Owing After What He Dares Not Face When His End'S Gained (Sir, Do You Understand?) When She, He Dares Not Face, Has Loved Him First, May I Not Say So, Madam? Tops His Hope, And Overpasses So His Wildest Dream, With Glad Consent Of All, And Most Of Her The Confidant Who Brought The Same About Why, In The Moment When Such Joy Explodes, I Do Say That The Merest Gentleman Will Not Start Rudely From The Stalking-Horse, Dismiss It With A 'There, Enough Of You!' Forget It, Show His Back Unmannerly; But Like A Liberal Heart Will Rather Turn And Say, 'A Tingling Time Of Hope Was Ours Betwixt The Fears And Falterings We Two Lived A Chanceful Time In Waiting For The Prize. The Confidant, The Constance, Served Not Ill; And Though I Shall Forget Her In Due Time, Her Use Being Answered Now, As Reason Bids, Nay As Herself Bids From Her Heart Of Hearts, Still, She Has Rights, The First Thanks Go To Her, The First Good Praise Goes To The Prosperous Tool, And The First Which Is The Last Thankful Kiss.' Norbert Constance? It Is A Dream Ah See You Smile! Constance So, Now His Part Being Properly Performed, Madam, I Turn To You And Finish Mine As Duly I Do Justice In My Turn. Yes, Madam, He Has Loved You Long And Well He Could Not Hope To Tell You So 'Twas I Who Served To Prove Your Soul Accessible. I Led His Thoughts On, Drew Them To Their Place, When Oft They Had Wandered Out Into Despair, And Kept Love Constant Toward Its Natural Aim. Enough My Part Is Played; You Stoop Half-Way And Meet Us Royally And Spare Our Fears 'Tis Like Yourself He Thanks You, So Do I. Take Him With My Full Heart! My Work Is Praised By What Comes Of It. Be You Happy, Both! Yourself The Only One On Earth Who Can Do All For Him, Much More Than A Mere Heart Which Though Warm Is Not Useful In Its Warmth As The Silk Vesture Of A Queen! Fold That Around Him Gently, Tenderly. For Him For Him, He Knows His Own Part. Norbert Have You Done? I Take The Jest At Last. Should I Speak Now? Was Yours The Wager, Constance, Foolish Child, Or Did You But Accept It? Well At Least, You Lose By It. Constance Now Madam, 'Tis Your Turn. Restrain Him Still From Speech A Little More And Make Him Happier And More Confident Pity Him, Madam, He Is Timid Yet. Mark, Norbert! Do Not Shrink Now! Here I Yield My Whole Right In You To The Queen, Observe! With Her Go Put In Practice The Great Schemes You Teem With, Follow The Career Else Closed Be All You Cannot Be Except By Her! Behold Her. Madam, Say For Pity'S Sake Anything Frankly Say You Love Him. Else He'll Not Believe It: There'S More Earnest In His Fear Than You Conceive I Know The Man. Norbert I Know The Woman Somewhat, And Confess I Thought She Had Jested Better She Begins To Overcharge Her Part. I Gravely Wait Your Pleasure, Madam: Where Is My Reward? Queen Norbert, This Wild Girl (Whom I Recognise Scarce More Than You Do, In Her Fancy-Fit, Eccentric Speech And Variable Mirth, Not Very Wise Perhaps And Somewhat Bold Yet Suitable, The Whole Night'S Work Being Strange) May Still Be Right: I May Do Well To Speak And Make Authentic What Appears A Dream To Even Myself. For, What She Says, Is True Yes, Norbert What You Spoke But Now Of Love, Devotion, Stirred No Novel Sense In Me, But Justified A Warmth Felt Long Before. Yes, From The First I Loved You, I Shall Say, Strange! But I Do Grow Stronger, Now 'Tis Said, Your Courage Helps Mine: You Did Well To Speak To-Night, The Night That Crowns Your Twelvemonths' Toil But Still I Had Not Waited To Discern Your Heart So Long, Believe Me! From The First The Source Of So Much Zeal Was Almost Plain, In Absence Even Of Your Own Words Just Now Which Opened Out The Truth. 'Tis Very Strange, But Takes A Happy Ending In Your Love Which Mine Meets: Be It So As You Choose Me, So I Choose You. Norbert And Worthily You Choose! I Will Not Be Unworthy Your Esteem, No, Madam. I Do Love You; I Will Meet Your Nature, Now I Know It; This Was Well, I See, You Dare And You Are Justified: But None Had Ventured Such Experiment, Less Versed Than You In Nobleness Of Heart, Less Confident Of Finding It In Me. I Like That Thus You Test Me Ere You Grant The Dearest, Richest, Beauteousest And Best Of Women To My Arms! 