_The same. PALICIO as before._
_PALICIO._
Three hours have fully passed since first I marked 2380
Yon grated hole grow rosy, and exchange
Moonlight for dawn. Now soon will Margaret come:
And I must go forth to the world disgraced,
To fly my country or hide: ay, at the cue
Of the chief justiciary, led by a woman.
Hast thou the heart, Giovann Palicio,
To call this freedom. Nay, since thy right hand
Was raised ’gainst wrong in vain, and thou thyself
Art charged with wrong, and must admit the wrong,
Were’t not now best to end, and shroud thy fortune
In veils of death? Thou that hast led the people, 2391
Hast thou a knee for favours? Will thy tongue
Confess I wronged thee, Manuel, I come forth
To be thy prisoner: and I wronged thee, Margaret:
I will come forth to be thy pensioner?
Shame: rather would I die.
_Enter Margaret._
_MARGARET._
’Tis I, Giovanni: all is well: thou’rt safe,
Manuel has told me all. Thou dost repent.
All is prepared. Ask not my pardon: give me
One kiss—I have forgiven thee. Be not sad. 2400
’Twas like thee as I love thee, nobly done:
And being so cruel to thyself ’twas easy
Thou shouldst forget what I too now forget,
Recovering thee. I saw thee ride away,
And guessed before the letter. O, Giovanni,
Thank God, thou’rt safe. Look, I have brought the money
To serve thee on thy journey till the day
We meet again; and more. Thy ship will sail
But to Messina: there thou wilt disbark.
Nay, take the money; thou wilt need it, love, 2410
’Tis Manuel’s gift, not mine.
_Pal._ (_taking_). I have no heart,
Margaret, for what is done on my behalf.
I thank him, but ...
_Mar._ Alas, alas! Giovanni:
I looked to find thee glad of heart and happy.
Our troubles all are over. Manuel lives,
Whom we thought drowned: Constance, who lay in death,
Hath risen from her bed: and even our marriage
Is furthered by my brother. How can it be
Thou art so dismal, and thy kiss as cold
As is this prison?
_Pal._ I would not leave this prison. 2420
_Mar._ Thou wouldst not leave it?
_Pal._ No: dankness and darkness
Are now my friends. I have failed. How can I wish
To step in the light of heaven?
_Mar._ O, then I see
This death-delivering dungeon hath o’ercome thee.
——There’s news. This morn the ships arrived from Spain.
They must bring tidings of the king’s accession.
We shall learn all to-day. When he’s proclaimed,
There’s nought that thou couldst do if thou wert free.
What thou hast done may have determined much.
_Pal._ When shall I hear of it?
_Mar._ Love, thou must sail 2430
Quickly and secretly: and canst not hear
Until thou come to land. But then if I
Should meet thee there with Manuel, oh, what joy,
Could I be first to tell thee.
_Pal._ Dost thou think
That Manuel hath forgiven me for the wrong
I did him, stealing from his house by night?
_Mar._ That was my theft, Giovanni; and he forgives:
Cry not thou forfeit.—See, I bring thy dagger.
_Pal._ But, Margaret, I wronged thee too. I fled
From thee; canst thou forgive me?
_Mar._ Ask not me 2440
If I have forgiven. Hearken, I will tell thee,—
This dagger is the dagger which the woman,
Whose name thou didst not know, brought thee in prison:
By help of this thou madest thy first escape.
’Tis I that bring it now. These two days past,
These days of misery, I have held and worn it
But for one purpose; that if thou shouldst die,
I might have something which had once been thine
To end my life with.
_Pal._ Thou!
_Mar._ Ay. I had promised
This caseless blade my empty heart for sheath. 2450
_Pal._ Margaret!
_Mar._ Now take it. I have better hope.
[_Palicio takes dagger, and puts it in his breast._
Thou shouldst be armed.
_Pal._ And thou hast thought of death?
_Mar._ Only if thou hadst died.
_Pal._ O, Margaret,
Margaret, I am not worthy of thy love.
Thou seest I am not. Look how poor a heart
I bring to take thee: ’tis too base. I thought
I loved thee overmuch. Now, fool, I see
I love too little.
_Mar._ ’Tis this hateful prison
Hath chilled thy spirits. When again thou’rt free
Thou’lt be Giovanni.
_Pal._ Canst thou love me so? 2460
_Mar._ O, what hath come to thee? Did I not love
The hour I bound thy wound: the day I brought
Rosso to heal thee, and led thee by the hand,
Threading the blindest midnight silently,
To set thee free? Dost thou forget?
