Enter a young PENSIONER, with a wild, terrified look, her hair and dress all scattered, and rushes forward amongst them. Abb. Why comest thou here, with such disorder'd looks, To break upon our sad solemnity? Pen. O! I did hear through the receding blast, Pen. O no, for twice it call'd, so loudly call'd, O! it will never from my mind depart ! For then, so near, some horrid deed was done, Abb. Where didst thou hear it! Enter Brother THOMAS, with a wild, terrified look. 1st Monk. How wild he looks! Bern. (going up to him eagerly.) What, bast Thom. Yes, yes! it glared upon me as it pass'd. (All gathering round Thomas, and speaking at Thom. As, striving with the blast, I onward Turning my feeble lantern from the wind, Its light upon a dreadful visage gleam'd, In the higher cells, Such horror-strain'd features, never yet As now a window, open'd by the storm, Did earthly visage show. I shrunk and shudder'd. 1st Monk, I wish our brother Bernard were ar- I've seen it. rived; He is upon his way. Thom. Nay, as it pass'd, I did not see its form; Abb. Be not alarm'd; it still may be deception. Naught but the horrid face. 'Tis meet we finish our solemnity, Nor show neglect unto the honour'd dead. (Gives a sign, and the organ plays again: just as it ceases a loud knocking is heard without.) Abb. Ha! who may this be? hush! (Knocking heard again.) 2d Monk. It is the knock of one in furious haste, Hush! hush! What footsteps come? Ha! brother Bernard. Enter BERNARD, bearing a lantern. Bern. It is the murderer. What way went it? Thom. I durst not look till I had pass'd it far. Then turning round, upon the rising bank, I saw, between me and the paly sky, A dusky form, tossing and agitated. I stopp'd to mark it; but, in truth, I found "Twas but a sapling bending to the wind, And so I onward hied, and look'd no more. 1st Monk. But we must look to't; we must follow it: 1st Monk. See, what a look he wears of stiffen'd Our duty so commands. (To 2d Monk.) Will you fear! Where hast thou been, good brother! (All gathering round him and speaking at once.) I saw a murder'd corse, stretch'd on his back, Bern. go, brother? Bern. If I needs must go. 1st Monk. Come, we must all go. Abb. Heaven be with you, then! [EXEUNT Monks. Pen. Amen! amen! Good heaven be with us (Enter men, bearing the body of Rezenvelt, covered with a white cloth, and set it down in the middle of the room: they then uncover it. De Monfort stands fixed and motionless with horror, only that a sudden shivering seems to pass over him when they uncover the corpse. The Abbess and Nuns shrink back and retire to some distance, all the rest fixing their eyes steadfastly upon De Monfort. A long pause.) Bern. (to De Mon.) Seest thou that lifeless corpse, those bloody wounds? See how he lies, who but so shortly since Bern. (without.) Open the door, I pray thee, Of sense, and motion, and humanity! brother Thomas; I cannot now unhand the prisoner. (All speak together, shrinking back from the door, and staring upon one another.) He is with them! (A folding door at the bottom of the stage is opened, and enter Bernard, Thomas, and the other two Monks, carrying lanterns in their hands and bringing in De Monfort. They are likewise followed by other Monks. As they lead forward De Monfort, the light is turned away, so that he is seen obscurely; but when they come to the front of the stage, they turn the light side of their lanterns on him at once, and his face is seen in all the strengthened horror of despair, with his hands and clothes bloody. Abbess and Nuns speak at once, and start back.) Holy saints be with us! Bern. (to Abb.) Behold the man of blood! Abb. Of misery too; I cannot look upon him. Bern. (to Nuns.) Nay, holy sisters, turn not thus away. Speak to him, if, perchance, he will regard you: For from his mouth we have no utterance heard, Save one deep groan and smother'd exclamation, When first we seized him. Abb. (to De Mon.) Most miserable man, how art thou thus ? (Pauses.) Thy tongue is silent, but those bloody hands Do witness horrid things. What is thy name? De Mon. (roused, looks steadfastly at the Abbess for some time, then speaking in a short hurried voice.) I have no name. Abb. (to Bern.) Do it thyself; I'll speak to him no more. Pen. O holy saints! that this should be the man Still in my ears it rings: O murder! murder ! Pen. No, he did call, but now his voice is still'd. 'Tis past. De Mon. 'Tis past. Pen. Yes, it is past! art thou not he who did it? (De Monfort utters a deep groan, and is supported from falling by the Monks. A noise is heard without.) Abb. What noise is this of heavy lumbering steps, Like men who with a weighty burden come? Bern. It is the body: I have orders given That here it should be laid. O! what a heart had he who did this deed! 1st Monk. (looking at the body.) How hard those teeth against the lips are press'd, As though he struggled still! 2d Monk. The hands, too, clench'd: the last efforts of nature. (De Monfort still stands motionless. Brother Thomas then goes to the body, and raising up the head a little, turns it toward De Monfort.) Thom. Know'st thou this ghastly face? De Mon. (putting his hands before his face in violent perturbation.) O do not! do not! Veil it from my sight! Put me to any agony but this! Thom. Ha! dost thou then confess the dreadful deed? Hast thou against the laws of awful Heaven Such horrid murder done? What fiend could tempt thee? (Pauses and looks steadfastly at De Monfort.) De Mon. hear thy words, but do not hear their Would, would it were to come !- O that dire madness would unloose my thoughts, Methinks I feel him still.