 | The Crown Jewel |  |
Scene 6.
Outside the Palace.[Enter Gonseres cloaked.
Gon.
(solus.)
To the right track and purpose of my mind
I am restored. The raven and its croak
Are more becoming in the forest's heart
Than in the city. 'Twas contagious,
This leaking out of courage. Mother, mother!
Mover and would-be marplot in our scheme,
From thy dissuasion I must hold aloof;
We are on different tacks. Thy tigress heart
Hath pulp in it—a remnant. To infect me
With its soft leanings is to take from me
My nature and the vengeance I am sworn to.
'Tis not desired that we should meet again.
A cub estranged from the maternal milk
Is dangerous crossing—
(Enter Soartes.)
You keep punctual faith.
'Tis well, my Lord Scartes, and expedient,
I shall be present at the fete to-night.
Soar.
You! Be advised, Gonseres!
Gon.
I have cast
With yours my fortunes and shall swim or drown
Along with you.
Soar.
My faithful servitor!
For zeal in my behalf I give you credit;
A brave accomplice you have proved and trusty;
But is it meet or prudent, at this crisis,
To keep the game up? Of th'apportioned fruits
Which crowned our enterprise, the costlier share,
Is in your keeping, let it so remain,
The terms be these,—Henceforth, we meet no more.
Gon.
My Lord Soartes, at the fete to-night
I purpose to be present. The terms you urge
Require to be considered, and to-morrow
Is soon enough to bargain for my exile;
But at this fete, I am resolved to be.
Soar.
What fiend of curiosity hath taken
Possession of you, lad? You are no courtier
Nor versed in courtly ceremonial—
Are rude in speech and of a rustic bearing
Would draw suspicion towards you. What invites
This whim and at this crisis?
Gon.
Do you ask me?
I shall be plain with you, my Lord Soartes,
Nor take into account your privilege
Of insult. It belongs to noble birth,
And using it, when the occasion offers,
Is natural to your order—serves as vent
To the impatience which a life at court
Engenders with its starched formalities.
I deem it as unfatherly, this hit,
More than unmannerly.—But let that pass!
And gave me high appointment in your household,
I had no inkling of the tie betwixt us,
Nor sought to disenchant the dream I had formed
Of life, by casting for a lineage.
My whole ambition was to hold the lead
In rural sports—to excel in archery—
To interpret issues in a coming horse-race,—
In kennel and in stable to be absolute
And in the chase unrivalled. A new light
And new ambitions have sprung up within me,
From lurking points, undreamt of. You enquire
What fascination draws me to the city?
And why this resolution to be present
At the grand fete in honour of the Prince?
I shall be plain with you, as I have promised.
Fellow conspirator! nay, start not, listen
And hear me out. You may remember—must,
How you approved of my untoward advances
To your fair ward the Lady Meranie,
Ay! and made promise to assist my suit—
How, when the Count Vicente pressed his claims,
By your persuasion, I surrendered mine,
Pledging myself, should our design succeed,
To endow her and her consort lavishly.
She lives in recollection with my pledge,
To fulfil which I am in honour bound.
Vouchers required, I claim from you the voucher
That shall admit me to those palace-revels.
Soar.
Your purpose and the means to accomplish it
I cannot fathom;—nay, be more explicit!
Gon.
I craved this interview, my Lord Soartes,
To apprise you of the quicksand we are nearing.
A chance is left us, but it rests on me,
Whose interests with yours are kneaded up,
To make it of avail. Deny my quest,
And ere the morrow's dawn, by loud proclaim
Of pursuivant, the elbow of the throne,
Adviser, favourite, and what all besides,
Shall be denounced the traitor and the felon.
Soar.
Hold, hold, you practise on me, insolent!
Gon.
Do I look so, with naked head a-thrust
Into the lion's den? I came to warn,
At peril of my life, and not to threaten.
Give me the passport. My abuse of it
Only myself endangers. Towards you,
Were not my purpose filial, you have only
To cast an eye back on my services
And with them link my opportunities,
To play you false, had I designed to do so.
Soar.
Again in leading strings! Here is the voucher!
I am committed to it by your craving.
The master of the ceremonies, look ye,
May throw it in your face. Your speech bewrayeth
And clownly garb.—
(Gonseres throws of his cloak and discovers himself attired in a rich suit. Soartes starts.)
I have been over-hasty in my rating.
You bring to mind an old, ancestral gem
Which in my cabinet at the castle hangs,
A portrait by Velasquez of my grandsire,
On his return from Italy. Come near,
Embrace me, son! You have the blood in you
Will bear commending to the royal ear.—
My pleasure to adopt you shall be laid
Forthwith before the king. No question,
He will approve and ratify the wish
Setting to letters of nobility—
The joint sign-manual of himself and heir.
To curiosity I must impute
This bold resolve of yours, to play a part,
As masquerader in these palace-revels.
Be prudent, boy, free with the ear and eye,
But cautious to a syllable—a breath—
A moving of the lips, your speech regarded.
[Exit.
Gon.
The bait is swallowed. 'Tis a crafty fish
And needs a crafty hand to take in guiding,
But I have fast my purpose. At his peril,
He baulks me!
[Exit.
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