 | The Bandit |  |
SCENE I.
Ida's Apartment.Enter Agatha.
AGATHA.
So—all quite quiet, and the curtains drawn.
How still the dear child is—Now bless her soul,
I've a good mind to take a little peep
Just to look at her— (Opens the curtains)
—Ah! where is the child?
Why Ida!—What's become of her?—Why Ida!—
Oh that I ne'er had liv'd to see this day!—
Housdorff!—I tremble so—Why Gregory!
Peter!—Where are you all?
Enter the Baron, the Count, Ditmar and Servants.
BARON.
What's here to do?
AGATHA.
She's gone!
312
Who's gone?
AGATHA.
Oh my poor child!
BARON.
What! Ida?
Death and destruction!—Peter! Gregory!
What are you doing here? Search ev'ry where—
[Exeunt Agatha and Servants.
I'll go myself. (To Rodolph)
—My lord, why don't you stir?
RODOLPH.
I can't imagine why your lordship takes
All this unnecessary trouble.
BARON.
Trouble!
No trouble at all, sir; and you might as well
Exert yourself, I think.
RODOLPH.
I hate exertions.
I'm always very cool on these occasions.
BARON.
Aye, so it seems indeed.
RODOLPH.
Twenty to one,
Your lordship labours under a mistake.
313
Was ever such—Why is not the girl gone?
RODOLPH.
And what's so very wonderful in that?
If, after all, it should turn out the lady,
Finding herself refresh'd, has merely taken
A turn i' th' garden—
DITMAR.
Nothing is more likely
To do her good, and tranquillize her spirits.
BARON.
Taking a walk, d'you say? If I thought that—
DITMAR.
The very thing that I should recommend
For one in her condition.
BARON.
You don't say so?
Nay, if it be no more than that—But really
I must confess I was alarm'd at first.
Enter Agatha and Servants.
Well, Agatha, what news?
AGATHA.
Oh it's all over—
She is elop'd—gone off—
314
Gone off!—With whom?
AGATHA.
Nay, an I know—But gone she is for certain.
There stands the door, at t'other end o' th' garden,
Next to the wood, wide open, with the lock
Wrench'd off—
BARON.
Now, pray sir, how am I mistaken?
RODOLPH.
The circumstances really seem suspicious.
BARON.
They do!
Enter Housdorff.
HOUSDORFF.
My lord, you must bestir yourself.
The lady Ida—
BARON.
Well—
HOUSDORFF.
I was preparing
To look for some game in the nether copse,
When, on a sudden, from the garden gate
I saw her sally forth, accompanied
By a young man.
315
Confusion! A young man?
Why how—who was he?—What did he look like?
HOUSDORFF.
I was too far off to distinguish him,
And, ere I could get round to follow them,
They'd struck into the thickest part o'th'forest.
BARON.
Set off! Pursue them!—Housdorff! call all hands—
Swords, pistols, carbines!
[Exeunt Housdorff, Agatha, and Servants.
Now, my lord, perhaps,
You'll condescend t'exert yourself.
RODOLPH.
My lord,
I'll do myself the honour to attend you.
[Exeunt.
| The Bandit | |