University of Virginia Library

III.

Dumps.
Folks say my face is sad, and so it is:
Who could be cheerful in a world like this?
But yesterday the Prince was shown to me
As being happy as a man could be.
And the Princess, they said, was happy too,
But now they both look wretched. Oh, bohoo!
[Weeps.
He thought her once the fairest of the fair,
But now her very sight he cannot bear!
Perhaps, through this Black Showman? Woe, ah, woe!
And yet he can't deny I told him so;
That is some comfort. Hush! Mistaken word!
Comfort on earth? The notion is absurd.
No comfort, none. The world is dark and sad,
And everything and everybody bad.
[Weeps.
What did the Showman pass before his sight?
He says, things beautiful, and gay, and bright,
And nothing else. And yet, strange mysteries!
No beauty in the Princess now he sees,
He shuns the sight of her. This clearly shows
That all is hollow, and doth end in woes.
Here comes the Prince.

Enter Prince.
Prince.
Alas, my doleful friend!
If you know logic, use it now. Attend!
Once I was happy. Once I thought my girl
A rose, a dove, a lily, a star, a pearl—

Dumps.
Forgive me, Prince. These all at once?

Prince.
Just so.

Dumps.
Then, Prince, as a logician, I say, no;
It is impossible a girl can be
Rose, lily, star, dove, pearl, at once.

Prince.
Let be!
I say, I loved her; thought her beautiful;—
Now for your logic! Why has love grown cold?
I mean my love, for she—she loves me still;
And so we fret—and—oh, Dumps, I'm so ill!

Enter Princess, with a flower—Aside.
Princess.
Ah, there he is! He loves me—loves me not.
Why was I born to this unhappy lot?
Have I grown wicked? ugly? stupid? cross?
No, I am just the same girl that I was.
Last week he loved me dearly; but this week
The Prince has not come near me, even to speak.
Why, why? Oh, there is something in the air
Keeps us apart.
[Exit Princess.

Prince.
Dumps! Hide me anywhere!
It is not that I do not love my Fair,
It is, I cannot love the girl aright!
Something has happened, surely, to my sight.
Once, once, she drew my whole soul to her; now
I fly from her, in spite of prayer and vow.

Dumps
(whispering to him).
Prince! the Black Showman! In that show of his,
Whatever you saw, it made you lose your bliss!

Prince.
Oh, Dumps, perhaps you have hit it. Are you sure?
And if you have, can logic find a cure?
If the Black Showman has upset me so,
What shall I do?

Dumps.
Why, call the White! What ho!
White Showman!

Enter White Showman.
White Showman.
I am with you once again.
I see, Prince, all your joy has turned to pain.

Prince
(averting his face).
Yes, I have been to the Black Showman's show,
And cannot love my Princess.

White Showman.
Ah! I know!
Suppose you never should see clear again?
Such things have threatened! But let us try amain.
[Draws circles in the air.
Look forth due east, and tell me what you see!

Prince.
Nothing but mist!

White Showman
(making fresh circles in the air).
Again look forth.

Prince.
Ah me!
The mist is lifting, curling; I behold
Things upside down, confusion manifold,
Dim daybreak—

White Showman
(making fresh circles in the air).
Now look steadily again.

Prince.
The morning is up; there has been a rain;
The wind blows sweetly,
The river runs fleetly,
The lark is singing,
And bells are ringing
The people to prayer,
In a church in a valley,
And everywhere
Life makes a sally;
It sends a shiver
Along the river,
And into the places
Where furry shy creatures
Are running races
And into the features
Of men and women;
And, under the swimming
White clouds in the sky,
It seems as if nothing
Could ever feel loathing,
Or change or die!

White Showman.
Now look again, and tell me what you see.

Prince.
I see my Princess! Give her back to me!
She is the fairest fair since time began,
And I—oh, sir, I am the happiest man!

White Showman.
But look again, Prince. What do you behold?
Ah, the sky darkens, and the earth grows old!
Ah, the Black Showman, and the Princess—woe!

Dumps.
Exactly, Prince; I always told you so!

Prince.
He bears her off!

White Showman.
To put her in his show!
He cannot love, and does not want her heart;
He only wants her in his travelling cart,
Because she is so lovely.

Prince.
The Black Cur!

White Showman.
Sir, what he wants is to exhibit her;
He knows her beauty, Prince.

Prince.
But not her worth.

White Showman.
Right! That he cannot know.

Prince.
All round the earth
I will pursue him! I will have her back!
Break up this party. I am on his track
Soon, Showman.
[The White Showman has vanished.
He's gone. Dumps, where are you?

Dumps.
What I have always told you has come true—
This is a miserable world.

Prince.
Dumps, peace!
Hark, hark! You soon shall hear of her release!

[Voice of the Princess in the distance singing.
Princess.
The light is above me,
The cloud is behind me,
Till he that can love me
Shall follow and find me,
And mind me, and bind me, and make me his own.
Will he seek me, and follow,
By hill and by hollow,
By river and heather,
In night and wild weather,
And love me alone,
And take me and gather
The flowers in my zone?

Prince.
Oh! I must find her, or I shall go mad.

[Rushes off, listening intently.
Dumps.
This is remarkable, but very sad,
And most illogical; in fact, too bad.

Prince
(shouting from behind).
Wait for The Rescue of the Fair Princess.

Dumps.
It makes no difference. All is wretchedness!

[Exit weeping aloud.