 | The Duchess de la Vallière |  |
SCENE III.
Re-enter the Duchess de la Vallière.DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
Louis! dear Louis!—Gone! alas!—and left me
Half in displeasure!—I was wrong, methinks,
To—no!—I was not wrong to feel remorse,
But wrong to give it utterance!
Enter Madame de Montespan.
MADAME DE MONTESPAN.
What! alone,
Fair friend? I thought the King—
DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
Has gone, in anger;
Cold, and in anger.
84
What, with thee, dear Lady?
On the smooth surface of that angel meekness
I should have thought no angry breath could linger.
But men and kings are—
DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
Hush! I was to blame.
The King's all goodness. Shall I write to him?
Letters have not our looks—and, oh, one look!
How many hardest hearts one look hath won
A life consumed in words had wooed in vain!
MADAME DE MONTESPAN.
To-night there is high revel at the court;
There you may meet your truant King.
DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
To-night!
An age!—How many hours to night?
MADAME DE MONTESPAN.
You know
My office makes my home the royal palace;
I serve the Queen, and thus shall see your Louis
Ere the sun set.
DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
You!—happy you!
85
Perchance,
(The King is ever gracious to your friends,
And knows me of the nearest,) I might whisper,
Though with less sweet a tone, your message to him,
And be your dove, and bear you back the olive?
DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
My kind Athenè!
MADAME DE MONTESPAN.
Nay, 'tis yours the kindness,
To wear my love so near your heart. But, tell me,
Since you accept my heraldry, the cause
Of strife between you in this court of Love.
DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
Alas! I know not—save that I offended!
The wherefore boots the heart that loves to know?
MADAME DE MONTESPAN.
Not much, I own, the poor defendant—woman,
But much the advocate; I need the brief.
DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
Methinks his kingly nature chafes to see
It cannot rule the conscience as the heart;
86
Sad thoughts for lonely hours.—Athenè, tell him,
That if he smile once more upon Louise,
The smile shall never pass from that it shines on;
Say—but I'll write myself.
(Sits down to the table and writes.)
MADAME DE MONTESPAN
(aside.)
What need of schemes—
Lauzun's keen wit—Athenè's plotting spirit?
She weaves herself the web that shall ensnare her!
DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
There; back these feeble words with all thy beauty,
Thy conquering eyes, and thy bewitching smile.
Sure never suit can fail with such a pleader!
And now a little while to holier sadness,
And thine accusing memory, Bragelone!
MADAME DE MONTESPAN.
Whom speak you of?—the hero of the Fronde?
Who seemed the last of the old Norman race,
And half preserved to this degenerate age
The lordly shape the ancient Bayards wore!
DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
You praise him well! He was my father's friend,
And should have been his son. We were affianced,
87
You mourned for him—how much more cause have I!
MADAME DE MONTESPAN
(quickly.)
What! he is dead? your grief the king resented?
Knew he your troth had thus been plighted?
DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
Yes;
And still he seemed to deem it sin to mourn him!
MADAME DE MONTESPAN
(aside.)
A clue—another clue—that I will follow,
Until it lead me to the throne!— (Aloud.)
Well, cheer thee;
Trust your true friend; rely on my persuasion.
Methinks I never tasked its powers till now.
Farewell, and fear not! Oh! I'll plead your cause,
As if myself the client!— (Aside.)
Thou art sentenced!
[Exit Madame de Montespan.
DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE.
'Tis a sweet solace still to have a friend—
A friend in woman! Oh, to what a reed
We bind our destinies, when man we love!
Peace, honour, conscience lost—if I lose him,
What have I left? How sinks my heart within me!
88
Learns night to smile!—And I'm the thing they envy!
[Exit Duchess de la Vallière.
In representation, the actress who may perform the Duchess de la Vallière will pardon me for observing, that the words in italics should be said, not ironically, but with a kind of sad and patient wonder. She should appear lost in amazed abstraction at the contrast between her real feelings and the envy she excites, and wake from it with a slight start and smile. And, in one word, now that I am on that subject, the actress should remember that the very soul of La Vallière's character is simplicity; and that there are few passages in which the natural tone of voice will not be more suitable and more effective than the declamatory.
| The Duchess de la Vallière | |