Beyond redemption !-Look, Sir Rupert!

Sir Rup. Well?

Sir Con. Catherine's for hire: she must take service.

All

Her wealth is gone.

Sir Rup. [Cheerfully.[ Is gone?

Sir Con. It makes you glad!

Sir Rup. Now could I woo her with the best of ye!

Her match in fortune, I could praise her now,

Dreading no charge of venal flattery.

Fair sir, take pity on an honest heart,
And loving one; and as you know the haunt
This gentle fawn hath slunk to, tell it me,

That I may straight o'ertake and make her mine.
Sir O. Better you wait to-morrow's tournament,
As we shall.

Cath. Gentlemen, you do not know

Your man.

The simple truth is this-your friend lacks mettle.
Sir Rup. Sir!

Cath. He can bluster, that is evident.

See what a giant!-he would eat me up,

If he could; but think you, sirs, I heed his club!
Give me a straw, I'll face him. You mistake
Your friend :—his frame's robust enough, but, 'faith,
His spirit is a lean one.

If

Sir Rup. 'Sdeath, sir!

Cath. Ho!

you have sworn men into agues, sir,

Don't try your skill on me. My parrot swears

As well as you, and just as much I heed him.

Sir Rup. [Drawing.] It passeth all endurance-pshaw, a stripling!

Cath. A stripling, sir?-to make an oak afeard!

Sir Rup. [Again drawing.] Indeed!

Cath. As I do live, his sword is out!

But he's a spaniel, as I'll prove to you,

Who thinks he bites, by showing you his teeth.
Here's for you, sir. [Draws.] But hold-what day is thi
Sir Con. Friday.

Cath. I never fight on Fridays, sirs:

My killing days are all the rest of the week,

E'en Sundays not excepted.

Is a coward.

Sir Rup. Furies!

Sirs, your friend

[Coolly puts up her sword.

Cath. Fiends, and all sorts of imps!

Swearing won't save you, sir-I'll prove my words.
I dare you at the tournament, to-morrow,
To break a lance with me.-Observe you,

I'll wager

sirs:

My sword to your dagger, he takes flight to-day,
And waits not for to-morrow.

Sir Rup. Will I not?

I will have satisfaction:-I accept

His challenge. I will have satisfaction, sirs!

Cath. You shall, and have it to your heart's content. Take linsey-woolsey with a halt, and the skin

Of a negro, rather than essay a tilt

With chance to win a Countess! I could laugh
To scorn, the man that would believe him! Oh!
He shall have satisfaction! I could beat him
With a rush in rest.—He shall have satisfaction!
Sirs, he will cower at the very sight of me!
Fall on his knees, and beg his life of me
With clasped hands. He shall have satisfaction!

[They go out severally.

SCENE III-A Room in the Castle.

Enter COUNTESS, L. U. E.

Coun. It is confirmed the place he holds beside her, Her every action speaks. Of all her court, He is the only one, whose duties to her She takes as favours, not as things of course. He comes! Who stops him thus untimely ? How changed he is! The fiery hardihood Of the life he hath of late made consort of, Hath given another spirit to his eyes; His face is cast anew, as circumstance Could alter Nature's modelling, and work, Improving on her mould. Is that the man Was once my father's serf, and I did scorn? Fell ever at my wayward frown that brow? Or stooped that knee for me, to kiss the ground? Would they do it now? Fell ever at my feet

That form, as prostrate as the hand of death

Had struck it to the floor? 'Twould take that hand
To lay it now there-and a waive of mine

Had done it once! If he confesses hold

Of any other, never shall he learn

His hold of me; but if he strives in love,

I bless my stars I have the 'vantage ground.

[Huon enters and remains standing at a distance, with his eyes on the ground.

Coun. Is Huon here, and does not Huon speak. [Pauses. Absent so long, no greeting for a friend?

A woman, too! [Pauses.] No salutation kind,
Prelude of happy news she'd joy to hear,-
Relation of adventures she would thrill
To listen to,-exploits she would wonder at,
And the next moment at her wonder blush,
Knowing whose arm achieved them!
Huon. I am glad

To find you well.

