The Jewel Merchants Part 5

THE DUKE Indeed, I must venture to remind you, Count Eglamore, that I am still a ruling prince--

GUIDO That is nothing to me.

THE DUKE And that, where you are master of very admirable sentiments, I happen to be master of all Tuscany.

GUIDO At court you are the master. At your court in Florence I have seen many mothers raise the veil from their daughters' faces because you were pa.s.sing. But here upon this hill-top I can see only the woman I love and the man who has insulted her.

THE DUKE So all the world is changed, and Pandarus is transformed into Hector!

Your words are very sonorous words, dear Eglamore, but by what deeds do you propose to back them?

GUIDO By killing you, your highness.

THE DUKE But in what manner? By stifling me with virtuous rhetoric? Hah, it is rather awkward for you--is it not--that our sumptuary laws forbid you merchants to carry swords?

GUIDO (_Draws his dagger._) I think this knife will serve me, highness, to make earth a cleaner place.

THE DUKE (_Drawing his long sword._) It would save trouble now to split you like a chicken for roasting.... (_He shrugs, and sheathes his sword. He unbuckles his sword-belt, and lays it aside._) No, no, this farce ascends in interest. So let us play it fairly to the end. I risk nothing, since from this moment you are useless to me, my rebellious lackey--

GUIDO You risk your life, for very certainly I mean to kill you.

THE DUKE Two go to every bargain, my friend. Now, if I kill you, it is always diverting to kill; and if by any chance you should kill me, I shall at least be rid of the intolerable knowledge that to-morrow will be just like to-day.

_He draws his dagger. The two men engage warily but with determination, the DUKE presently advancing. GUIDO steps backward, and in the act trips over the pedler's pack, and falls prostrate. His dagger flies from his hand. GRACIOSA, with a little cry, has covered her face. n.o.body strikes an att.i.tude, because n.o.body is conscious of any need to be heroic, but there is a perceptible silence, which is broken by the DUKE'S quiet voice._

THE DUKE Well! am I to be kept waiting forever? You were quicker in obeying my caprices yesterday. Get up, you muddy lout, and let us kill each other with some pretension of adroitness.

GUIDO (_Rising, with a sob._) Ah!

_He catches up the fallen dagger, and attacks the DUKE, this time with utter disregard of the rules of fence and his own safety. GUIDO drives the DUKE back. GUIDO is careless of defence, and desirous only to kill. The DUKE is wounded, and falls with a cry at the foot of the shrine. GUIDO utters a sort of strangled growl. He raises his dagger, intending to hack at and mutilate his antagonist, who is now unconscious. As GUIDO stoops, GRACIOSA, from behind him, catches his arm._

GRACIOSA He gave you your life.

_GUIDO turns. He drops the weapon. He speaks with great gentleness, almost with weariness._

GUIDO Madonna, the Duke is not yet dead. That wound is nothing serious.

GRACIOSA He spared your life.

GUIDO It is impossible to let him live.

GRACIOSA But I think he only voiced a caprice--

GUIDO I think so, too, but I know that all this madman's whims are ruthless.

GRACIOSA But you have power--

GUIDO Power! I, who have attacked the Duke's person! I, who have done what your dead cousin merely planned to do!

GRACIOSA Guido--!

GUIDO Living, this brain-sick beast will make of you his plaything--and, a little later, his broken, soiled and cast-by plaything. It is therefore necessary that I kill Duke Alessandro.

_GRACIOSA moves away from him, and GUIDO rises._

GRACIOSA And afterward--and afterward you must die just as Tebaldeo died!

GUIDO That is the law, madonna. But what he said is true. I am useless to him, a rebellious lackey to be punished. Whether I have his life or no, I am a lost man.

GRACIOSA A moment since you were Count Eglamore, whom all our n.o.bles feared--

GUIDO Now there is not a beggar in the kingdom who would change lots with me.

But at least I shall first kill this kingdom's lord.

_He picks up his dagger._

GRACIOSA You are a friendless and hunted man, in peril of a dreadful death. But even so, you are not penniless. These jewels here are of great value--

_GUIDO laughs, and hangs the pearls about her neck._

GUIDO Do you keep them, then.

GRACIOSA There is a world outside this kingdom. You have only to make your way through the forest to be out of Tuscany.

GUIDO (_Coolly reflective._) Perhaps I might escape, going north to Bologna, and then to Venice, which is at war with the Duke--

GRACIOSA I can tell you the path to Bologna.

GUIDO But first the Duke must die, because his death saves you.

GRACIOSA No, Guido! I would have Eglamore go hence with hands as clean as possible.

GUIDO Not even Eglamore would leave you at the mercy of this poet.

GRACIOSA How does that matter! It is no secret that my father intends to market me as best suits his interests. And the great Duke of Florence, no less, would have been my purchaser! You heard him, "I will buy this jewel," he said. He would have paid thrice what any of my sisters' purchasers have paid. You know very well that my father would have been delighted.

GUIDO (_Since the truth of what she has just said is known to him by more startling proofs than she dreams of, he speaks rather bitterly, as he sheathes the dagger._) And I must need upset the bargain between these jewel merchants!

GRACIOSA (_Lightly._) "No, I will not have it!" Count Eglamore must cry. (_Her hand upon his arm._) My dear unthrifty pedler! it cost you a great deal to speak those words.

GUIDO I had no choice. I love you. (_A pause. As GRACIOSA does not speak, GUIDO continues, very quiet at first._) It is a theme on which I shall not embroider. So long as I thought to use you as an instrument I could woo fluently enough. Today I saw that you were frightened and helpless--oh, quite helpless. And something in me changed. I knew for the first time that I loved you. And I knew I was not clean as you are clean. I knew that I had more in common with this beast here than I had with you.

GRACIOSA (_Who with feminine practicality, while the man talks, has reached her decision._) We daughters of the Valori are so much merchandise.... Heigho, since I cannot help it, since bought and sold I must be, one day or another, at least I will go at a n.o.ble price. Yet I do not think I am quite worth the wealth and power which you have given up because of me. So it will be necessary to make up the difference, dear, by loving you very much.

_GUIDO takes her hands, only half-believing that he understands her meaning. He puts an arm about her shoulder, holding her at a distance, the better to see her face._

GUIDO You, who had only scorn to give me when I was a kingdom's master! Would you go with me now that I am homeless and friendless?

GRACIOSA (_Archly._) But to me you do not seem quite friendless.