_Pal._ But then,
Then I was brave, a leader of the people
Against their tyrant: thou didst hold of me
As of a hero: now I have failed, I am shamed.
_Mar._ O no, Giovanni; thou mistakest sadly
My love for thee.
_Pal._ I am no more myself. 2470
_Mar._ Then dare I prove to thee how much I love thee,
How little thy renown. Remember, thou didst scheme
To burn the palace.
_Pal._ Ay.
_Mar._ Didst thou not promise
Me, trembling for thy life, that if that failed,
Thou wouldst to Rome with me?
_Pal._ My scheme miscarried:
I broke my promise.
_Mar._ The cause of that miscarriage
Was the betrayal?
_Pal._ How should I forget?
_Mar._ Now wilt thou say I love but thy success?
’Twas I betrayed thy men.
_Pal._ Ha! thou was’t! was’t thou?
(_Leaping up from Margaret, who staggers against the wall._)
From me, sorceress, thou viper, go from me! 2480
Traitress, was’t thou? Thou wast my secret curse!
Sent by the devil, wast thou, to destroy me,
To kill my soul? And bringest now thy money
[_Strews it about._
To buy thy happiness: and of thy love
Pratest, and sayst, _Come forth with me_! With thee?
Rather all deaths, a thousand deaths of shame,—
The axe, the gallows. O, my faithful men,
My brave men! and for them!—Ah! I will love
My executioner more than thee. Love thee!
There is not any tyrant or crowned fiend 2490
Whom I will hate like thee.
_Mar._ Then kill me, Giovanni.
[_Swoons falling._
_Pal._ (_taking out dagger_). This dagger in my heart,
and I am avenged.
Nay, nay, O God, I am adding wrong to wrong.
[_Putting dagger back._
And Manuel. Alas! what have I done?
[_Runs to Margaret._
I spake too roughly, Margaret; I was angry:
I knew not what I said. Margaret, I am sorry.
Forgive me, Margaret. Nay, I meant it not.
I am not angry with thee now. I think
I can forgive thee. Hear me! She doth not hear me.
She doth not breathe. Her eyes are fixed and sightless. 2500
Her hands are cold.
My God, oh, if I have killed her! Margaret, Margaret!
Dost thou not hear?—I have killed her.—Margaret!
I do forgive thee. I forgive thee all.
O God, she is dead, she is dead.—Now if I kiss her,
If she can feel (_kissing_). She stirs. O, Margaret,
Hear me. I do forgive thee all.
_Mar._ Giovanni:
I did it for thy love.
_Pal._ Thank God, thank God.
Now thou dost breathe and speak. O, I was cruel;
I was too angry.—Margaret, forgive me. 2510
Kiss me, forgive. [_Noise at door._
_Mar._ Hark, at the door they come;
’Tis now thy time to fly.
_Pal._ How can I leave thee?
I cannot thus.
_Enter Blasco with sword drawn, Livio and two soldiers._
_Mar._ Go for thy life, Giovanni:
Fly, fly: think not of me!
_BLASCO._
Stay, not so fast,
You pretty pair of loving turtle-doves,
Cooing your sweet farewells in such a cote;
We shall not separate you yet so far.
_Mar._ Ah me!
_Pal._ What means this insult?
_Bl._ Forward, fellows.
Take ye the lady to the cell I shewed,
And bind her arms.
_Pal._ Who dares?
_Bl._ Fool, stand aside! 2520
Seest thou my sword?
_Pal._ Ho! villain, die! } _Palicio springs on
} Blasco suddenly, and
_Bl._ God! I am slain. [_Falls._ } stabs him with dagger in
} his left. Seizing Blasco’s
_Pal._ And thou, } sword in his right, which
Thinking to find me here unarmed, go thou! } he has disengaged from
} the sling, he kills
_Soldier._ Ah! } another with that; and
} when the rest fly is
[_Dies ... the rest fly._ } left standing with a
} bloody weapon in each
_Pal._ Two are escaped. } hand._
_Mar._ And one was Livio.
_Pal._ What means this damnable design?
_Mar._ Giovanni,
I see, I know. Fly now—take thou the sword.
Give me the dagger. Follow. I know the way.
There will be none to stay thee. If there be, 2528
Serve them as Blasco. Come, come; follow quickly.
[_Exit._
_Pal._ (_following_). Margaret, Margaret. [_Exit._