University of Virginia Library

SCENE VIII.

A prison.
Samarkoon is discovered in chains; a lamp burning on the ground near him, and a pitcher of water by it.
Sam.
And now the close of this my present being,
With all its hopes, its happiness, and pain.
Is near at hand,—a violent bloody close,
Perhaps with added torture and disgrace.
Oh, Kattragam, terrific deity!
Thy stern decrees have compass'd all this misery.
Short, turbulent, and changeful, and disastrous,
Hath been this stage of my existence. What,
When this is past, abides me in my progress
To the still blessing of unvision'd rest,
Who may imagine or conjecture?—Blessing!
Alas! it is a dull unjoyous blessing
To lose, with consciousness of pain, all consciousness:
The pleasure of sweet sounds and beauteous sights.
Bride, sister, friends,—all vanish'd and extinct,
That stilly, endless rest may be unbroken.
Oh, oh! he is a miserable man,
Who covets such a blessing!—Hush, bad thoughts!
Rebellious, faithless thoughts! My misery
Is deep enough to make e'en this a blessing. Enter Artina.

It cannot be! is it some fantasy?
Who and what art thou?

Art.
(approaching him softly).
The thing I seem; thy miserable sister.

Sam.
My gen'rous, loving sister, in her love
Running such fearful risk to comfort me.

Art.
Nay, more than this, dear brother; more than comfort;
I come to set thee free.

Sam.
Has he relented?

Art.
No, no! Rasinga is most ruthless. I,
By means of this (showing a signet),
which, in our better days,
It was my privilege to use at will,
Have pass'd the guards, and may a short while hence
By the same means return,—return in safety.
Meantime let me undo those galling fetters;
I've brought fit tools, and thou shalt teach me how.

Sam.
But canst thou think the guards will let thee pass,
E'en with thy signet, leading a companion?
It cannot be; thou dost deceive thyself;
Thy mis'ry and affection make thee foolish.

Art.
Not so; there is a secret passage yonder.
That stone (pointing to it)
like many others in the wall,
But rougher still (goes close to the stone and touches it),
look at it!
take good heed,
Has in its core a groove on which it turns:
A man's full strength will move it, and despair
Will make thee strong.

Sam.
Were two men's strength required, I feel within me
The means for such deliverance; if, indeed,
Thou hast not been deceived by some false tale.

Art.
I'm not deceived. But wait, when I am gone,
With limbs yet seemingly enthrall'd, until
The wary guard hath come to ascertain
Thy presence here; and then, when he retires,—
Thou knowst the rest.—Haste, let me loose thy shackles.
Is this the way?

[Kneeling down and using her implements for breaking the chains, which she draws from the folds of her robe.
Sam.
Well done, my most incomparable sister!
Affection seems to teach thee craftsman's skill.

Art.
This link is broken.

Sam.
So it is indeed.
If I am fated yet to live on earth,
A prosp'rous man, I'll have thy figure graven,
As now thou art, with implements in hand,
And make of it a tutelary idol.

Art.
(still working at the chains.)
Ha! thou speakst cheerly now; and thy changed voice
Is a good omen. Dost thou not remember
How once in play I bound thy stripling limbs
With braided reeds, as a mock criminal?
We little thought—Another link is conquer'd;
And one alone remains.
[Tries to unloose it.
But it is stubborn.
Oh, if that I should now lack needed strength!
Vile, hateful link, give way!

Enter Rasinga, and she starts up, letting fall her tools on the ground.
Ras.
And thou art here, thou most rebellious woman!
A faithful spy had given me notice of it,
And yet, methought, it was impossible
Thou couldst be so rebellious, so bereft
Of female honour, matronly allegiance.

Art.
Upbraid me not, my lord; I've at your feet
Implored you to relent and spare his life,
The last shoot of my father's honour'd house.
But thou, with unrelenting tyranny,
Hast chid me from thee.—Matronly allegiance,
E'en in a favour'd and beloved wife,
O'errules not every duty; and to her,
Who is despised, abandon'd, and disgraced,
Can it be more imperious? No, Rasinga;
I were unmeet to wear a woman's form,
If, with the means to save my brother's life,
Not implicating thine, I had, from fear
Of thy displeasure, grievous as it is,
Forborne to use them.

Ras.
Ha! such bold words to justify the act,
Making rebellion virtue! Such audacity
Calls for the punishment which law provides
For faithless and for disobedient wives.

Sam.
Rasinga, if that shameful threat be serious,
Thou art the fellest, fiercest, meanest tyrant,
That e'er joined human form to demon's spirit.

Ras.
And dost thou also front me with a storm
Of loud injurious clamour?—Ho, without!
[Calling aloud.
I came not here to hold a wordy war
With criminals and women.—Ho! I say. Enter Guards.

Secure the prisoner, and fasten tightly
His unlock'd chains.—And, lady, come thou instantly
To such enthralment as becomes thy crime.

[Exeunt Rasinga and Artina, who is led off by guards, while motioning her last farewell to Samarkoon. The scene closes.