University of Virginia Library

ACT V.

Scene I.

—An ante-chamber to the drawing-room.
Enter Anne.
ANNE.
To bear my death about me till I die
And always put the time off, tremblingly,
As if I loved to live thus, would be worse
Than death and meaner than the sin to die.
The sin to kill myself—or think of it—
I have sinned that sin already. Not a day
That brings the day I cannot live to see
Nearer, but burns my heart like flame and makes
My thoughts within me serpents fanged with fire.
He would not weep if I were dead, and she
Would. If I make no better haste to die,
I shall go mad and tell him—pray to him,
If not for love, for mercy on me—cry
‘Look at me once—not as you look at her,
But not as every day you look at me—
And see who loves you, Reginald.’ Ah God,
That one should yearn at heart to do or say
What if it ever could be said or done
Would strike one dead with shame!

MABEL
(singing in the next room).

ANNE.
For love of death,
For love of death it is that all things live
And all joys bring forth sorrows. Sorrow and death
Have need of life and love to prey upon
Lest they too die as these do. What am I
That I should live? A thousand times it seems
I have drawn this flasket out to look on it
And dream of dying, since first I seized it—stole,
And Arthur never missed it. Yet again
The thought strikes back and stabs me, what are they,
What are they all, that they should live, and I
Die? Arthur told me, surely, that this death
Was pangless—swift and soft as when betimes
We sink away to sleep. If sin it is,
I will die praying for pardon: God must see
I am no more fit to live than is a bird
Wounded to death.

Enter Sir Francis, Sir Arthur, and Frank.
SIR FRANCIS.
Well, Anne, and could you rest
Well after murdering Mabel? Here is Frank
Declares his crimes would hardly let him sleep:
While he who made you criminals appears
Shamelessly happy.

FRANK.
Redgie always was
Hardened: the plays he used to improvise
At school were deep in bloodshed.

SIR ARTHUR.
Let us trust
That happiness and age may make his Muse
Milder.

ANNE.
I am sure I hope so. It was hard
To find yourself so wicked.

SIR FRANCIS.
Hard on you,
Certainly. Were you tired?

ANNE.
Why? Do I look
Tired?

SIR FRANCIS.
Well, not tired exactly; still, your eyes
Look hot and dull.

ANNE.
All eyes cannot be bright
Always, like Reginald's and Mabel's.

SIR ARTHUR.
Ah,
It does one good to see them. Since the world
Began, or love began it, never was
A brighter pair of lovers. What a life
Will theirs be, if the morning of it mean
Really the thing it seems to say, and noon
Keep half the promise of it!

FRANK.
That it should,
If they get only their deserts: they are,
He the best fellow, she the best girl born.

SIR FRANCIS.
You're not a bad friend, Frank, I will say.

ANNE.
No.
He is not.

SIR FRANCIS.
What your father would have said
To my approval of the match, perhaps
It's best not guessing: but the harshest brute
That ever made his broken-hearted ward
The subject or the heroine of a tale
Must, I think, have relented here.

SIR ARTHUR.
But still
We are none the less your debtors—Redgie and I.
It lays on me an obligation too,
Your generous goodness to him.

SIR FRANCIS.
No, none at all.
I would not let the youngster tell me so.
Enter Reginald and Mabel.
So, you can look us in the face, my boy,
And not be, as you should, ashamed to see
How much less happy are other folk than you?
Your face is like the morning.

REGINALD.
Does it blush?
You'd see I was ashamed then.

MABEL.
What, of me,
Redgie? It's rather soon to say so. Still,
It's not too late—happily.

SIR FRANCIS.
Nothing can
Happen that does not fall out happily,
It seems, for you—and nothing should, I think,
Ever. Come with me, Frank: I want you.

FRANK.
Why?

SIR FRANCIS.
I never thought you quite so dull till now.
Come.

[Exeunt Sir Francis and Frank.
SIR ARTHUR.
Take me with you: I'm superfluous too.

[Exit.
MABEL.
Don't you go, Anne.

ANNE.
I will not if you wish.

MABEL.
I do, and so does Redgie. We have seen
These last few days as little of you, you know,
As if you had been—well, anywhere.

ANNE.
Except,
Remember, at rehearsals; and last night
We came against each other on the stage.

MABEL.
Indeed we did. Is that a property
You have kept about you?

ANNE.
What? where? this—ah no,
A—something for a touch of cold I caught
Last night—I think at least it was last night.
Arthur prescribed it for me.

MABEL.
Let me taste.
I am hoarse—I am sure I must be hoarse to-day
With rattling out all Redgie's rant—much more
Than you did.

ANNE.
No: you do not want it.

MABEL.
Anne!

ANNE.
You cannot want it, Mabel.

MABEL.
How can you
Know? Don't be positive—and selfish.

ANNE.
There—
Take it. No—do not taste it, Mabel.

MABEL.
Look,
Redgie, how strange a pretty colour! Why,
One wants a name to praise it—and it smells
Like miles on miles of almond-blossom, all
Condensed in one full flower. If this had been
The poison Anne and you prepared for me,
I really would have taken it last night
And not pretended, as I did, to sip,
And kept my lips dry.

[Drinks.
REGINALD.
Does the flavour match
The colour?

MABEL.
It's a sweet strange taste. Don't you
Try: you won't like it.

REGINALD.
Let me know, at least.

[Drinks.
ANNE.
You do not yet: or do you now know?

MABEL.
Anne!
What have we done—and you? What is it?

ANNE.
Death,
Mabel. You see, you would not let me die
And leave you living.

MABEL.
Death? She is mad—she is mad!
Reginald, help us—her and me—but her
First.

REGINALD.
Lean hardly help myself to stand.
Sit you down by me.

ANNE.
Can the sun still shine?
I did not mean to murder you.

MABEL.
And yet
We are dying, are we not—dying?

ANNE.
I meant
To die, and never sin again or see
How happy past all dreams of happiness
You, whom he loved, and he, who loved you, were.

Re-enter Sir Francis, Sir Arthur, and Frank.
SIR FRANCIS.
We are here again, you see, already. Why,
What strange new tragic play is this you are all
Rehearsing?

ANNE.
Mabel, if you can forgive,
Say so. I may remember that in hell.

MABEL.
I do. And so does Redgie. But you might
Have spared or saved him.

ANNE.
How, and let you die?

REGINALD.
Ah, how? She did not mean it.

ANNE.
And do you
Forgive me?

REGINALD.
Surely. I am one with her,
And she forgives.

SIR ARTHUR.
They are dying indeed. And she
Has killed them.

REGINALD.
No. She did not mean.

MABEL.
Indeed,
She did not.

SIR FRANCIS.
God in heaven! What dream is this?

ANNE.
God help me! But God will not. I must die
Alone, if they forgive me. I must die.

[Exit.
REGINALD.
It was a terrible accident, you see—
Was it not, Mabel? That is all we know.

MABEL.
All.

FRANK.
Redgie, will you speak to me?

REGINALD.
Good night,
Frank—dear old Frank—my brother and hers. And you,
Good night, dear Arthur. Think we are going to see
Our mother, Mabel—Frank's and ours.

MABEL.
I will.
But, Reginald, how hard it is to go!

REGINALD.
We have been so happy, darling, let us die
Thinking of that, and thanking God.

MABEL.
I will.
Kiss me. Ah, Redgie!

[Dies.
REGINALD.
Mabel! I am here.

[Dies.
SIR ARTHUR.
They could have lived no happier than they die.