-What sound is that? swell. It moves again! I cannot suffer this- Whate'er it be, I will uncover it. And seest thou not that motion of his hands? (A long pause. Manuel re-enters from the convent, and comes forward slowly with a sad countenance.) Is this the face of one who bears good tidings! Freb. (Runs to the corpse, and tears off the cloth in Enter ABBESS and several NUNS from the convent, who despair.) All still beneath. For, when between the trees, that abbey tower First show'd its top, I saw your countenance change. But breathe a little here; I'll go before, And make inquiry at the nearest gate. (Manuel goes and knocks at the gate.) He saw it not; he came not here himself. gather about her, and apply remedies. She recovers. 2d Nun. To lead her in. She seems in great distress. EXEUNT, supporting Jane into the convent. De Mon. O that I ne'er had known the light of That filmy darkness on mine eyes had hung, (Pauses; then, in a calmer, sorrowful voice.) Enter MANUEL, who springs forward to his master, but Man. My lord, my master! O my dearest master! (De Monfort still looks at him without speaking.) Nay, do not thus regard me, good my lord! De Mon. (in a hasty, broken voice.) Art thou Man. No, sir, the Lady Jane is on her way; She is not far behind. De Mon. (tossing his arm over his head in an It must not be.-Run and prevent her coming. Tell her De Monfort far from hence is gone Ne'er to return again. Fly, tell her this; Enter JANE DE MONFORT, bursting into the chamber, (De Monfort turns away his head and hides his And thou too, Freberg: call it not unkind. 'De Monfort turns round and looks sorrowfully And in the rougher path of ripen'd years And terrible the storm that gathers o'er us; Which severs thee from nature, shall unloose In the terriffic face of armed law; Yea, on the scaffold, if it needs must be, De Mon. (looking at her with admiration.) I thought to sink beneath this load of ill, I thought to sink in abject wretchedness: Jane. Yes, thou art noble still. De Mon. With thee I am; who were not so with But ah! my sister, short will be the term. Far as the spotless purity of virtue Is from the murderer's guilt, far shall we be. Jane. The God who made thee is a God of mercy; De Mon. (shaking his head.) No, no! this blood! this blood! Jane. Yes, e'en the sin of blood may be forgiven, Jane. Ay, give thy sorrow vent; here mayst When humble penitence hath once atoned. thou weep. De Mon. (in broken accents.) O! this, my sister, makes me feel again The kindness of affection. My mind has in a dreadful storm been tost; I've done a deed-But I am human still. De Mon. (eagerly.) What, after terms of length- Imprison'd anguish of tormented spirits, Admittance have? Think'st thou that this may be ? Jane. I know thy sufferings: leave thy sorrow For dreadful fancies, like an armed host, free: Thou art with one who never did upbraid; Who mourns, who loves thee still. De Mon. Ah! sayst thou so? no, no; it should not be. (Shrinking from her.) I am a foul and bloody murderer, Have push'd me to despair. It is most horrible- De Mon. Ha! dost thou pray for me? Heaven For such embrace unmeet: O leave me! leave me! I fain would kneel.-Alas! I dare not do it. Disgrace and public shame abide me now; And all, alas! who do my kindred own, To noble worth like thine ?-I have no name- (She takes his hand, and grasping it firmly, Jane. De Monfort, hand in hand we have enjoy'd The playful term of infancy together; 45 Jane. Not so! all by th' Almighty Father form'd, (She kneels and prays to herself; he kneels by De Mon. Hear'st thou that noise? They come to interrupt us.. Jane. (moving towards a side door.) Then let us enter here. 2 G 2. De Mon. Well, I am ready, sir. De Mon. (catching hold of her with a look of horror.) Not there-not there-the corpse (Approaching Jane, whom the Abbess is endea vouring to comfort, but to no purpose.) Jane. What, lies he there?-Unhappy Rezen-Ah! wherefore thus ! most honour'd and most dear? velt? Shrink not at the accoutrements of ill, De Mon. A sudden thought has come across my Daring the thing itself. mind; How came it not before? Unhappy Rezenvelt! Sayst thou but this? (Endeavouring to look cheerful.) Wilt thou permit me with a gyved hand? She gives her hand, which he raises to his lips.) Jane. What should I say? he was an honest This was my proudest office. man; It hath a meaning. I still have thought him such, as such lament him. (Pointing to De Monfort.) Jane. Nay, say not so; he has no power t' escape: Distress hath bound him with a heavy chain; There is no need of yours. 1st Off. We must perform our office. Jane. O do not offer this indignity! 1st Off. Is it indignity in sacred law [EXEUNT, De Monfort leading out Jane. SCENE V.-AN APARTMENT IN THE CONVENT, OPEN- Enter another Monk, who, on perceiving him, stops till 1st Monk. How is the prisoner? 2d Monk. (pointing to the door.) He is within, and the strong hand of death Is dealing with him. 1st Monk. 2d Monk. Yes, with heroic courage, for a while To bind a murderer? (To 2d Officer.) Come, do thy God grant his pains be short! It is a dark and fearful night: the moon De Mon. (to Jane.) Stand thou erect in native Is wrapp'd in sable clouds; the chill blast sounds dignity; And bend to none on earth the suppliant knee, on those shackles ; And, if they are too light, bring heavier chains. Like dismal lamentations. Ay, who knows (A long pause, whilst they put irons upon him. 1st Off. I have it, too, in charge to move you hence, (To De Monfort.) Into another chamber more secure. (A groan heard within.) 1st Monk. It is the dying man. (Another groan.) (Listening at the door.) 2d Monk. God grant him rest! |