the lady of lyons-第10节
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I have set it all right now。 What has become of him？
He could not have joined the army； after all。 There is no such name
in the books。
Damas。 I know nothing about Melnotte。 As you say； I never heard
the name in the Grand Army。
Beau。 Hem！You are not married； general？
Damas。 Do I look like a married man； sir？No； thank Heaven！
My profession is to make widows； not wives。
Beau。 You must have gained much booty in Italy！ Pauline will be
your heiresseh？
Damas。 Booty！ Not I！ Heiress to what？ Two trunks and a portmanteau；
four horses；three swords； two suits of regimentals； and six pair
of white leather inexpressibles！ A pretty fortune for a young lady！
Beau。 ＇aside。＇ Then all is safe！ ＇Aloud＇。 Ha！ ha！ Is that really
all your capital； General Damas？ Why； I thought Italy had been
a second Mexico to you soldiers。
Damas。 All a toss…up； sir。 I was not one of the lucky ones！
My friend Morier； indeed； saved something handsome。
But our commander…in…chief took care of him； and Morier is a thrifty；
economical dog；not like the rest of us soldiers； who spend our
money as carelessly as if it were our blood。
Beau。 Well； it is no matter！ I do not want fortune with Pauline。 And you
must know； General Damas； that your fair cousin has at length
consented to reward my long and ardent attachment。
Damas。 You！the devil！ Why； she is already married！
There is no divorce！
Beau。 True； but this very day she is formally to authorize
the necessary proceedings； this very day she is to sign the contract
that is to make her mine within one week from the day on which her
present illegal marriage is annulled。
Damas。 You tell me wonders！Wonders！ No； I believe anything of women！
Beau。 I must wish you good morning。 ＇As he is going； enter DESCHAPPELLES。
M。 Deschap。 Oh； Beauseant！ well met。 Let us come to the notary at once。
Damas ＇to Deschap。＇。 Why； cousin！
M。 Deschap。 Damas； welcome to Lyons。 Pray call on us； my wife
will be delighted to see you。
Damas。 Your wife be…blessed for her condescension！ But ＇taking
him aside＇ what do I hear？ Is it possible that your daughter has
consented to a divorce？that she will marry Monsieur Beauseant？
M。 Deschap。 Certainly。 What have you to say against it？
A gentleman of birth； fortune； character。 We are not so proud as we were；
even my wife has had enough of nobility and princes！
Damas。 But Pauline loved that young man so tenderly！
M。 Deschap。 ＇taking snuff＇。 That was two years and a half ago。
Damas。 Very true。 Poor Melnotte！
M。 Deschap。 But do not talk of that impostor； I hope he is dead
or has left the country。 Nay； even were he in Lyons at this moment；
he ought to rejoice that； in an honorable and suitable alliance；
my daughter may forget her sufferings and his crime。
Damas。Nay； if it be all settled； I have no more to say。
Monsieur Beauseant informs me that the contract is to be signed
this very day。
M。 Deschap； It is； at one o'clock precisely。 Will you be one
of the witnesses？
Damas。 I？No； that is to sayyes； certainly！at one o'clock I
will wait on you。
M。 Deschap。 Till then； adieucome Beauseant。
＇Exeunt BEAUSEANT and DESCHAPELLES
Damas。 The man who sets his heart upon a woman
Is a chameleon； and doth feed on air；
From air he takes his colorsholds his life；
Changes with every wind；grows lean or fat；
Rosy with hope； or green with jealousy；
Or pallid with despairjust as the gale
Varies from North to Southfrom heat to cold！
Oh； woman！ woman！ thou shouldst have few sins
Of thine own to answer for！ Thou art the author
Of such a book of follies in a man；
That it would need the tears of all the angels
To blot the record out！
＇Enter MELNOTTE； pale and agitated。
I need not tell thee！ Thou hast heard
Mel。 The worst！
I have！
Damas。 Be cheer'd； others are fair as she is！
Mel。 Others！ The world is crumbled at my feet！
She was my world； fill'd up the whole of being
Smiled in the sunshinewalk'd the glorious earth
Sate in my heartwas the sweet life of life。
The Past was hers； I dreamt not of a Future
That did not wear her shape！ Mem'ry and Hope
Alike are gone。 Pauline is faithless！ Henceforth
The universal space is desolate！
Damas。 Hope yet。
Mel。 Hope； yes！one hope is left me still
A soldier's grave！ Glory has died with love。
