 | The Star of Seville |  |
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SCENE III.
—ESTRELLA'S BED-ROOM.(She is lying on the ground.)
ESTRELLA.
Bloody—cold—stiff—dead, gone, for ever gone!
O Heaven! O Heaven! the only thing I had
To love—that lov'd me, torn away from me!
His eyes, dim lightless jellies! his kind voice,
A tongueless bell! his upright gallant limbs,
Carrion! O God! my brother! my dear brother!
Thou hear'st me not, else thou wert here beside me!
Thou seest me not, thy child, thy darling—lonely!
O earth! thou unkind mother, that dost clasp
Him, and not me, open thine arms for both;
O take me in, for I am utterly desolate!
(She falls again upon the earth.)
Enter Friar Rodriquez.
RODRIQUEZ.
Arise, thou weeping soul, that to the dust
Of sorrow art brought down, and hearken to me.
ESTRELLA.
O father! he is gone, he's dead, he's dead!
My brother, my twin life—that gentle soul.
That thou didst know was pure as Heav'n's own light!
Father, give help, I drown in this deep grief!
RODRIQUEZ.
My child, have faith in Heaven!
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I have, I have,
But oh! but oh! he cannot live again!
Death, know'st thou what it is? the sweet soul goes,
Away, away, like to an uncag'd bird,
Like prison'd air, like utter'd words it goes,
And never comes again—O never, never!
RODRIQUEZ.
O peace, thou sad heart, peace!
ESTRELLA.
O never, never!
Never again, in all life's thousand hours,
And rolling years, and countless little minutes,
Shall I behold him!—Day will follow day,
And night succeed to night, but never more,
By night or day, will he return to me.
The seasons, in their walk around the earth,
Will, turn by turn, go and come back again;
All things that have departed may return,
But life returns not—he returns not ever!
I cannot bear this load, it is too much!
I will not bear it!
RODRIQUEZ.
Thou art mad with sorrow,
And utterest evil in thy bitterness.
ESTRELLA.
Let me behold his body once again!
The clay, the earth, that was him; let me see it,
Dear father, for an instant—but one instant!
A look, a look, let me not yet have seen
My very last of him!
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Poor soul!
Thy load is great! Arise and hear me, maiden;
If thou wilt swear to me to curb this passion,
To hold thy grief in with a stedfast courage,
And bear in mind the hand that does chastise thee—
ESTRELLA.
I will, I will,—indeed, indeed, I will!
RODRIQUEZ.
Estrella, hold thy spirit to its vow.
Heav'n grant what I attempt may have good issue;
Art thou prepared to look upon the corpse
Of him thou lov'st?
ESTRELLA.
I am.
RODRIQUEZ.
Then turn thee hither.
Give me thy hand.
ESTRELLA.
You see how firm I am;
You see I strive, I wrestle with my grief,—
I know 'tis the good God hath struck me thus,—
I'm calm, you see, I'm very stedfast, father—
I am resigned—I'm still—I am content.
But I did love him so!
(She falls upon the body.)
Enter Nurse.
RODRIQUEZ.
What is the matter?
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O, sir, they say they must speak with my lady;—Don
Gomez, the noble counsellor, and many gentlemen who
be come from the court; they cannot be denied; 'tis
pressing business, touching my dear lord's death.
RODRIQUEZ.
Admit them; it may force her from this frenzy,
And for a moment stop her sorrow's course.
Hold up thy head, Estrella, rouse thyself,
Here be at hand some come to question with thee.
ESTRELLA.
What must I do? O I am drunk with weeping—
I cannot stand, nor speak, nor hear, nor see them.
(She falls into a chair.)
Enter Don Gomez and Attendants.
GOMEZ.
Hail to this house of sorrow! noble lady,
I come a messenger from the assembled council,
Who are now met to try your most sad cause.
NURSE.
I do not think she hears him.
RODRIQUEZ.
Peace; she hears mayhap, but heeds not.
