University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

Crags near Gordale. Enter an Outlaw.
OUTLAW
(almost breathless).
He must be near. Ho! Norton!

[Calling.
[Enter Norton.
NORTON.
Fiends pluck out
Thy foolish tongue! Why shouldst thou name me, ass?

OUTLAW.
I did not name you ass; but if you stay
Many hours longer in this vicinage,
You will have earned the name.

NORTON.
No insolence—
What meanest thou?

OUTLAW.
Henry—

NORTON.
Damnation! what?
Speak, what of him?

OUTLAW.
He met us—Bland and me—
As we were carrying off the Lady. Bland
At the first menace, dropped his sword, and begged
Forgiveness.

NORTON.
Base poltroon! And thou?

OUTLAW
(hesitating)
Why—I—
I did the same.

NORTON.
Two quailed to one! The slaves—
But at the least, ye did confess nought. He
Knows nothing of my part?

OUTLAW.
Bland told him all!
How you had trained us to oppose his will;
Had planned th'attack and capture of to-day;
And above all, had bound it on our souls,
To give the Lady Percy to believe
That he was author of whatever outrage
She might have suffered.

NORTON.
Thou didst contradict this?

OUTLAW.
I durst but sanction what my comrade said;
But took the earliest chance to steal away,
In hope to find you out, and give you warning
To 'scape the deep revenge the Chief hath vowed.

NORTON.
Thanks; but I fly not!—Desperate was the throw,
And the die turns up—Ruin; but to whom?
That waits decision.—Go. I would compose
My mind a little, were there a retreat.

OUTLAW.
The Cave.

NORTON.
The Cave! Thou'rt mad, or else a traitor!
That were the first explored.

OUTLAW.
Ay, such he deems
Thy thought to be, and therefore will not search it.

NORTON.
That notion seems a shrewd one.
[Puts off his disguise.
Take this garb;
I have no further use for it. Be true.

[Exit Norton.
OUTLAW
(solus).
He has no further use for't. So I think.
And I opine that, save by some good fortune,
Of which I dream not, the next suit he gets,
Will cost him nothing, and will last for ever!

[Exit.