Henry Longfellow - The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Lara. My dear lady,

First hear me! I beseech you, let me speak!

'T is for your good I come.

Prec. (turning toward him with indignation). Begone! begone!

You are the Count of Lara, but your deeds

Would make the statues of your ancestors

Blush on their tombs! Is it Castilian honor,

Is it Castilian pride, to steal in here

Upon a friendless girl, to do her wrong?

O shame! shame! shame! that you, a nobleman,

Should be so little noble in your thoughts

As to send jewels here to win my love,

And think to buy my honor with your gold!

I have no words to tell you how I scorn you!

Begone! The sight of you is hateful to me!

Begone, I say!

Lara. Be calm; I will not harm you.

Prec. Because you dare not.

Lara. I dare anything!

Therefore beware! You are deceived in me.

In this false world, we do not always know

Who are our friends and who our enemies.

We all have enemies, and all need friends.

Even you, fair Preciosa, here at court

Have foes, who seek to wrong you.

Prec. If to this

I owe the honor of the present visit,

You might have spared the coming. Raving spoken,

Once more I beg you, leave me to myself.

Lara. I thought it but a friendly part to tell you

What strange reports are current here in town.

For my own self, I do not credit them;

But there are many who, not knowing you,

Will lend a readier ear.

Prec. There was no need

That you should take upon yourself the duty

Of telling me these tales.

Lara. Malicious tongues

Are ever busy with your name.

Prec. Alas!

I've no protectors. I am a poor girl,

Exposed to insults and unfeeling jests.

They wound me, yet I cannot shield myself.

I give no cause for these reports. I live

Retired; am visited by none.

Lara. By none?

O, then, indeed, you are much wronged!

Prec. How mean you?

Lara. Nay, nay; I will not wound your gentle soul

By the report of idle tales.

Prec. Speak out!

What are these idle tales? You need not spare me.

Lara. I will deal frankly with you. Pardon me

This window, as I think, looks toward the street,

And this into the Prado, does it not?

In yon high house, beyond the garden wall—

You see the roof there just above the trees—

There lives a friend, who told me yesterday,

That on a certain night—be not offended

If I too plainly speak—he saw a man

Climb to your chamber window. You are silent!

I would not blame you, being young and fair—

(He tries to embrace her. She starts back, and draws a dagger

from her bosom.)

Prec. Beware! beware! I am a Gypsy girl!

Lay not your hand upon me. One step nearer

And I will strike!

Lara. Pray you, put up that dagger.

Fear not.

Prec. I do not fear. I have a heart

In whose strength I can trust.

Lara. Listen to me

I come here as your friend—I am your friend—

And by a single word can put a stop

To all those idle tales, and make your name

Spotless as lilies are. Here on my knees,

Fair Preciosa! on my knees I swear,

I love you even to madness, and that love

Has driven me to break the rules of custom,

And force myself unasked into your presence.

(VICTORIAN enters behind.)

Prec. Rise, Count of Lara! That is not the place

For such as you are. It becomes you not

To kneel before me. I am strangely moved

To see one of your rank thus low and humbled;

For your sake I will put aside all anger,

All unkind feeling, all dislike, and speak

In gentleness, as most becomes a woman,

And as my heart now prompts me. I no more

Will hate you, for all hate is painful to me.

But if, without offending modesty

And that reserve which is a woman's glory,

I may speak freely, I will teach my heart

To love you.

Lara. O sweet angel!

Prec. Ay, in truth,

Far better than you love yourself or me.

Lara. Give me some sign of this—the slightest token.

Let me but kiss your hand!

Prec. Nay, come no nearer.

The words I utter are its sign and token.

Misunderstand me not! Be not deceived!

The love wherewith I love you is not such

As you would offer me. For you come here

To take from me the only thing I have,

My honor. You are wealthy, you have friends

And kindred, and a thousand pleasant hopes

That fill your heart with happiness; but I

Am poor, and friendless, having but one treasure,

And you would take that from me, and for what?

To flatter your own vanity, and make me

What you would most despise. O sir, such love,

That seeks to harm me, cannot be true love.

Indeed it cannot. But my love for you

Is of a different kind. It seeks your good.

It is a holier feeling. It rebukes

Your earthly passion, your unchaste desires,

And bids you look into your heart, and see

How you do wrong that better nature in you,

And grieve your soul with sin.

Lara. I swear to you,

I would not harm you; I would only love you.

I would not take your honor, but restore it,

And in return I ask but some slight mark

Of your affection. If indeed you love me,

As you confess you do, O let me thus

With this embrace—

Vict. (rushing forward). Hold! hold! This is too much.

What means this outrage?

Lara. First, what right have you

To question thus a nobleman of Spain?

Vict. I too am noble, and you are no more!

Out of my sight!

Lara. Are you the master here?

Vict. Ay, here and elsewhere, when the wrong of others

Gives me the right!

Prec. (to LARA). Go! I beseech you, go!

Vict. I shall have business with you, Count, anon!

Lara. You cannot come too soon!

[Exit.

Prec. Victorian!

O, we have been betrayed!

Vict. Ha! ha! betrayed!

'T is I have been betrayed, not we!—not we!

Prec. Dost thou imagine—

Vict. I imagine nothing;

I see how 't is thou whilest the time away

When I am gone!

Prec. O speak not in that tone!

It wounds me deeply.

Vict. 'T was not meant to flatter.

Prec. Too well thou knowest the presence of that man

Is hateful to me!

Vict. Yet I saw thee stand

And listen to him, when he told his love.

Prec. I did not heed his words.

Vict. Indeed thou didst,

And answeredst them with love.

Prec. Hadst thou heard all—

Vict. I heard enough.

Prec. Be not so angry with me.

Vict. I am not angry; I am very calm.

Prec. If thou wilt let me speak—

Vict. Nay, say no more.

I know too much already. Thou art false!

I do not like these Gypsy marriages!

Where is the ring I gave thee?

Prec. In my casket.

Vict. There let it rest! I would not have thee wear it:

I thought thee spotless, and thou art polluted!

Prec. I call the Heavens to witness—

Vict. Nay, nay, nay!

Take not the name of Heaven upon thy lips!

They are forsworn!

Prec. Victorian! dear Victorian!

Vict. I gave up all for thee; myself, my fame,

My hopes of fortune, ay, my very soul!

And thou hast been my ruin! Now, go on!

Laugh at my folly with thy paramour,

And, sitting on the Count of Lara's knee,

Say what a poor, fond fool Victorian was!

(He casts her from him and rushes out.)

Prec. And this from thee!

(Scene closes.)

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Lara. There's nothing in this world so sweet as love,

And next to love the sweetest thing is hate!