University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

The Church, lighted. A Coffin before the Altar.
Ellen and Prioress—the veils of both withdrawn.
PRIORESS.
To what thou seemest and art, the words were apt—
He marked them not.

ELLEN.
Then spare to chide me thus.

PRIORESS.
Ay, so I will—but henceforth how to trust thee?
Be patient yet.

ELLEN.
I am.

PRIORESS.
Be thankful too!
Good guidance brought thee with us here.

ELLEN.
I know it,
And have confessed it on my knees. Till now
Her voice seemed near who taught me to endure.
My steps to-night were steady as your own,
The tears I shed as few. But this is hard,
That he should prove so cruel who has left us
No home to rest in coming from the grave!—
Hard to have loved the hard-hearted!

PRIORESS.
Love! what now?
For other thoughts I brought thee where we are.
We blessed the All-merciful, and so He is:
But yet his judgments follow one apace,
And must outrun them both:—they shall not prosper!

ELLEN.
My father? God forbid! what has he done?
Judgment for what?

PRIORESS.
Askest thou for what?—look there!
[Points to the coffin.
Hast lost remembrance of thy mother's tears?
So soon forgot? I saw them on her cheek,
Washing the freshness off it day by day,
Till changed to what she is:—and still I see them!
Judgment for what?—is one of these hard-hearted?
Which was it broke her heart, if only one?

ELLEN.
She pitied the unhappy.

PRIORESS.
So did I.

ELLEN.
His misery is the more to need forgiveness.
My mother, look upon me! leave me not!
There is no bosom now to hide my tears!
O, hear me still, my mother!

PRIORESS.
Hush! she does—
This passion is of sin—I am thy mother.

ELLEN.
O, no—not thou—we never have but one!

Enter Philip.
PHILIP.
There is hope yet!

PRIORESS.
We need it.

PHILIP.
I must haste!

PRIORESS.
The hope of what?

PHILIP.
Peace, sister! hear me speak—
This Count has cast his net upon a stake—
So far the purpose of his treason fails.
He climbs so high to reach an empty nest:
The bird is flown! Why tarry in the wind
Rocked to and fro 'twixt hate and mockery?
He cannot bide up there alone! He finds
No hostage, as he hoped, nor plea for violence—
No tenure but a thief's, who must appear
At last, descending from the chimney's top,
So much the blacker as he stays the longer.
The page who brought this message, takes me back.

PRIORESS.
Is Ursula faithful, thinkest—or has he learnt
That what is lost is here?

PHILIP.
He had not learnt,
When these came from him, that he was a loser;
But held the unopened casket in his hand,
Nor doubted if the pearl were there or no.
I run to mis-direct pursuit from us
By asking access in her father's name—
Demanding what is missed as if he hid it.
Guile in defence is not injurious,
When, like the lapwing's feignings of distress,
It cries the loudest farthest from mischance.
Count Albert must not look toward Rolandswerth!—
The gods he served are desecrated—praise—
The majesty of honor. He that spurns
His ancient worship, will deal worse with ours,
Defenceless truth and innocence afraid.
Our gates are weaker than the castle's were.

PRIORESS.
He will not seek her here?

PHILIP.
Sister, he will;
If he shall hope to find her here, he must;
Constrained by shame to darn his tattered treachery,
And tack advantage as a fringe to fraud.
Daughter, be prisoner to thy promise still—
Lock up this secret, give the key to us!—
Who leave their wits behind thrive ill abroad:
Let me not doubt of mischief while away:
Thou wilt not draw the veil from off thy face,
Till I come back.

ELLEN.
To none beside my father.

PHILIP.
Thy father!—none beside thy father, sayest?
Marry, this cuts our counsel short enough!
The mystery need not borrow of our brains.
Tell thou thy father—let me tell the Count!
Lo, this is all I wished thee not to do!
Whom else wouldst hide thee from?

ELLEN.
But why from him?
He is as wise as we are.

PHILIP.
Not to-night.

ELLEN.
Philip, he will endure as he sees me.
His knowledge cannot reach to Rolandseck.

PRIORESS.
Wouldst tell him,—why?

ELLEN.
To make his misery less.

PHILIP.
Child, he has sent defiance by this page;
Proclaimed the Count a traitor, as he is—
And coward, which he is not. This must be hushed,
Or will be answered.

PRIORESS.
What dost purpose, then?

PHILIP.
To humble both while each believes her lost,
And waken hope, in both, to repossess.
To keep their hate apart, then tread it out.
They cannot tarry as they are. The Count
Has sold his honor for an empty house,
At last not his. My lord will fear to leave
His child up there; and of his too great pride
Abate a part to ransom her.

ELLEN.
Then go—
Make haste—I will do any thing!

PHILIP.
Do this.

ELLEN.
Let me be veiled, and see him so—I will!
Trust me, he shall not know me.

PHILIP.
We risk all!
I must be gone—Well, kneel, child—look this way—
Swear by the altar, and by her before it!
The baron shall not learn thy presence here
Till I come back!

PRIORESS.
If thou shouldst not come back?

PHILIP.
Release her, in my name, at break of day.
Do as thy wisdom teaches thee.

ELLEN.
I swear!

PHILIP.
It is a vow to God—and by her soul
Make it, and keep it, awfully!

ELLEN.
I will!

PHILIP.
The altar and the grave are witnesses.

[Exeunt.