Charles Di Tocca: A Tragedy

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Cale Rice

Год написания книги

2017

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Cecco: Sir —

Antonio: Forth with it!
She direness of her mistress brings? some tale
That earth elsewhere abyssless gaped her up?
That butterfly or bud turn asp to bite her?

Cecco: Sir – she – the maid craves audience with the duke.

Antonio: Fetch her, and quickly.

    (Cecco goes.

Fulvia: Reason, Antonio.
She will but whimper, tell what overmuch
Of grief her mistress makes for you: of tears
Your sunny coming will dry in her.

Antonio (putting her aside): These
Hours come not of any good, but are
Infected with resolved adversity.
This dread! —

Fulvia: They ever dread who have but quit
The shadow of some doom and the dismay.

Re-enter Cecco, with Paula weeping

Antonio: Girl! girl! Thy mistress?

Paula (shrinking): O! —

Antonio: I am no ghost.
Thy mistress?

Paula: Mary, Mother! (Sinks praying.)

Antonio (lifting her up): Look on me. See!
I have not been down in the grave, nor ev'n
A moment beyond earth. Do you not hear!

Paula (looking at him): Sir!

Antonio: Tell me.

Paula (hysterically): Go to her, O, go to her.

Antonio: But, child – ?

Paula: She, O! – go seek her, O, she is —

Antonio: Where, Paula?

Paula: Blind all day she moaned and wept.

Antonio: My Helena!

Paula: And when the sun was gone,
Came quiet, kissed me – O, go seek her, sir!

Antonio: Kissed you – ?

Paula: Then to me gave these jewels. O!
And darkly cloaked stole out into the night.

Charles: Alone?

Antonio: Whither, quick, whither?

Paula: Ah, I do
Not know: but she —

Antonio: Pray, pray, tell out your dread.

Paula: Last night she said, "My heart is in my lord
Antonio's to beat or cease with it."
I learned her words – they seemed so pretty.

Charles (gasping): Ah!

Antonio: Why do you gasp? – Paula —

Charles: If she – the cliff!
Antonio: The cliff! The – ?

    (Staggers dizzily, then rushes out.

Charles: Let one go with him – bring
Us what hath passed – hath passed.

    (A Soldier goes.

Paula (with uncontrollable terror): My lady!

Charles: Child,
I cannot bear thy voice upon my heart!
It hath a tone – a clutch – no more, no more!
I cannot bear it! We must wait. No hap
Has been – no hap, I think – surely no hap.