第8章

Sendheranother;nevergivehero"er;

Forscornatfirstmakesafter—lovethemore。

Ifshedofrown，"tisnotinhateofyou，Butrathertobegetmoreloveinyou:

Ifshedochide，"tisnottohaveyougone;

Forwhy，thefoolsaremad，ifleftalone。

Takenorepulse，whatevershedothsay;

For"getyougone，"shedothnotmean"away！"

Flatterandpraise，commend，extoltheirgraces;

Thoughne"ersoblack，saytheyhaveangels"

faces。

Thatmanthathathatongue，Isay，isnoman，Ifwithhistonguehecannotwinawoman。DUKEButsheImeanispromisedbyherfriendsUntoayouthfulgentlemanofworth，Andkeptseverelyfromresortofmen，Thatnomanhathaccessbydaytoher。VALENTINEWhy，then，Iwouldresorttoherbynight。DUKEAy，butthedoorsbelock"dandkeyskeptsafe，Thatnomanhathrecoursetoherbynight。VALENTINEWhatletsbutonemayenteratherwindow？DUKEHerchamberisaloft，farfromtheground，AndbuiltsoshelvingthatonecannotclimbitWithoutapparenthazardofhislife。VALENTINEWhythen，aladderquaintlymadeofcords，Tocastup，withapairofanchoringhooks，WouldservetoscaleanotherHero"stower，SoboldLeanderwouldadventureit。DUKENow，asthouartagentlemanofblood，AdvisemewhereImayhavesuchaladder。VALENTINEWhenwouldyouuseit？pray，sir，tellmethat。DUKEThisverynight;forLoveislikeachild，Thatlongsforeverythingthathecancomeby。VALENTINEByseveno"clockI"llgetyousuchaladder。DUKEBut，harkthee;Iwillgotoheralone:

HowshallIbestconveytheladderthither？VALENTINEItwillbelight，mylord，thatyoumaybearitUnderacloakthatisofanylength。DUKEAcloakaslongasthinewillservetheturn？VALENTINEAy，mygoodlord。DUKEThenletmeseethycloak:

I"llgetmeoneofsuchanotherlength。VALENTINEWhy，anycloakwillservetheturn，mylord。DUKEHowshallIfashionmetowearacloak？

Ipraythee，letmefeelthycloakuponme。

Whatletteristhissame？What"shere？"ToSilvia"！

Andhereanenginefitformyproceeding。

I"llbesoboldtobreakthesealforonce。

Reads"MythoughtsdoharbourwithmySilvianightly，Andslavestheyaretomethatsendthemflying:

O，couldtheirmastercomeandgoaslightly，Himselfwouldlodgewheresenselesstheyarelying！

Myheraldthoughtsinthypurebosomrestthem:

WhileI，theirking，thathitherthemimportune，Docursethegracethatwithsuchgracehathbless"dthem，Becausemyselfdowantmyservants"fortune:

Icursemyself，fortheyaresentbyme，Thattheyshouldharbourwheretheirlordwouldbe。"

What"shere？

"Silvia，thisnightIwillenfranchisethee。"

"Tisso;andhere"stheladderforthepurpose。

Why，Phaeton，——forthouartMerops"son，——

WiltthouaspiretoguidetheheavenlycarAndwiththydaringfollyburntheworld？

Wiltthoureachstars，becausetheyshineonthee？

Go，baseintruder！overweeningslave！

Bestowthyfawningsmilesonequalmates，Andthinkmypatience，morethanthydesert，Isprivilegeforthydeparturehence:

ThankmeforthismorethanforallthefavoursWhichalltoomuchIhavebestow"donthee。

ButifthoulingerinmyterritoriesLongerthanswiftestexpeditionWillgivetheetimetoleaveourroyalcourt，Byheaven！mywrathshallfarexceedtheloveIeverboremydaughterorthyself。

Begone！Iwillnothearthyvainexcuse;

But，asthoulovestthylife，makespeedfromhence。

ExitVALENTINEAndwhynotdeathratherthanlivingtorment？

Todieistobebanish"dfrommyself;

AndSilviaismyself:banish"dfromherIsselffromself:adeadlybanishment！

Whatlightislight，ifSilviabenotseen？

Whatjoyisjoy，ifSilviabenotby？

UnlessitbetothinkthatsheisbyAndfeedupontheshadowofperfectionExceptIbebySilviainthenight，Thereisnomusicinthenightingale;

UnlessIlookonSilviaintheday，Thereisnodayformetolookupon;

Sheismyessence，andIleavetobe，IfIbenotbyherfairinfluenceFoster"d，illumined，cherish"d，keptalive。

Iflynotdeath，toflyhisdeadlydoom:

TarryIhere，Ibutattendondeath:

But，flyIhence，Iflyawayfromlife。

EnterPROTEUSandLAUNCEPROTEUSRun，boy，run，run，andseekhimout。LAUNCESoho，soho！PROTEUSWhatseestthou？LAUNCEHimwegotofind:there"snotahairon"sheadbut"tisaValentine。PROTEUSValentine？VALENTINENo。PROTEUSWhothen？hisspirit？VALENTINENeither。PROTEUSWhatthen？VALENTINENothing。LAUNCECannothingspeak？Master，shallIstrike？PROTEUSWhowouldstthoustrike？LAUNCENothing。PROTEUSVillain，forbear。LAUNCEWhy，sir，I"llstrikenothing:Iprayyou，——PROTEUSSirrah，Isay，forbear。FriendValentine，aword。VALENTINEMyearsarestoptandcannotheargoodnews，Somuchofbadalreadyhathpossess"dthem。PROTEUSThenindumbsilencewillIburymine，Fortheyareharsh，untuneableandbad。VALENTINEIsSilviadead？PROTEUSNo，Valentine。VALENTINENoValentine，indeed，forsacredSilvia。

Hathsheforswornme？PROTEUSNo，Valentine。VALENTINENoValentine，ifSilviahaveforswornme。

Whatisyournews？LAUNCESir，thereisaproclamationthatyouarevanished。PROTEUSThatthouartbanished——O，that"sthenews！——

Fromhence，fromSilviaandfrommethyfriend。VALENTINEO，Ihavefeduponthiswoealready，Andnowexcessofitwillmakemesurfeit。

DothSilviaknowthatIambanished？PROTEUSAy，ay;andshehathoffer"dtothedoom——

Which，unreversed，standsineffectualforce——

Aseaofmeltingpearl，whichsomecalltears:

Thoseatherfather"schurlishfeetshetender"d;

Withthem，uponherknees，herhumbleself;

Wringingherhands，whosewhitenesssobecamethemAsifbutnowtheywaxedpaleforwoe:

Butneitherbendedknees，purehandsheldup，Sadsighs，deepgroans，norsilver—sheddingtears，Couldpenetrateheruncompassionatesire;

ButValentine，ifhebeta"en，mustdie。

Besides，herintercessionchafedhimso，Whensheforthyrepealwassuppliant，Thattocloseprisonhecommandedher，Withmanybitterthreatsofbidingthere。VALENTINENomore;unlessthenextwordthatthouspeak"stHavesomemalignantpoweruponmylife:

Ifso，Ipraythee，breatheitinmineear，Asendinganthemofmyendlessdolour。PROTEUSCeasetolamentforthatthoucanstnothelp，Andstudyhelpforthatwhichthoulament"st。