_D._ Stay, sir, I say: the house is not on fire.
_N._ Where is the fire? Mercy! O, heaven save me!
_D._ There is no fire at all.
_N._ No fire! Are you sure?
_D._ I rang the bell myself to awake the house.
A man broke in.
_N._ Thieves? Robbers?
_D._ I do not know.
He has got away. Go, wake Sir Gregory.
_N._ (_going_). First let me fetch my sword!
_D._ Nonsense, St. Nicholas; we need no swords.
Go, wake Sir Gregory, and send him here:
Send him at once. [_Exit N._ (L.)
_Re-enter Ricardo_ (_back_).
Were you too late, Ricardo? 2160
Did you not catch him? Has he escaped?
_R._ In the dark,
Whoever it was, had passed the door before me,
And, like a hare, faster than I could follow,
Sped o’er the grass into the house.
_D._ You saw him?
Where went he in?
_R._ At Frederick’s door. I reached it
In time to hear the key turn in the lock.
_D._ ’Tis he, then, and escaped in spite of us.
But I’ll find out with whom he dares....
_R._ (_aside_). ’Twas the fool Tristram:
I saw him plainly enough. Should I not tell her?—
_D._ Ricardo, go and fetch Sir Gregory; 2171
I have sent St. Nicholas for him, but the man
Is scared with terror.
_R._ (_aside_). While all goes well with me, the less I meddle
The better. I’ll let her find this out herself.
[_Exit_ (L.)
_D._ I’ll ring the bell again.
_Enter the Maids_ (R.).
So here you crawl at last! I had better keep
No maids at all than such a drowsy troop.
Not frightened by the fire-bell! You must have
Wondrous good consciences. Now, tell me at once—
There was a man outside my chamber-door
Laughing and talking. Answer at once!—who was it?
Who was it was here? 2181
_DOROTHY._
I heard my lady call;
But did not think that it could be my lady
At such an hour.
_D._ Nay: I should be asleep
Of course, but I was not.
_Enter Gregory and Ricardo_ (L.).
My major-domo
At last. Come in, Sir Gregory, come: you are wanted.
_Sir GREGORY._
I am shocked, your ladyship, at what hath happened:
Ricardo hath told me. But there seems no doubt
The unknown intruder hath escaped. Be sure
You may retire in safety, without fear
Of being disturbed again. I will go round 2190
And see that all’s secure. To-morrow morning
There shall be full inquiry.
_D._ To-morrow? Nay,
I do not leave this spot till I know all.
I guess who ’tis.
_G._ I pray your ladyship
Retire. The cold air of the hall, the excitement
At such an hour may harm your ladyship.
_D._ No. If I die I’ll learn the truth at once.
I know else how ’twill be. You’ll go to bed
And sleep till noon; and when you wake you’ll say
’Twas all delusion, that I never heard 2200
A man at all. That what Ricardo saw
Was but a bush, a shadow, a bat, an owl
He frighted from the ivy: and so in the end
All will make light of it.
_G._ Heigh! Give me a light.
The lamp has been extinguished on the stairs.
I’ll go and search about.
[_Takes a light from one of the maids, and Exit, back._
_R._ (_aside_). I’ll stay and watch.
_D._ Now, ye dissemblers, stand forth one by one
And answer me.
_R._ (_aside_). This will seal Frederick’s fate.
She must betray her mean suspicion, and I
Witness the degradation of her idol.— 2210
(_The maids are congregated at back,_ R. _as they come out of the
passage. They stand forth singly to be questioned, and come in turn to
front_, R.)
_D._ Dorothy first. Dost thou know, Dorothy,
What man it was whose voice I heard up-stairs;
Who, when I left my room and gave the alarm,
Ran out?
_Dor._ I do not know, my lady.
_D._ I ask
Didst thou not see or hear him?
_Dor._ No, my lady. 2215
_D._ Thou wert asleep?
_Dor._ I was asleep, my lady.
_D._ Then stand aside. Now, Kate.
_Dor._ (_aside_). Here’s a fine game!
_D._ Sawst thou or heardst thou anything?
_KATE._
No, my lady.
_D._ Nothing at all?
_K._ Nothing at all, my lady.
_D._ Wert thou asleep?
_K._ I was asleep, my lady. 2220
_D._ Step thou aside. Now, Flora.
_K._ (_to Dor._). Will she lie?
_Dor._ (_to K._). Trust her.
_D._ Now, Flora, answer.
_Fl._ I am grieved my lady
Should think I could deceive her.
_D._ I did not ask
If you deceived me. Heard you any noise?
Did you see any man?
_Fl._ Not I, my lady.
_Dor._ (_aside to K._). Oh! oh!
_D._ Were you asleep?
_Fl._ I was asleep, my lady.
_D._ Then stand aside.
_Fl._ (_aside to K._). Did she believe me?
_K._ (_to Fl._). Well!
Thou’st got a brazen face!
_Dor._ (_do._). Art thou not shamed?
_D._ Marcela next. Didst thou hear anything?
_MARCELA._