 | The Secret in Words |  |
213
SCENE III.
—A ROOM IN THE PALACE OF THE DUCHESS:—EVENING.Enter FLERIDA and LAURA; LIVIA and FLORA attending with lights.
FLERIDA.
You can here set down the lights,
And then leave me for a little;
No society I want,—
Even mine own I could dispense with.
LIVIA
to Flora.
What strange sadness!
FLORA
to Livia.
It is more
Even than sadness, 'tis delirium.
Livia and Flora go out. Laura is about following.
FLERIDA.
Laura, do not thou retire.
LAURA.
How, Señora, can I serve thee?
FLERIDA.
By a little kindly act,
Since alone your faithful friendship
I can trust.
LAURA.
And your commands?
214
Are, when Frederick hither cometh,
That you stay behind this door,
And by every means that caution
Can devise, prevent the chance
Of a listener.
LAURA.
Be certain
I shall fail not in due care,
As you'll see; but has there happened
Aught that's new?
FLERIDA.
I have resolved
To find out by a manœuvre,
Who his mistress is.
LAURA.
Who is
His mistress?
FLERIDA.
Yes.
LAURA.
I cannot fancy
[Aside.
In what manner:—oh! if I
Can but make her tell the method,
When he enters here, I can
Secretly apprize him of it.
FLERIDA.
Hear, then, Laura ......
LAURA.
Yes, I hear thee.
215
That I know, he carries hid ......
But he comes, and now I could not
Tell without his hearing me;
But I give thee leave to listen
To the plan that I have formed:—
Now conceal thee.
LAURA.
I will do so:—
Giving little thanks, I own,
[Aside.
For the licence you have given;
Even had you not permitted,
I had taken leave to hear.
Conceals herself.
Enter FREDERICK with a portfolio and papers.
FREDERICK.
Here, Señora, are the papers.
FLERIDA.
Leave them there, for I no longer
Can permit that you should hold them;
Or that you should act henceforward
As my confidential agent.
Faithless servant—base betrayer
Of my interest and honour.
FREDERICK.
Lady, how have I been wanting
In my duty, as to merit
For my long and faithful service,
Such an infamous reproach?
FLERIDA.
Dost thou dare to ask me wherefore,
Knowing that I have sufficient
Evidence to prove thy guilt?
216
Let me know on what foundation
Rests the notion of my guilt ......
LAURA,
peeping.
I am curious to discover
How by such a charge, Flerida
Means his lady's name to learn.
FREDERICK.
And I trust to exculpate me.
FLERIDA.
I will tell you; information
Has been given me of collusion
'Twixt my greatest foe and you!
FREDERICK.
Ah; Señora, if I harboured
In my house the Duke of Mantua,
It was but the night he sought me
Here at Parma in disguise.
FLERIDA,
aside.
How is this?—the duke! All-seeing
Heaven, that knows I only sported
With a fond, fictitious anger,
Now has sent a real cause!
FREDERICK.
He has lived within the palace
Since your highness spoke unto him.
FLERIDA.
Was the duke the cavalier whom
I admitted to my palace?
FREDERICK.
Yes, Señora.
217
aside.
Oh! how often
Is a truth the child of falsehood!
LAURA,
at the door.
Scared by terror after terror,
Still I cannot see her meaning.
FLERIDA.
Why from me was this kept secret?
FREDERICK.
As the suitor of your highness,
I believed that you would pardon
What was but love's indiscretion,
Not the dark crime of a traitor.
FLERIDA.
Now, I understand 'twas easy
To present my letter to him.
FREDERICK.
Yes, Señora; at the moment
I was going on my journey
He arrived: and I was able
Without going out of Parma,
Thus to execute my mission.
FLERIDA.
Well, allowing that to be so,
Tell me, whence came Laura's letter?
FREDERICK.
That—the duke himself brought with him.
218
at the door.
He has answered most adroitly;
But I yet cannot discover
How she means to gain her object.
FLERIDA.
Do you think my information
Endeth here? Produce the letters
Which you have received this morning
From his grace the Duke of Florence,
On the subject of the ancient
Claim he makes upon my kingdom.
FREDERICK.
Humbly I entreat your highness,
That at least you will remember
Who I am: if I have acted
Wrong in giving my assistance
To a lover who adores you,
Do not think that I am guilty
Of a crime, so much unworthy
Of my stainless blood and honour.
FLERIDA.
He who finds one crime when starting,
May find many on the journey.
Give the letters I have asked for.
FREDERICK.
Letters! Take, oh! take, Señora,
All the papers that I carry.
Take the keys of all the others
In my house; and if in searching
You can find the smallest cypher
Of disloyalty or treason,
Then my life shall be the forfeit.
He draws out a handkerchief, a bunch of keys, and a small box, or miniature-case, which last he conceals.