'Tis Like Yourself! So Back Again Into My Part'S Set Words Devotion To The Uttermost Is Yours, But No, You Cannot, Madam, Even You, Create In Me The Love Our Constance Does. Or Something Truer To The Tragic Phrase Not Yon Magnolia-Bell Superb With Scent Invites A Certain Insect That's Myself But The Small Eye-Flower Nearer To The Ground I Take This Lady! Constance Stay Not Hers, The Trap Stay, Norbert That Mistake Were Worst Of All. (He Is Too Cunning, Madam!) It Was I, I, Norbert, Who . . . Norbert You, Was It, Constance? Then, But For The Grace Of This Divinest Hour Which Gives Me You, I Should Not Pardon Here. I Am The Queen'S: She Only Knows My Brain She May Experiment Therefore On My Heart And I Instruct Her Too By The Result; But You, Sweet, You Who Know Me, Who So Long Have Told My Heart-Beats Over, Held My Life In Those White Hands Of Yours, It Is Not Well! Constance Tush! I Have Said It, Did I Not Say It All? The Life, For Her The Heart-Beats, For Her Sake! Norbert Enough! My Cheek Grows Red, I Think. Your Test There'S Not The Meanest Woman In The World, Not She I Least Could Love In All The World, Whom, Did She Love Me, Did Love Prove Itself, I Dared Insult As You Insult Me Now. Constance, I Could Say, If It Must Be Said, 'Take Back The Soul You Offer I Keep Mine' But 'Take The Soul Still Quivering On Your Hand, The Soul So Offered, Which I Cannot Use, And, Please You, Give It To Some Friend Of Mine, For What's The Trifle He Requites Me With?' I, Tempt A Woman, To Amuse A Man, That Two May Mock Her Heart If It Succumb? No! Fearing God And Standing 'Neath His Heaven, I Would Not Dare Insult A Woman So, Were She The Meanest Woman In The World, And He, I Cared To Please, Ten Emperors! Constance Norbert! Norbert I Love Once As I Live But Once. What Case Is This To Think Or Talk About? I Love You. Would It Mend The Case At All Should Such A Step As This Kill Love In Me? Your Part Were Done: Account To God For It. But Mine Could Murdered Love Get Up Again, And Kneel To Whom You Pleased To Designate And Make You Mirth? It Is Too Horrible. You Did Not Know This, Constance? Now You Know That Body And Soul Have Each One Life, But One And Here'S My Love, Here, Living, At Your Feet. Constance See The Queen! Norbert This One More Last Word If Thus You Have Taken Jest For Earnest Thus Loved Me In Earnest . . . Norbert Ah, No Jest Holds Here! Where Is The Laughter In Which Jests Break Up? And What This Horror That Grows Palpable? Madam Why Grasp You Thus The Balcony? Have I Done Ill? Have I Not Spoken The Truth? How Could I Other? Was It Not Your Test, To Try Me, And What My Love For Constance Meant? Madam, Your Royal Soul Itself Approves, The First, That I Should Choose Thus! So One Takes A Beggar Asks Him What Would Buy His Child, And Then Approves The Expected Laugh Of Scorn Returned As Something Noble From The Rags. Speak, Constance, I'm The Beggar! Ha, What's This? You Two Glare Each At Each Like Panthers Now. Constance The World Fades; Only You Stand There! You Did Not In To-Night'S Wild Whirl Of Things Sell Me Your Soul Of Souls For Any Price? No No 'Tis Easy To Believe In You. Was It Your Love'S Mad Trial To O'Ertop Mine By This Vain Self-Sacrifice? Well, Still Though I Should Curse, I Love You. I Am Love And Cannot Change! Love'S Self Is At Your Feet. [Queen Goes Out. Constance Feel My Heart; Let It Die Against Your Own. Norbert Against My Own! Explain Not; Let This Be. This Is Life'S Height. Constance Yours! Yours! Yours! Norbert You And I Why Care By What Meanders We Are Here In The Centre Of The Labyrinth? Men Have Died Trying To Find This Place Out, Which We Have Found. Constance Found, Found! Norbert Sweet, Never Fear What She Can Do We Are Past Harm Now. Constance On The Breast Of God. I Thought Of Men As If You Were A Man. Tempting Him With A Crown! 452 Norbert This Must End Here It Is Too Perfect! Constance There'S The Music Stopped. What Measured Heavy Tread? It Is One Blaze About Me And Within Me. Norbert Oh, Some Death Will Run Its Sudden Finger Round This Spark, And Sever Us From The Rest Constance And So Do Well. Now The Doors Open Norbert 'Tis The Guard Comes. Constance Kiss!