns that I am bound to pay;
And I've taken to strong waters, what they will do to see,
But my whistle while I wet, I feel I whistle may for glee.
“A lecture upon heads” my guilty conscience reads me still,
Each night is but one long black draught, each day a large blue pill;
And I never have a moment wherein I do not see,
The tail of the black gentleman who waits below for me.
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