TRESHAM.--But add to that,The worthiness and grace and dignity Of your proposal for uniting both Our Houses even closer than respect Unites them now--add these,and you must grant One favour more,nor that the least,--to think The welcome I should give;--'tis given!My lord,My only brother,Austin:he's the king's.
Our cousin,Lady Guendolen--betrothed To Austin:all are yours.
MERTOUN.I thank you--less For the expressed commendings which your seal,And only that,authenticates--forbids My putting from me...to my heart I take Your praise...but praise less claims my gratitude,Than the indulgent insight it implies Of what must needs be uppermost with one Who comes,like me,with the bare leave to ask,In weighed and measured unimpassioned words,A gift,which,if as calmly 'tis denied,He must withdraw,content upon his cheek,Despair within his soul.That I dare ask Firmly,near boldly,near with confidence That gift,I have to thank you.Yes,Lord Tresham,I love your sister--as you'd have one love That lady...oh more,more I love her!Wealth,Rank,all the world thinks me,they're yours,you know,To hold or part with,at your choice--but grant My true self,me without a rood of land,A piece of gold,a name of yesterday,Grant me that lady,and you...Death or life?
GUENDOLEN.[apart to AUSTIN].Why,this is loving,Austin!
AUSTIN.He's so young!
GUENDOLEN.Young?Old enough,I think,to half surmise He never had obtained an entrance here,Were all this fear and trembling needed.
AUSTIN.Hush!
He reddens.
GUENDOLEN.Mark him,Austin;that's true love!
Ours must begin again.
TRESHAM.We'll sit,my lord.
Ever with best desert goes diffidence.
I may speak plainly nor be misconceived That I am wholly satisfied with you On this occasion,when a falcon's eye Were dull compared with mine to search out faults,Is somewhat.Mildred's hand is hers to give Or to refuse.
MERTOUN.But you,you grant my suit?
I have your word if hers?
TRESHAM.My best of words If hers encourage you.I trust it will.
Have you seen Lady Mildred,by the way?
MERTOUN.I...I...our two demesnes,remember,touch,I have beer used to wander carelessly After my stricken game:the heron roused Deep in my woods,has trailed its broken wing Thro'thicks and glades a mile in yours,--or else Some eyass ill-reclaimed has taken flight And lured me after her from tree to tree,I marked not whither.I have come upon The lady's wondrous beauty unaware,And--and then...I have seen her.
GUENDOLEN [aside to AUSTIN].Note that mode Of faltering out that,when a lady passed,He,having eyes,did see her!You had said--
"On such a day I scanned her,head to foot;
Observed a red,where red should not have been,Outside her elbow;but was pleased enough Upon the whole."Let such irreverent talk Be lessoned for the future!
TRESHAM.What's to say May be said briefly.She has never known A mother's care;I stand for father too.
Her beauty is not strange to you,it seems--
You cannot know the good and tender heart,Its girl's trust and its woman's constancy,How pure yet passionate,how calm yet kind,How grave yet joyous,how reserved yet free As light where friends are--how imbued with lore The world most prizes,yet the ******st,yet The...one might know I talked of Mildred--thus We brothers talk!
MERTOUN.I thank you.
TRESHAM.In a word,Control's not for this lady;but her wish To please me outstrips in its subtlety My power of being pleased:herself creates The want she means to satisfy.My heart Prefers your suit to her as 'twere its own.
Can I say more?
MERTOUN.No more--thanks,thanks--no more!
TRESHAM.This matter then discussed...
MERTOUN.--We'll waste no breath On aught less precious.I'm beneath the roof Which holds her:while I thought of that,my speech To you would wander--as it must not do,Since as you favour me I stand or fall.
I pray you suffer that I take my leave!
TRESHAM.With less regret 'tis suffered,that again We meet,I hope,so shortly.
MERTOUN.We?again?--
Ah yes,forgive me--when shall...you will crown Your goodness by forthwith apprising me When...if...the lady will appoint a day For me to wait on you--and her.
TRESHAM.So soon As I am made acquainted with her thoughts On your proposal--howsoe'er they lean--
A messenger shall bring you the result.
MERTOUN.You cannot bind me more to you,my lord.
Farewell till we renew...I trust,renew A converse ne'er to disunite again.
TRESHAM.So may it prove!
MERTOUN.You,lady,you,sir,take My humble salutation!
GUENDOLEN and AUSTIN.Thanks!
TRESHAM.Within there!
[Servants enter.TRESHAM conducts MERTOUN to the door.
Meantime AUSTIN remarks,]
Well,Here I have an advantage of the Earl,Confess now!I'd not think that all was safe Because my lady's brother stood my friend!
Why,he makes sure of her--"do you say yes--
She'll not say,no,"--what comes it to beside?
I should have prayed the brother,"speak this speech,For Heaven's sake urge this on her--put in this--
Forget not,as you'd save me,t'other thing,--
Then set down what she says,and how she looks,And if she smiles,and"(in an under breath)
"Only let her accept me,and do you And all the world refuse me,if you dare!"
GUENDOLEN.That way you'd take,friend Austin?What a shame I was your cousin,tamely from the first Your bride,and all this fervour's run to waste!
Do you know you speak sensibly to-day?
The Earl's a fool.
AUSTIN.Here's Thorold.Tell him so!
TRESHAM [returning].Now,voices,voices!'St!the lady's first!
How seems he?--seems he not...come,faith give fraud The mercy-stroke whenever they engage!
Down with fraud,up with faith!How seems the Earl?
A name!a blazon!if you knew their worth,As you will never!come--the Earl?
GUENDOLEN.He's young.
TRESHAM.What's she?an infant save in heart and brain.
Young!Mildred is fourteen,remark!And you...
Austin,how old is she?
GUENDOLEN.There's tact for you!
I meant that being young was good excuse If one should tax him...
TRESHAM.Well?
GUENDOLEN.--With lacking wit.