University of Virginia Library

SCENE I.

The scene dark; the forest. Enter Jerome and another domestic, by opposite sides of the stage.
Jer.
Hast thou seen any thing?

Dom.
No; but I spy a distant moving light
Far to the left.

Jer.
Then run and see who bears it.
[Exit domestic.
Here come my lord and Guzman, slow and silent.
Surely they have not seen it; and, perhaps,
My comrade is deceived.

Enter Romiero and Guzman.
Rom.
Ha! Jerome! is it thou!

Jer.
It is, my lord:

Rom.
Hast thou seen aught? hast thou heard any sound?

Jer.
Nothing, my lord.

Rom.
Yet still be on the watch:
Revisit every path; let nought escape thee.

Jer.
No, nothing shall. I'll use both eyes and ears
Intently; nothing shall unnoted be.
An owlet shall not turn him in his nest
But I shall be aware of it, nor hare
Scud 'cross the path without my observation.

Rom.
Well, say no more: I trust thee. To thy duty!

[Exit Jerome.
Guz.
I am persuaded we shall range this wood
The livelong night, nor meet with any thing
But such small denizens as Jerome mention'd,
Or these benighted trees that skirt our path,
So black and motionless.

Rom.
Oh! if the light of day return again,
Nought being found to justify my fears,
I'll hail it as the wretch whose op'ning dungeon
Receives the light, as through its portal passes
Some glad friend, bearing his reprieve. Oh, Guzman!
The felon, chain'd to meet his shameful doom,
Hath not more agony of thought, nor starteth
With greater horror from the brink of death,
Than I do from that moment of despair
Which shall make manifest the thing I dread.

Guz.
I trust that moment never will arrive.

Rom.
Dost thou, my friend? dost thou, in very truth?
I bless thee for that noble confidence:
Would I could feel it too! Repeat thy words.

Guz.
I do believe that moment will not come.

Rom.
No, no! it was not thus: thy words are changed;
Thy tone of voice is changed; thoughts of recoil
Pass o'er thy mind, and turn their force to weakness.
Thou dost not trust,—no, nor believe it neither.

Guz.
Indeed, I think—I hope thou art deceived.

Rom.
Shame on such timid tamp'ring with my passion,
Provoking it the more! If she be guilty,
I am prepared with dreadful preparation.
If she be innocent,—tears choke my voice:
To say, “if she be innocent!”—
Her look, her smile, her easy lightsome gait,—
She was th'embodied form of innocence;
The simple sweetness of a cottage child,
Join'd to a lady's grace.

Guz.
Hers seem'd, indeed, the loveliness of virtue.

Rom.
Even so; but that is changed. She cannot now
So look, so smile, so step; for if she could,
I should defy all proof of circumstance
To move me to suspicion.

Guz.
Nay, good Romiero, know thy nature better,
A circumstance as trivial as the glance
Or meaning smile of some young varlet page
Would tempt thee to suspect a saint of heaven.
But cease debate; your scout returns in haste.

Enter Domestic.
Dom.
My lord, they're in the wood: I've seen them.

Rom.
Whom?

Dom.
The nurse, my lord, went first, and close behind her
Donna Zorada stole like one afraid.

Rom.
(seizing him by the throat).
Hell choke thy blasted breath, thou croaking fiend!
Thou darest not say 'twas she.

Dom.
I did not say so, certainly.

Rom.
Thou didst.

Dom.
I spoke unwittingly; I will unsay it.

Rom.
(casting him away from him with violence).
And be a damned liar for thy pains.
All that my darkest fancy had conceived!
Uncover'd shame, degrading infamy!—
Come quick, unstinted, terrible revenge!
If the base wantons live another hour,
I am as base as they.

Guz.
Be not a maniac: think before thou act,—
Before thou do what cannot be undone.

Rom.
Think ere I act! Cool, sober, gentle friend!
Hadst thou not better say, “Good sir, be patient.
Thy wife is faithless, and her minion bless'd;
But pray, good sir, be patient.”—Oh, my heart!
The seat of life will burst ere it be done:
Hold, hold till then! (To domestic.)
Where were they? near the castle?

Dom.
No; in the beechen grove beyond the chapel,
To which we did suspect their steps were bent,
Taking, no doubt, that further winding path
The better to avoid detection.—See,
There's light now faintly peering from its window.
They must be there already. (To Guzman.)
Look, Don Guzman!

Guz.
I do; it vanishes and re-appears,
And vanishes again, and all is dark.

Rom.
Yes; all shall soon be dark:
That flame of guilt, those glow-worms of the night,
That bright deceitful sheen of foul corruption,
Shall be extinct, trod out, earth bray'd with earth.
Which of these paths leads to th' accursed spot?
[Rushing into a path, and then turning back and taking another.
I am bewilder'd! this will lead me right.

[Exit.
Guz.
We must pursue his steps, and try, if possible,
To keep his unrein'd ire from desp'rate acts.

[Exeunt.
Enter, by the opposite side, Beatrice and her woman.
Bea.
He should be here, or somewhere near this spot.
I am afraid in these dark forest paths.
Each crooked leafless stump or dwarfish bush
Seems beast or man prepared to pounce upon us;
And then to make a vain and short amends,
Each slender, graceful sapling is my Maurice.
I dare not venture further.

Woman.
Perhaps we're wrong, and have mista'en the place;
Let us turn back, and try some other alley!

Bea.
Turn not; I hear his foot.

(Listening.)
Woman.
My ears then must be dull, for I hear nothing.

Bea.
Yes, they are dull; thou hast not in thy heart
That which doth quicken mine.—It is his footstep;
I know it well!

Woman.
Indeed, I should have guess'd—

Bea.
Nay, hush, Theresa;
I love to bend mine ear and listen to it.
[Listens again as before, and presently enter Maurice.
Is't thou, my friend?

Maur.
Yes, dearest; further on
I waited for thee, and became impatient.

Bea.
How glad I am to hear thy voice again!

Maur.
What hast thou done? How hast thou sped with Guzman?
Since thou wouldst take that office on thyself,
I trust thy parley with him was successful.

Bea.
As heart could wish, although it was but short.
He'll be our friend, and keep Romiero so;
And will, besides, to my stern uncle speak,
Who, as thou knowst—But here comes one in haste.

Enter Jerome.
Jer.
Remain no longer here; for Don Romiero,
And Guzman with him, wanders through the wood;
You may encounter him in any path.

Maur.
What shall we do?

Jer.
Be still, and follow me,
And I will lead you to a safer spot,
Free from intrusion, near the ruin'd chapel.

[Exeunt.