'Twas thou who took my love away from me.

MORANZONE
[with a look of joy]

What, has he left you?
DUCHESS

Nay, you know he has.
Oh, give him back to me, give him back, I say,

Or I will tear your body limb from limb,
And to the common gibbet nail your head

Until the carrion crows have stripped it bare.
Better you had crossed a hungry lioness

Before you came between me and my love.
[With more pathos.]

Nay, give him back, you know not how I love him.
Here by this chair he knelt a half hour since;

'Twas there he stood, and there he looked at me;
This is the hand he kissed, and these the ears

Into whose open portals he did pour
A tale of love so musical that all

The birds stopped singing! Oh, give him back to me.
MORANZONE

He does not love you, Madam.
DUCHESS

May the plague
Wither the tongue that says so! Give him back.

MORANZONE
Madam, I tell you you will never see him,

Neither to-night, nor any other night.
DUCHESS

What is your name?
MORANZONE

My name? Revenge!
[Exit.]

DUCHESS
Revenge!

I think I never harmed a little child.
What should Revenge do coming to my door?

It matters not, for Death is there already,
Waiting with his dim torch to light my way.

'Tis true men hate thee, Death, and yet I think
Thou wilt be kinder to me than my lover,

And so dispatch the messengers at once,
Harry the lazy steeds of lingering day,

And let the night, thy sister, come instead,
And drape the world in mourning; let the owl,

Who is thy minister, scream from his tower
And wake the toad with hooting, and the bat,

That is the slave of dim Persephone,
Wheel through the sombre air on wandering wing!

Tear up the shrieking mandrakes from the earth
And bid them make us music, and tell the mole

To dig deep down thy cold and narrow bed,
For I shall lie within thine arms to-night.

END OF ACT II.
ACT III

SCENE
A large corridor in the Ducal Palace: a window (L.C.) looks out on

a view of Padua by moonlight: a staircase (R.C.) leads up to a
door with a portiere of crimsonvelvet, with the Duke's arms

embroidered in gold on it: on the lowest step of the staircase a
figure draped in black is sitting: the hall is lit by an iron

cresset filled with burning tow: thunder and lightning outside:
the time is night.

[Enter GUIDO through the window.]
GUIDO

The wind is rising: how my ladder shook!
I thought that every gust would break the cords!

[Looks out at the city.]
Christ! What a night:

Great thunder in the heavens, and wild lightnings
Striking from pinnacle to pinnacle

Across the city, till the dim houses seem
To shudder and to shake as each new glare

Dashes adown the street.
[Passes across the stage to foot of staircase.]

Ah! who art thou
That sittest on the stair, like unto Death

Waiting a guilty soul? [A pause.]
Canst thou not speak?

Or has this storm laid palsy on thy tongue,
And chilled thy utterance?

[The figure rises and takes off his mask.]
MORANZONE

Guido Ferranti,
Thy murdered father laughs for joy to-night.

GUIDO
[confusedly]

What, art thou here?
MORANZONE

Ay, waiting for your coming.
GUIDO

[looking away from him]
I did not think to see you, but am glad,

That you may know the thing I mean to do.
MORANZONE

First, I would have you know my well-laid plans;
Listen: I have set horses at the gate

Which leads to Parma: when you have done your business
We will ride hence, and by to-morrow night -

GUIDO
It cannot be.

MORANZONE
Nay, but it shall.

GUIDO
Listen, Lord Moranzone,

I am resolved not to kill this man.
MORANZONE

Surely my ears are traitors, speak again:
It cannot be but age has dulled my powers,

I am an old man now: what did you say?
You said that with that dagger in your belt

You would avenge your father's bloody murder;
Did you not say that?

GUIDO
No, my lord, I said

I was resolved not to kill the Duke.
MORANZONE

You said not that; it is my senses mock me;
Or else this midnight air o'ercharged with storm

Alters your message in the giving it.
GUIDO

Nay, you heard rightly; I'll not kill this man.
MORANZONE

What of thine oath, thou traitor, what of thine oath?
GUIDO

I am resolved not to keep that oath.
MORANZONE

What of thy murdered father?
GUIDO

Dost thou think
My father would be glad to see me coming,

This old man's blood still hot upon mine hands?
MORANZONE

Ay! he would laugh for joy.
GUIDO

I do not think so,
There is better knowledge in the other world;

Vengeance is God's, let God himself revenge.
MORANZONE

Thou art God's minister of vengeance.
GUIDO

No!
God hath no minister but his own hand.

