The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth - LightNovelsOnl.com
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SCENE--The inside of a poor Cottage
ELEANOR and IDONEA seated
IDONEA The storm beats hard--Mercy for poor or rich, Whose heads are shelterless in such a night!
A VOICE WITHOUT Holla! to bed, good Folks, within!
ELEANOR O save us!
IDONEA What can this mean?
ELEANOR Alas, for my poor husband!-- We'll have a counting of our flocks to-morrow; The wolf keeps festival these stormy nights: Be calm, sweet Lady, they are wa.s.sailers [The voices die away in the distance.]
Returning from their Feast--my heart beats so-- A noise at midnight does _so_ frighten me.
IDONEA Hus.h.!.+ [Listening.]
ELEANOR They are gone. On such a night, my husband, Dragged from his bed, was cast into a dungeon, Where, hid from me, he counted many years, A criminal in no one's eyes but theirs-- Not even in theirs--whose brutal violence So dealt with him.
IDONEA I have a n.o.ble Friend First among youths of knightly breeding, One Who lives but to protect the weak or injured.
There again!
[Listening.]
ELEANOR 'Tis my husband's foot. Good Eldred Has a kind heart; but his imprisonment Has made him fearful, and he'll never be The man he was.
IDONEA I will retire;--good night!
[She goes within.]
[Enter ELDRED (hides a bundle)]
ELDRED Not yet in bed, Eleanor!--there are stains in that frock which must be washed out.
ELEANOR What has befallen you?
ELDRED I am belated, and you must know the cause-- (speaking low) that is the blood of an unhappy Man.
ELEANOR Oh! we are undone for ever.
ELDRED Heaven forbid that I should lift my hand against any man.
Eleanor, I have shed tears to-night, and it comforts me to think of it.
ELEANOR Where, where is he?
ELDRED I have done him no harm, but----it will be forgiven me; it would not have been so once.
ELEANOR You have not _buried_ anything? You are no richer than when you left me?
ELDRED Be at peace; I am innocent.
ELEANOR Then G.o.d be thanked--
[A short pause; she falls upon his neck.]
ELDRED Tonight I met with an old Man lying stretched upon the ground--a sad spectacle: I raised him up with a hope that we might shelter and restore him.
ELEANOR (as if ready to run) Where is he? You were not able to bring him _all_ the way with you; let us return, I can help you.
[ELDRED shakes his head.]
ELDRED He did not seem to wish for life: as I was struggling on, by the light of the moon I saw the stains of blood upon my clothes--he waved his hand, as if it were all useless; and I let him sink again to the ground.
ELEANOR Oh that I had been by your side!
ELDRED I tell you his hands and his body were cold--how could I disturb his last moments? he strove to turn from me as if he wished to settle into sleep.
ELEANOR But, for the stains of blood--
