Graves. But now she would accept you! Eve. And do you think I am so base a slave to passion, that I would owe to my gold what was denied to my affection? Graves. But you must choose one, in common gratitude; you ought to do so-yes, there you are right. Besides, you are constantly at the house-the world observes it: you must have raised hopes in one of the girls. Yes; it is time to decide between her whom you love and her whom you do not! Eve. Of the two, then, I would rather marry where I should exact the least. A marriage, to which each can bring sober esteem and calm regard, may not be happiness, but it may be content. But to marry one whom you could adore, and whose heart is closed to you to yearn for the treasure, and only to claim the casket-to worship the statue that you never may warm to life-Oh! such a marriage would be a hell, the more terrible because Paradise was in sight. Graves. Georgina is pretty, but vain and frivolous. -[Aside.] But he has no right to be fastidious-he has never known Maria!-[Aloud.] Yes, my dear friend, now I think on it, you will be as wretched as myself!—When you are married, we will mingle our groans together! Eve. You may misjudge Georgina; she may have a nobler nature than appears on the surface. On the day, but before the hour, in which the will was read, a letter, in a strange or disguised hand, signed "From an unknown friend to Alfred Evelyn," and enclosing what to a girl would have been a considerable sum, was sent to a poor woman for whom I had implored charity, and whose address I had only given to Georgina. Graves. Why not assure yourself? Eve. Because I have not dared. For sometimes, against my reason, I have hoped that it might be Clara! [Taking a letter from his bosom, and looking at it.] No, I can't recognize the hand. Graves, I detest that girl. Graves. Who? Georgina? Eve. No; Clara! But I've already, thank Heaven! taken some revenge upon her. Come nearer.[Whispers.] I've bribed Sharp to say that Mordaunt's letter to me contained a codicil leaving Clara Douglas £20,000. Graves. And didn't it? How odd, then, not to have mentioned her in his will! Eve. One of his caprices: besides, Sir John wrote him word that Lady Franklin had adopted her. But I'm glad of it-I've paid the money--she's no more a dependent: No one can insult her now-she owes it all to me, and does not guess it, man-does not guess it! owes it to me,-me, whom she rejected ;--me, the poor scholar!-Ha! ha!-there's some spite in that, eh? Graves. You're a fine fellow, Evelyn, and we understand each other. Perhaps Clara may have seen the address, and dictated this letter after all! Eve. Do you think so?—I'll go to the house this instant! Graves. Eh? Humph! Then I'll go with you That Lady Franklin is a fine woman! If she were not so gay, I think—I could Eve. No, no; don't think any such thing; women are even worse than men. Graves. True; to love is a boy's madness! Graves. To hope is to be deceived. Graves. Mine is buried with Maria! Eve. If Clara did but write this Graves. Make haste, or Lady Franklin will be out! A vale of tears!—a vale of tears! Eve. A vale of tears, indeed! Re-enter GRAVES for his hat. [Exeunt. Graves. And I left my hat behind me! Just like my luck! If I had been bred a hatter, little boys would have come into the world without heads. (By permission of the Author.) SCENE FROM "RICHELIEU" BY LORD LYTTON. RICHELIEU. DE MAUPRAT. Richelieu. Approach, sir.-Can you call to mind the hour, Now three years since, when in this room, methinks, Your presence honour'd me? › De Mauprat. One of my most It is, my lord, Rich. [Drily.] Delightful recollections. De Mau. [Aside.] St. Denis! doth he make a jest of axe And headsman? Rich. [Sternly.] I did then accord you A mercy ill requited-you still live! De Mau. To meet death face to face at last. Are bold. Your words De Mau. My deeds have not belied them. O miserable delusion of man's pride! Deeds! Deeds! cities sack'd, fields ravaged, hearths profaned, The rainbow glory, and to shuddering conscience De Mau. Your hand the gauntlet cast. Rich. If war be sinful, It was so, sir. Note the distinction:-I weigh'd well the cause Thus to your armies ere they march to battle, Perchance your Eminence might have the pain Rich. [Aside.] He has wit, This Mauprat-[Aloud.] Let it pass; there is against you, (What you can less excuse) Messire de Mauprat, Doom'd to sure death, how hast thou since consumed The time alloted thee for serious thought And solemn penitence? De Mau. [Embarrassed.] The time, my lord? Rich. Is not the question plain? I'll answer for thee. Thou hast sought nor priest nor shrine; no sackcloth chafed Thy delicate flesh. The rosary and the death's-head Earth from the carnal gaze. What thou hast not done For death and judgment. Do I wrong you, sir? Blame that which changed my fate.-Alas, my lord, |