Coun. You are glad to find me well?

I hope you are! It were not saying much,

I trust, to say I know you are!

You are glad

To find me well! Is that your news for me?
If 'tis, it is strange news.

Huon. You wished to see me,

And I am here to learn your will.

Coun. More news!

You are a friend worth parting with, you bring
Such marvels home with you! Some time, methinks,
Since last we met together, and you are glad

To find me well!—and, as I wished to see you,

You are here to learn my will! You were not here,
Had not I sent for you.

Huon. It would have been

Presumptuous.

Coun. Presumptuous ?

Huon. Yes, madam,

In the serf.

Coun. With sudden indignation.] No, sir, not in the favourite

Of the Empress! [She rises.] Huon, this is not the way We ought to meet—it should not be in anger!

You are come home, and you are welcome home.
Requires my tongue a backer to give credence?
Well, there's my hand beside ! Do you not take
My hand?

Huon. You are a noble lady, madam,

Whose father was my lord, by leave of whom
I thought, and had a will-did what I did—
Yea, kept the very blood within my veins.
Behoves it I should take his daughter's hand?
Coun. You mock me!

Huon. Would I did, and 'twere a dream!
But dreams are not repeated day by day,
And day by day reminds me of a time
I was your father's serf.

Coun. No more of this.

Huon. Oh, would no more! The wounded body heals: The pain is over, all is sound again,

A scar reminds you of it—nothing more!
Not so the heart, you lacerate it once!
Habit may dull, pursuit engross-divert;
But never are you ransomed from the throe.
Live your meridian out, it comes again,
Fresh as at first, to make you writhe anew.
Coun. We do not meet to talk of grievances.
Huon, I offered you my hand just now.

Huon. Oh! 'tis a hand

Thou hast forbidden mine to meet.

Coun. No, Huon,

Not as friends. [Sits. Then aside, recovering herself. I'll see him clearly first.

Bit down, and let us talk. I have fifty things

I want to say to you, yet know not which

To begin with. Huon, do you like the Empress ?

Huon. Like her!

Coun. Yes-like her!

That's the word I said.

Perhaps it should be, "love her?"

Huon. Love her, madam!

Coun. [Interrupting him.] I see you do! Go on! What

were you going

To say?

Huon. Oh, contrast marvellous! beyond

Belief of nature!

4

Coun. Ay! 'twixt her and me!

Go on! The contrast? Best we understand
Each other.-Well! The contrast?

Huon. 'Twere as one

Should find the sun by following the night;
Should plunge into her regions, and for chill,
And gloom, and steriless, find light and warmth,
And verdure, such as should belong to day!
'Twere as death owned a heart, and life had none,
But with the shows of animation

Did lodge within its breast a core of stone,

While still the ribs of death had pulse within them.
Coun. Am I that day, that life, compared to which
Death, night, are e'en so rich? Is she thou servest
That death, that night, preferred to life and day?
Huon. Oh! I did love thee to oblivion

Of myself! What nature gave me to assert,
The man neglecting, as despised things
Compared to thee! That she intended me
For deeds of nobleness, I may confess,
Seeing that others own I have achieved them.
Yet I abused her bounties-and for what?
Scorns-wrongs-through love of thee preferred them!

Until the cause itself

That made me bear them-thou didst make a means
Of yet unknown oppression. That I bore-
But there did patience cease! Yes! not until
Coercéd there, where, spared, I were content
To last the thrall of passion's lethargy,
Did I rebel! But when I was struck down
Prostrate, as for the sake of flesh and blood
Behoves not slaves to lie-with marvel on't
I waked to sense of what I ought to be :-
Of what, against my will, 'twas past the sport
Of power to change me from-A MAN!—and straight
A man I started up! a man, resolved

To use his attributes as fits a man,

To vindicate the ancient, common birthright,
And answer the design of Him that framed him!

Coun. So! you have registered your debts to me,

No item overlooked thou knowest of

What, now, if I could name to thee one debt,