CUERVO - Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia

468 MEN AND WOMEN
The love of power, of fame, pure loyalty?
-Perhaps she fancies men wear out their lives
Chasing such shades. Then I've a fancy too.
I worked because I want you with my soul-
I therefore ask your hand. Let it be now.
Constance. Had I not loved you from the very first,
Vvere I not yours, could we not steal out thus
So wickedly, so wildly, and so well,
You might be thus impatient. What's conceived
Of us without here, by the folks within?
Where are you now? immersed in cares of state-­
\Vhere am I now ?-intent on festal robes-
We two, embracing under death's spread hand!
\Vhat was this thought for, what this scruple of yours
Which broke the council up, to bring about
One minute's meeting in the corridor?
And then the sudden sleights, long secresies,
The plots inscrutable, deep telegraphs,
Long-planned chance-meetings, hazards of a look,
" Does she know? does she not know? savcd or lost? "
A year of this compression's ecstasy
All goes for nothing? you would give this up
For the old way, the open way, the world's,
His way who beats, and his who sells his wife?
What tempts you? their notorious happiness,
That you're ashamed of ours? The best you'll get
Will be, the Queen grants all that you require,
Concedes the ousin, and gets rid of you
And her at once, and gives us ample leave
To live as our five hundred happy friends.
The world will show us with officious hand
Our chamber-entry and stand sentinel,
When we so oft have stolen across her traps I
Get the world's warrant, ring the falcon's foot,
And make it duty to be bold and swift,
When long ago 'twas nature. Have it so I
He never hawked by rights till flung from fist?
Oh, the man's thought I-no woman's such a fool.
Norbert. Yes, the man's thought and my thought, which
is more--
One made to love you, let the world take note.
Have I done worthy work? be love's the praise,
Though hampered by restrictions, barred against
By set forms, blinded by forced secresies.
Set free my love, and see what love will do
Shown in my life--what work will spring from that I
The world is used to have its business done
On other grounds, find great etIects produced
For power's sake, fame's sake, motives you have named.
©Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia