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the lady of lyons-第5部分

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Thou wilt be sent to the common gaol as a swindler。



Mel。  Fiend!



Beau。  And in the heat of the girl's resentment (you know of what

resentment is capable) and the parents' shame; she will be induced

to marry the first that offerseven perhaps your humble servant。



Mel。  You!  No; that were worsefor thou hast no mercy!

I will marry her。I will keep my oath。  Quick; then; with the damnable

invention thou art hatching;quick; if thou wouldst not have me

strangle thee or myself。



Gla。  What a tiger!  Too fierce for a prince; he ought to have been

the Grand Turk。



Beau。  EnoughI will dispatch; be prepared。



'Exeunt BEAUSEANT and GLAVIS。



Enter DAMAS with two swords。



Damas。  Now; then; sir; the ladies are no longer your excuse。

I have brought you a couple of dictionaries; let us see if your

highness can find out the Latin for bilbo。



Mel。  Away; sir!  I am in no humor for jesting。  Damas。  I see you

understand something of the grammar; you decline the non…substantive

〃small…swords〃 with great ease; but that won't doyou must take

a lesson in parsing。



Mel。  Fool!  Damas。  Sir; as sons take after their mother;

so the man who calls me a fool insults the lady who bore me;

there's no escape for youfight you shall; or



Mel。  Oh; enough! enough!take your ground。



They fight; DAMAS is disarmed。  MELNOTTE takes up the sword and returns

it to DAMAS respectfully。  A just punishment to the brave soldier

who robs the state of its best propertythe sole right to his valor

and his life。



Damas。  Sir; you fence exceedingly well; you must be a man of honor

I don't care a jot whether you are a prince; but a man who has

carte and tierce at his fingers' ends must be a gentleman。



Mel。  'aside。' Gentleman!  Ay; I was a gentleman before I

turned conspirator; for honest men are the gentlemen

of Nature!  Colonel; they tell me you rose from the ranks。



Damas。  I did。



Mel。  And in two years!



Damas。  It is true; that's no wonder in our army at present。

Why the oldest general in the service is scarcely thirty; and we

have some of two…and…twenty。



Mel。  Two…and…twenty!



Damas。  Yes; in the French army; now a days; promotion is not a matter

of purchase。  We are all heroes; because we may。  be all generals。

We have no fear of the cypress; because we may all hope for the laurel。



Mel。  A general at two…and…twenty! 'turning away'Sir; I may ask

you a favor one of these days。



Damas。  Sir; I shall be proud to grant it。  It is astonishing how much

I like a man after I've fought with him。  'Hides the swords。



Enter MADAME DESCHAPPELLES and BEAUSEANT。



Mme。 Deschap。  Oh; prince;prince!What do I hear?  You must fly

you must quit us!



Mel。  I!



Beau。  Yes; prince:  read this letter; just received from my friend

at Paris; one of the Directory; they suspect you of designs

against the Republic:  they are very suspicious of princes;

and your family take。part with the Austrians。  Knowing that I

introduced your highness at Lyons; my friend writes to me to say

that you must quit the town immediately; or you will be arrested;

thrown into prison; perhaps guillotined!  Fly!I will order horses

to your carriage instantly。  Fly to Marsailles; there you can take

ship to Leghorn。



Mme。 Deschap。  And what's to become of Pauline?  Am I not to be

mother to a princess; after all?



Enter PAULINE and MONSIEUR DESCHAPPELLES。



Pauline 'throwing herself into MELNOTTE's arms。' You must

leave us!Leave Pauline!



Beau。  Not a moment is to be wasted。



M。 Deschap。  I will go to the magistrates and inquire



Beau。  Then he is lost; the magistrates; hearing he is suspected;

will order his arrest。



Mme。 Deschap。  And I shall not be a princess…dowager!



Beau。  Why not?  There is only one thing to be done:send for the priest

let the marriage take place at once; and the prince carry home a bride?



Mel。  Impossible!'Aside。' Villain。



Mme。 Deschap。  What; lose my child?



Beau。  And gain a princess!



Mme Deschap。  Oh; Monsieur Beauseant; you are so very kind; it must

be so;we ought not to be selfish; my daughter's happiness at stake。

She will go away; too; in a carriage and six!



Pauline。  Thou art here still;I cannot part from my heart will break。



Mel。  But thou wilt not consent to this hasty union?thou wilt

not wed an outcasta fugitive?



Pauline。  Ah! if thou art in danger; who should share it but Pauline?



Mel。  'aside'。 Distraction!If the earth could swallow me!



M。 Deschap。  Gently! gently!  The settlementsthe contracts

my daughter's dowry!



Mel。  The dowry!I am not base enough for that; no; not one farthing!



Beau。  'to MADAM'。 Noble fellow!Really your good husband

is too mercantile in these matters。  Monsieur Deschappelles;

you hear his highness:  we can arrange the settlements by proxy;

'tis the way with people of quality。



M。 Deschap。  But



Mme。 Deschap。  Hold your tongue!Don't expose yourself!



