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ACT I
Dialogue
| DOROTHY. | Kneel not to me! |
| MANNERS. | To whom else should I kneel? A loyal subject bends before his queen; And mine art thou! |
| DOROTHY. | Hush! not so loud! Not long have I to stay. Moments are precious |
| MANNERS. | When they are with thee. |
| DOROTHY. | Nay, let me speak; for I have much
to say. Our cousin Rupert comes to-day to wed me. |
| MANNERS. | Let twenty cousins come, I fear them not! Thy word is pledged. |
| DOROTHY. | And 'tis an easy task To keep an oath one hath no will to break. But what are vows, if they are vowed in vain? My father will not hearken to thy suit. |
| MANNERS. | What says he? |
| DOROTHY. | That thou must lay down thine arms, Ere he will hearken. |
| MANNERS. | I, forswear the king? |
| DOROTHY. | Oh, tell me, sweetheart, is thy love
so great That thou wouldst do this for thy true love's sake? |
| MANNERS. | Great is my love - greater than lord or
king - But there is one thing greater than my love, One thing that e'en for thine I cannot do, And that thou askest me! |
| DOROTHY. | Dost thou refuse? |
| MANNERS. | False to myself, I should be false to
thee, And heaven would curse our love; I should not dare To wear a garland so ignobly won, Lest with my touch I soiled it. It would drop, Withered and wan, in ashes, at my feet, Its perfumes changed to odours of decay. Nay, sweetheart mine, I will not make thy face — My noonday sun - my morning, evening star — A haunting spectre, symbol of my shame! |
| DOROTHY. | That is thine answer? |
| MANNERS. | There could be but one. |
| DOROTHY. | Now am I thine for ever! Oh, my love, That is the answer I had prayed of thee! Hadst thou said aye, my love for thee had died. My word I would have kept: but in my heart Thine image would have fallen from its shrine. Thine in the flesh I might have been; but now, Thine in the spirit I shall be for ever! |
| MANNERS. | All angels guard thee! |
| DOROTHY. | Hark! the tocsin bell! Farewell, beloved! |
| MANNERS. | Sweetheart, fare thee well! |
Exeunt.
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Page modified 27 May 2015