University of Virginia Library

SCENE III.

—Rome. A Chamber. Flavia alone.
FLAVIA.
Alas! what load of grief wing'd time can carry,
And oh! how swiftly bear it! O! how brief
The little space since I could say that never
I had known pain or fear—and now, too well
With both, I am familiar: Sylla exiled—
My mother absent—and our enemies
(I shudder at the thought), the lords of Rome
And Roman destinies. Great Gods protect me!
Not to be known is now my only safety:
Obscurity my refuge.
Heav'ns! who's here?
(Enter Valerius.)
Valerius!—

VALERIUS.
Now all blessings that the gods
Store up for innocence and grace await thee,
And ever be about thee—Flavia!

FLAVIA.
Valerius—
What do'st thou here?

VALERIUS.
Flavia—what do I here?
When thou 'rt in peril, say where should I be?

FLAVIA.
Oh! but thou know'st the danger—the dread risk!
Thou know'st that Marius is our enemy.
Well, thou do'st know all that hangs o'er us now,
And what fell passions wait on this sad hour!—
If thou wert traced here—
[Shudders, and pauses.
Why, wilt thou risk
A life so precious for the sake of one,
Who, if she own'd a hundred times the means,
That in these civil tempests e'er she can,
Could ne'er repay thee?

VALERIUS.
Risk a life for thee!—
Why, that I 've done for cold and formal duty;
That would I do for sake of innocence,
Howe'er endanger'd—Risk my life!—I've don 't
Even for a soldier-like punctilio—
A thing of drum and password—but for thee—
Oh! let me use some other better word:
Let me for thee say I'd lay down my life,
Happy—because assured one tear of thine—
One priceless tear—would drop upon my grave,
And consecrate the flowers that there, thenceforward,
Methinks would grow for ever—thro' all change,
Changeless—e'en like his love who lay below.

FLAVIA.
This is wild talk Valerius!

VALERIUS.
It may be so,
Flavia, tho' it be sweet. Let me be calm then
For calmness now is duty.
Hear me Flavia:
Rome is—the heav'ns do see 't—no place for thee
Till these dark times be gone. I'm weary of them;
But let that pass—and my solicitude,—
All that disturbs the rest of poor Valerius,
Is, that thou should'st be safe. Thou shalt be so,
If that thou wilt confide in me, and link
(Oh! trust too precious!) for a few short hours,
Thy destinies with mine.

FLAVIA.
Valerius!
I am—as well thou know'st—a helpless outcast,
Scarce worth a thought—but were I twenty times
More than I am, I would confide in thee.
I pray thee say no more upon this theme—
At least, not now, Valerius!

VALERIUS.
Not now, Flavia!
Oh! were I sure—sure that another now—
Some happier hour than this—some summer hour—
Some halcyon moment—born of azure skies,
And nurs'd in sunshine—were in store for us,
Then would I speak no more. Alas! this darkness
May not—oh! God, that I should say the word!
May never find a morn; and therefore, Flavia,
I will speak one word more upon this theme
And ask thee but to hear it—not to answer,
Save by such hearing. I do love thee, Flavia,—
Love thee above what eloquence could tell,
With such an hour as this to utter it.
What would'st thou say—?

FLAVIA.
Oh! talk not so, Valerius,
At such an hour as this: but let us rather
Pray that these troubles shall be well o'er past
And summer smile again;—that goodness may
Have breathing time, and better suns come round
When innocence hath safety.

VALERIUS.
Only say
That when that summer comes, thy breath to me
Shall bring not winter—only say thou wilt not
O'ercloud this halcyon time—Heaven send it soon—
And I am blest.

FLAVIA.
(Faintly)
Oh! no—no—no, Valerius—

VALERIUS.
No more!—oh no word more!—that tremulous silence,
Is breath enough for me! Time flies apace.
We that are perill'd must be firm, my Flavia,
When firmness is best love. Come in with me;
There's yet an hour to spare,—and thy departure
Shall soon be plann'd. But ere we go, first tell me,
Can'st thou, dear Flavia, trust in that old slave
That tends upon thee?

FLAVIA.
I know not, Valerius.
One time methought I could; but treachery now
Methinks doth enter at our very casements,
Ev'n with the air we breathe!

VALERIUS.
It is too true!
We will not trust her. Let me tend on thee,
And tremble not. Flavia, the day will come
When we, who shake, shall smile at this dark hour!
Come, cheer thee, dearest Flavia.

[They go in.