I look into my heart； and； where I saw
Pauline； see Death！
＇After a pause＇。But am I not deceived？
I went but by the rumor of the town；
Rumor is false；I was too hasty！ Damas；
Whom hast thou seen？
Damas。 Thy rival and her father。
Arm thyself for the truth。He heeds not。
Mel。 She。
Will never know how deeply she was loved！
The charitable night； that wont to bring
Comfort to…day； in bright and eloquent dreams；
Is henceforth leagued with misery！ Sleep； farewell；
Or else become eternal！ Oh； the waking
From false oblivion； and to see the sun；
And know she is another's！
Damas。 Be a man！
Mel。 I am a man！it is the sting of woe
Like mine that tells us we are men！；
Damas。 The false one
Did not deserve thee。
Mel。 Hush！No word against her！
Why should she keep； through years and silent absence；
The holy tablets of her virgin faith
True to a traitor's name！ Oh； blame her not；
It were a sharper grief to think her worthless
Than to be what I am！ To…day；to…day！
They； said 〃To…day！〃 This day； so wildly welcomed
This clay； my soul had singled out of time
And mark'd for bliss！ This day！ oh； could I see her；
See her once more unknown； but hear her voice。
So that one echo of its music might
Make ruin less appalling in its silence。
Damas。 Easily done！ Come with me to her house；
Your dressyour cloakmoustachethe bronzed hues
Of time and toilthe name you bearbelief
In your absence； all will ward away suspicion。
Keep in the shade。 Ay； I would have you come
There may be hope？ Pauline is yet so young；
They may have forced her to these second bridals
Out of mistaken love。
Mel。 No； bid me hope not！
Bid me not hope！ I could not bear again
To fall from such a heaven！ One gleam of sunshine；
And the ice breaks and I am lost！ Oh； Damas；
There's no such thing as courage in a man；
The veriest slave that ever crawl'd from danger
Might spurn me now。 When first I lost her； Damas；
I bore it； did I not？ I still had hope；
And now II（Bursts into an agony of grief。
Damas。 What； comrade！ all the women
That ever smiled destruction on brave hearts
Were not worth tears like these！
Mel。 'Tis pastforget it。
I am prepared； life has no further ills！
The cloud has broken in that stormy rain；
And on the waste I stand； alone with Heaven。
Damas。 His very face is changed； a breaking heart
Does its work soon！Come； Melnotte； rouse thyself：
One effort more。 Again thou'lt see her。
Mel。 See her！
There is a passion in that simple sentence
That shivers all the pride and power of reason
Into a chaos！
Damas。 Time wanes； come； ere yet It be too late。
Mel。 Terrible words〃Too late！〃 Lead on。 One last look more； and then
Damas。 Forget her！
Mel。 Forget her！ yesFor death remembers not。 ＇Exeunt。
SCENE II。
A room in the house of MONSIEUR DESCHAPPELLES； PAULINE seated in great
dejection。
Pauline。 It is so； then。 I must be false to Love；
Or sacrifice a father！ Oh； my Claude；
My lover； and my husband！ Have I lived
To pray that thou mayest find some fairer boon
Than the deep faith of this devoted heart
Nourish'd till nownow broken？
Enter MONSIEUR DESCHAPPELLES。
M。 Deschap。 My dear child；
How shall I thankhow bless thee？ Thou hast saved；
I will not say my fortuneI could bear
Reverse； and shrink notbut that prouder wealth
Which merchants value mostmy name； my credit
The hardwon honors of a toilsome life：
These thou hast saved； my child！
Pauline。 Is there no hope？
No hope but this？
M。 Deschap。 None。 If； without the sum
Which Beauseant offers for thy hand； this day
Sinks to the westto…morrow brings our ruin！
And hundreds； mingled in that ruin； curse
The bankrupt merchant！ and the insolvent herd
We feasted and made merry cry in scorn；
〃How pride has fallen！Lo； the bankrupt merchant！〃
My daughter； thou hast saved us！
Pauline。 And am lost！
M。 Deschap。 Come； let me hope that Beauseant's love
Pauline。 His love！
Talk not of love。 Love has no thought of self！
Love buys not with the ruthless usurer's gold
The loathsome prostitution of a hand
Without a heart？ Love sacrifices all things
To bless the thing it loves！ He knows not love。
Father； his love is hatehis hope revenge！
My tears； my anguish； my remorse for falsehood
These are the joys that he wrings from our despair！
M。 Deschap。 If thou deem'st thus； reject him！ Shame and ruin
Were better than thy misery；think no more o