I will not kill this man.
MORANZONE

Why are you here,
If not to kill him, then?

GUIDO
Lord Moranzone,

I purpose to ascend to the Duke's chamber,
And as he lies asleep lay on his breast

The dagger and this writing; when he awakes
Then he will know who held him in his power

And slew him not: this is the noblest vengeance
Which I can take.

MORANZONE
You will not slay him?

GUIDO
No.

MORANZONE
Ignoble son of a noble father,

Who sufferest this man who sold that father
To live an hour.

GUIDO
'Twas thou that hindered me;

I would have killed him in the open square,
The day I saw him first.

MORANZONE
It was not yet time;

Now it is time, and, like some green-faced girl,
Thou pratest of forgiveness.

GUIDO
No! revenge:

The right revenge my father's son should take.
MORANZONE

You are a coward,
Take out the knife, get to the Duke's chamber,

And bring me back his heart upon the blade.
When he is dead, then you can talk to me

Of noble vengeances.
GUIDO

Upon thine honour,
And by the love thou bearest my father's name,

Dost thou think my father, that great gentleman,
That generous soldier, that most chivalrous lord,

Would have crept at night-time, like a common thief,
And stabbed an old man sleeping in his bed,

However he had wronged him: tell me that.
MORANZONE

[after some hesitation]
You have sworn an oath, see that you keep that oath.

Boy, do you think I do not know your secret,
Your traffic with the Duchess?

GUIDO
Silence, liar!

The very moon in heaven is not more chaste.
Nor the white stars so pure.

MORANZONE
And yet, you love her;

Weak fool, to let love in upon your life,
Save as a plaything.

• musical [´mju:zikəl] a.音乐的；悦耳的 (初中英语单词)
• revenge [ri´vendʒ] vt.报复 n.报仇；报复 (初中英语单词)
• mourning [´mɔ:niŋ] n.悲伤；治丧；戴孝 (初中英语单词)
• minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)
• scream [skri:m] v.&n.尖叫(声) (初中英语单词)
• moonlight [´mu:nlait] n.&a.月光(的) (初中英语单词)
• velvet [´velvit] n.&a.天鹅绒(般的) (初中英语单词)
• thunder [´θʌndə] n.雷 vi.打雷 vt.吼出 (初中英语单词)
• lightning [´laitniŋ] n.闪电 a.突然的 (初中英语单词)
• guilty [´gilti] a.有罪的；心虚的 (初中英语单词)
• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
• bloody [´blʌdi] a.(流)血的；血腥的 (初中英语单词)
• midnight [´midnait] n.午夜；漆黑 (初中英语单词)
• traitor [´treitə] n.叛徒，卖国贼 (初中英语单词)
• ascend [ə´send] v.登；上升；追溯 (初中英语单词)
• writing [´raitiŋ] n.书写；写作；书法 (初中英语单词)
• generous [´dʒenərəs] a.慷慨的；丰盛的 (初中英语单词)
• sleeping [´sli:piŋ] n.&a.睡着(的) (初中英语单词)
• traffic [´træfik] n.交通，运输 (初中英语单词)
• dispatch [di´spætʃ] vt.&n.发送；派遣；调度 (高中英语单词)
• corridor [´kɔridɔ:] n.走廊；指定航路 (高中英语单词)
• crimson [´krimzən] a.&n.深(紫)红(的) (高中英语单词)
• ladder [´lædə] n.梯子；阶梯 (高中英语单词)
• shudder [´ʃʌdə] n.&vi.震颤；发抖 (高中英语单词)
• avenge [ə´vendʒ] vt.替...报仇 (高中英语单词)
• staircase [´steəkeis] n.楼梯 =stairway (英语四级单词)
• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)
• dagger [´dægə] n.短剑，匕首 (英语四级单词)
• rightly [´raitli] ad.正义地；正确地 (英语四级单词)
• plaything [´plei,θiŋ] n.玩具；玩物 (英语四级单词)
• pinnacle [´pinəkl] n.小尖塔；山顶；极点 (英语六级单词)
• chivalrous [´ʃivəlrəs] a.勇武的；武士的 (英语六级单词)