Beau。  I will bring the priest in a trice。  Go in all of you and prepare;

the carriage shall be at the door before the ceremony is over。



Mme。 Deschap。  Be sure there are six horses; Beauseant!  You are very

good to have forgiven us for refusing you; but you seea prince!



Beau。  And such a prince!  Madam; I cannot blush at the success of so

illustrious a rival。'Aside。' Now will I follow them to the village;

enjoy my triumph; and to…morrow; in the hour of thy shame and grief;

I think; proud girl; thou wilt prefer even these arms to those of

the gardener's son。  (Exit。



Mme。 Deschap。  Come; Monsieur Deschappelles; give your arm to her

highness that is to be。



M。 Deschap。  I don't like doing business in such a hurry;

'tis not the way with the house of Deschappelles & Co。



Mme。 Deschap。  There; now; you fancy you are in the counting…house;

don't you?



'Pushes him to PAULINE。



Mel。  Stay; stay; Paulineone word。  Have you no scruple; no fear?

Speakit is not yet too late。



Pauline。  When I loved thee; thy fate became mine。  Triumph or danger

joy or sorrowI am by thy side。



Damas。  Well; well; prince; thou art a lucky man to be so loved。

She is a good little girl in spite of her foibles make her as happy

as if she were not to be a princess 'slapping him on the shoulder'。 Come;

sir; I wish you joyyoung tenderlovely;zounds; I envy you!



Mel。  'who has stood apart in gloomy abstraction'。 Do you?*



(* On the stage the following lines are added:



〃Do you? Wise judges are we of each other。

'Woo; wed; and bear her home! So runs the bond

To which I sold myself;and thenwhat then?

Away?I will not look beyond the hour。

Like children in the dark; I dare not face

The shades that gather sound me in the distance。

You envy meI thank youyou may read

My joy upon my browI thank you; sir!

If hearts had audible language; you would hear

What mine would answer when you talk of ENVY!〃



ACT III。SCENE I。



The exterior of the Golden Leontime; twilight。  The moon rises

during the scene。



Enter Landlord and his Daughter from the Inn。



Land。  Hahaha!  Well; I never shall get over it。

Our Claude is a prince with a vengeance now。  His carriage breaks

down at my innhaha!



Janet。  And what airs the young lady gives herself!  〃Is this the best

room you have; young woman?〃 with such a toss of the head。



Land。  Well; get in; Janet:  get in and see to the supper:

the servants must sup before they go back。  'Exeunt。



Enter BEAUSEANT and GLAVIS。



Beau。  You see our princess is lodged at lastone stage more;

and she'll be at her journey's endthe beautiful palace at the foot

of the Alps!haha!



Gla。  Faith; I pity the poor Paulineespecially if she's going

to sup at the Golden Lion 'makes a wry face'。 I shall never forget

that cursed ragout。



Enter MELNOTTE from the Inn。



Beau。  Your servant; my prince; you reigned most worthily; I condole

with you on your abdication。  I am afraid that your highness's

retinue are not very faithful servants。  I think they will quit

you in the moment of your fall 'tis the fate of greatness。

But you are welcome to your fine clothesalso the diamond snuff…box;

which Louis XIV。  gave to your great…great…grandmother。



Gla。  And the ring; with which your grandfather the Dodge of Venice

married the Adriatic。



Mel。  I have kept my oath; gentlemensay; have I kept my oath?



Beau。  Most religiously。



Mel。  Then you have done with me and mineaway with you!



Beau。  How; knave?



Mel。  Look you; our bond is over。  Proud conquerors that we are;

we have won the victory over a simple girl compromised her honor

embittered her lifeblasted; in their very blossoms; all the

flowers of her youth。  This is your triumph;it is my shame!

'Turns to BEAUSEANT。' Enjoy thy triumph; but not in my sight。

I was her betrayerI am her protector!  Cross but her path

one word of scorn; one look of insultnay; but one quiver of that

mocking lip; and I will teach thee that bitter word thou hast graven

eternally in this heartRepentance



Beau。  His highness is most grandiloquent。



Mel。  Highness me no more!  Beware!  Remorse has made me a new being。

Away with you!  There is danger in me。  Away!



Gla。  'aside'。 He's an awkward fellow to deal with:

come away; Beauseant。



Beau。  I know the respect clue to rank。  Adieu; my prince。

Any commands at Lyons?  Yet holdI promised you 200 Louis on

your wedding…day; here they are。



Mel。  'dashing the purse to the ground'。 I gave you revenge;

I did not sell it。  Take up your silver; Judas; take it。

Ay; it is fit you should learn to stoop。



Beau。  You will beg my pardon for this some clay。  'Aside to

GLAVIS。' Come to my chateauI shall return hither to morrow;

to learn how Pauline likes her new dignity。



Mel。  Are you not gone yet?



Beau。  Your highness's most obedi

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