219
What is that you seem so anxious
To conceal?
FREDERICK.
A box.
FLERIDA.
Permit me
To examine it.
FREDERICK.
I plainly
[Aside.
Now can understand her meaning.—
As this box cannot, Señora,
Be the proof of any treason,
I implore you to excuse me.
LAURA,
at the door.
Gracious Heavens! it is my portrait.
FLERIDA.
I insist at once on knowing
What this box contains.
LAURA,
aside.
We're ruined!
FREDERICK.
'Tis a portrait; and if only
This you wish to know, Señora,
Now you know it.
FLERIDA.
Till I see it
I will not believe: produce it.
220
If, Senora—
LAURA.
What a trial!
FREDERICK.
It were this—
LAURA.
What dreadful danger!
FREDERICK.
That did make me—
LAURA.
How I tremble!
FREDERICK.
Traitor to your grace,
LAURA.
What terror!
FREDERICK.
Rightly—
LAURA.
Oh! what bitter anguish!
FREDERICK.
Would you call me.
LAURA.
Cruel torture!
FREDERICK.
But before I—
LAURA.
What confusion!
221
Would expose it—
LAURA.
What misfortune!
FREDERICK.
I a thousand deaths would suffer!
Laura slips from her hiding-place, snatches the portrait from his hands, changes it instantly for the portrait of Frederick, which she herself had, and gives the latter to Flerida.
LAURA.
Traitor! wilt thou now refuse it?
FREDERICK.
Laura, how is this?
LAURA.
'Tis simply,
That I heard your conversation—
Heard her grace demand to see it,
And your ungallant refusal.
Take it from my hands, Señora.
FLERIDA.
Never in my whole existence
Did you do me greater service.
FREDERICK,
aside.
Doubtless, Laura takes this method
Of proclaiming our affection.
FLERIDA.
Bring the candle hither, Laura.—
Now at length I'll see this wonder
[Aside.
That awakes my jealous fears.
222
When she recognises Laura,
What will be her wrath!
[Aside.
FLERIDA.
Oh! heavens!
What is this I see?
LAURA,
to Flerida.
No question—
'Tis the gentleman's own likeness!
FLERIDA.
Why so anxious to conceal this?
FREDERICK.
Do you wonder, when it gives
To my eyes the dearest object
That the world contains?
FLERIDA.
Aye, true,
Since you love it as yourself;
Laura, what is this has happened?
[Aside to Laura.]
What can be its meaning, say?
LAURA.
How can I know aught about it
More than you have seen?
FLERIDA,
aside.
I can
Scarce restrain my rising anger.—
She gives the portrait to Laura and retires.
Take it, for I must withdraw
To avoid an open rupture.
Give the picture back to this
Self-adoring new Narcissus—
223
To say naught:—My heart is Etna—
Serpents brood within my bosom—
Basilisks within my soul!
[Exit.
FREDERICK.
Tell me, Laura, how it happens,
That her grace, your portrait seeing,
Does not seem to be offended,
Nor with thee, nor yet with me?
LAURA.
See, I merely changed the pictures,
Giving thine, and keeping mine!
FREDERICK.
Wit like thine could only draw us
From a danger so extreme.
LAURA.
Yes, but then she still continues
Apt and able as before.
FREDERICK.
Would that we were once in safety.
LAURA.
I, to-morrow shall advise
What 'tis best we should decide on:—
Take this picture, and adieu!—
Gives him one of the portraits.
FREDERICK.
Of the two self-seeming portraits
Which is this that now you give?
LAURA.
It is thine, lest she should ask it
Back again.
[Exit.
224
Thou'rt right; O Heavens!
Never was there equal danger!—
Who could e'er have thought ......?
Enter FABIO, with two dresses on his arm.
FABIO.
My lord,
Which of these two handsome dresses
Am I to put on?
FREDERICK.
Thou wretch!—
Base-born, vile, atrocious villain.
FABIO.
It is this that now I get?—
FREDERICK.
Yes, for through thy fault, I see me
Almost lost without redress.
FABIO.
And I too without a dress.
FREDERICK.
Did you think then, that this portrait
Was a lady's, and not mine?
FABIO.
No, my lord, for I was certain
That you loved yourself right well.
FREDERICK.
As God lives! you die this moment
'Neath my hands!
FABIO.
O Lord! I'm off.
225
aside.
But this rage is injudicious,
Having just escaped so well:
It is best not drive things farther:—
Fabio!
FABIO.
Master!—
FREDERICK.
Come with me,
And select what dress doth please you,
Since I know that in this matter
Thou art true, and not to blame.
FABIO,
aside.
Such caprice was never equalled!
Well, by Heaven, if I had any
Sense to lose—I'd lose it now.
[Exeunt.
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