ALDWYTH. Gamel, son of Orm,
What thinkest thou this means? [Pointing to
the comet.
GAMEL. War, my dear lady,
War, waste, plague, famine, all malignities.
ALDWYTH. It means the fall of Tostig from his
earldom.
GAMEL. That were too small a matter for a comet!
ALDWYTH. It means the lifting of the house of
Alfgar.
GAMEL. Too small! a comet would not show for
that!
ALDWYTH. Not small for thee, if thou canst compass
it.
GAMEL. Thy love?
ALDWYTH. As much as I can give thee, man;
This Tostig is, or like to be, a tyrant;
Stir up thy people: oust him!
GAMEL. And thy love?
ALDWYTH. As much as thou canst bear.
GAMEL. I can bear
all,
And not be giddy.
ALDWYTH. No more now: to-morrow.
EDITH. Mad for thy mate, passionate nightingale....
I love thee for it—ay, but stay a moment;
He can but stay a moment: he is going.
I fain would hear him coming!... near me ... near.
Somewhere—To draw him nearer with a charm
Like thine to thine.
(Singing.)
Love is come with a song and
a smile,
Welcome Love with a smile
and a song:
Love can stay but a little
while.
Why cannot he stay? They
call him away:
Ye do him wrong, ye do him
wrong;
Love will stay for a whole
life long.
Enter HAROLD.
HAROLD. The nightingales in Havering-at-the-Bower
Sang out their loves so loud, that Edward’s
prayers
Were deafen’d and he pray’d them dumb,
and thus
I dumb thee too, my wingless nightingale!
[Kissing
her.
EDITH. Thou art my music! Would their wings
were mine
To follow thee to Flanders! Must thou go?
HAROLD. Not must, but will. It is but for
one moon.
EDITH. Leaving so many foes in Edward’s
hall
To league against thy weal. The Lady Aldwyth
Was here to-day, and when she touch’d on thee,
She stammer’d in her hate; I am sure she hates
thee,
Pants for thy blood.
HAROLD. Well, I have given her cause—
I fear no woman.
EDITH. Hate not one who felt
Some pity for thy hater! I am sure
Her morning wanted sunlight, she so praised
The convent and lone life—within the pale—
Beyond the passion. Nay—she held with
Edward,
At least methought she held with holy Edward,
That marriage was half sin.
HAROLD. A lesson worth
Finger and thumb—thus (snaps his fingers).
And my answer to it—
See here—an interwoven H and E!
Take thou this ring; I will demand his ward
From Edward when I come again. Ay, would she?
She to shut up my blossom in the dark!
Thou art my nun, thy cloister in mine arms.