Sir, go on; I will accept your message for the lady,
And answer it as my best ability affords—go on.
GOMEZ.
In few, Don Carlos having openly
Avow'd the bloody deed—
ESTRELLA
—(starting up.)
What's that you say?
Say that again—I say, say that again.
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Did you not know that this was done by him?
ESTRELLA.
Carlos!
GOMEZ.
Don Carlos is the murderer.
ESTRELLA.
Don Carlos is the murderer! You're old,
Close on your coffin's brink, you would not lie;
You're cloth'd in black, too,—death is your acquaintance.
You do not lie—go on—be not afraid!
If my eye glazes, and the blood turn back,
Nor pour its wonted tribute in my face;
These be the weaknesses of mortal houses,
Our souls are stronger built, mine totters not:
Go on. And so Don Carlos slew my brother?
GOMEZ.
Madam, I fear you overstrain your strength.
ESTRELLA.
He did not say for which of all his benefits,
His tender love, his firm and trusting faith,
His sister's hand, and wide estates—he said not
For which of these, my brother's death was guerdon.
GOMEZ.
He holds an unlock'd silence on the whole,
Save that his hand cut short Don Pedro's life.
ESTRELLA.
I thank you, sir, and these good gentlemen,
For coming hither; please you to return,
And tell the honourable Council I
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How to proceed in this my extremity,
As my more settled wits may tender me.
GOMEZ.
Heaven strengthen you, most honourable madam!
Farewell!
[Exeunt.
RODRIQUEZ.
Now look to see this calm unnatural
Break up in one wild, furious storm of grief.
NURSE.
The fountains of her tears be sure run dry.
RODRIQUEZ.
I would she'd weep again. Madam—Estrella.
ESTRELLA.
My lord—ah! holy father, is it thou?
RODRIQUEZ.
How fares it, lady?
ESTRELLA.
Passing strong, and well.
When the sap's in the bough, and the green leaves
Shoot forth, and shake in the evening wind in spring,
The lightning may burn up the sprouting tree,
And blast its healthful life; but look, good father,
Didst ever mark a sapless, leafless witherling,
That stands all shrivell'd in the bosky dells,
Mocking the summer with its barrenness?
Think'st thou that blighted thing fears any storm,
Or dreads the bolt that makes its forest brothers
Writhe their green, trembling arms?—Go to—'tis past.
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Will bring his life's brief story near its end.
NURSE.
Madam, I will go seek him.
[Exit Nurse.
ESTRELLA.
Holy father!
When all is done that I have yet to do,
I shall this worthless poor mortality
To the keeping of a cloister dedicate—
That when this body is released from the earth,
My soul may be far on its way towards heaven.
Think of this for me;—there is something more—
Wilt thou, dear father, in its couch of mould
Lay this poor broken fragment of existence?
Let me—no, no—I will not look again;
You'll bury him beside my mother—and leave
A narrow space—close—close to him for me.
Enter Nurse, crying.
O madam! O my lady!
RODRIQUEZ.
Hold thy peace!
Cram not ill news so fast into our ears.
ESTRELLA.
There's no ill news now in the world for me.
NURSE.
Passing through the offices to call Petruchio to your
bidding, madam, I heard a wail, and coming to the
place, found Livio standing by the poor old man, who
on his chair sat as though listening to the news of my
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he sat list'ning still—nor moved, nor spoke, nor wept,
—for he was dead!
ESTRELLA.
O iron youth! that can such sorrow hold
As mine, nor break one thread of thy strong woof!
Whilst threadbare age upon its worn-out strings,
Receiving but a touch, they straight give way!
Father, as of my spiritual dwelling
Thou hast the rule, so to this house of death
Put thou some order. I am going now
To the council-house.
NURSE.
The council-house, good madam?
ESTRELLA.
When I return, let this be ta'en away,
And I will then right all uneven things
That yet may lack it—ere I follow thee
To the convent.
RODRIQUEZ.
Heav'n uphold you, my dear lady!
[Exeunt severally.
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