the complete plays-第66章
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KING/RUTH： What is the matter？
FREDERIC： Ought I to tell you？ No； no； I cannot do it； and yet；
as one of your band
KING： Speak out； I charge you by that sense of
conscientiousness to which we have never yet appealed
in vain。
FREDERIC： General Stanley； the father of my Mabel
KING/RUTH： Yes； yes！
FREDERIC： He escaped from you on the plea that he was an orphan？
KING： He did。
FREDERIC： It breaks my heart to betray the honoured father of the
girl I adore； but as your apprentice I have no
alternative。 It is my duty to tell you that General
Stanley is no orphan！
KING/RUTH： What！
FREDERIC： More than that； he never was one！
KING： Am I to understand that； to save his contemptible life；
he dared to practice on our credulous simplicity？
（FREDERIC nods as he weeps） Our revenge shall be swift
and terrible。 We will go and collect our band and
attack Tremorden Castle this very night。
FREDERIC： But stay
KING： Not a word！ He is doomed！
TRIO
KING and RUTH： FREDERIC
Away； away！ my heart's on fire； Away； away！ ere I expire
I burn； this base deception to I find my duty hard to
do to…
repay。 day！
This very night my vengeance dire My heart is filled with
anguish dire；
Shall glut itself in gore。 It strikes me to the
core。
Away； away！ Away； away！
KING： With falsehood foul
He tricked us of our brides。
Let vengeance howl；
The Pirate so decides。
Our nature stern
He softened with his lies；
And； in return；
To…night the traitor dies。
ALL： Yes； yes！ to…night the traitor dies！
Yes； yes！ to…night the traitor dies！
RUTH： To…night he dies！
KING： Yes； or early to…morrow。
FREDERIC： His girls likewise？
RUTH： They will welter in sorrow。
KING： The one soft spot
RUTH： In their natures they cherish
FREDERIC： And all who plot
KING： To abuse it shall perish！
ALL： To…night he dies； etc。
（Exeunt KING and RUTH。 FREDERIC throws himself on a stone in
blank despair。 Enter MABEL。）
RECITMABEL
All is prepared； your gallant crew await you。
My Frederic in tears？ It cannot be
That lion…heart quails at the coming conflict？
FREDERIC： No； Mabel； no。
A terrible disclosure
Has just been made。
Mabel； my dearly…loved one；
I bound myself to serve the pirate captain
Until I reached my one…and…twentieth birthday
MABEL： But you are twenty…one？
FREDERIC： I've just discovered
That I was born in leap…year； and that birthday
Will not be reached by me till nineteen forty！
MABEL： Oh； horrible！ catastrophe appalling！
FREDERIC： And so； farewell！
MABEL： No； no！
Ah； Frederic； hear me。
DUETMABEL and FREDERIC
MABEL： Stay； Fred'ric； stay！
They have no legal claim；
No shadow of a shame
Will fall upon thy name。
Stay； Frederic； stay！
FREDERIC： Nay； Mabel； nay！
To…night I quit these walls；
The thought my soul appalls；
But when stern Duty calls；
I must obey。
MABEL： Stay； Fred'ric； stay！
FREDERIC： Nay； Mabel； nay！
MABEL： They have no claim
FREDERIC： But Duty's name。
The thought my soul appalls；
But when stern Duty calls；
MABEL： Stay； Fred'ric； stay！
FREDERIC： I must obey。
BALLADMABEL
Ah； leave me not to pine
Alone and desolate；
No fate seemed fair as mine；
No happiness so great！
And Nature； day by day；
Has sung in accents clear
This joyous roundelay；
〃He loves thee he is here。
Fa…la； la…la；
Fa…la； la…la。
He loves thee he is here。
Fa…la； la…la； Fa…la。〃
FREDERIC： Ah； must I leave thee here
In endless night to dream；
Where joy is dark and drear；
And sorrow all supreme
Where nature； day by day；
Will sing； in altered tone；
This weary roundelay；
〃He loves thee he is gone。
Fa…la； la…la；
Fa…la； la…la。
He loves thee he is gone。
Fa…la； la…la； Fa…la。〃
FREDERIC： In 1940 I of age shall be；
I'll then return； and claim youI declare it！
MABEL： It seems so long！
FREDERIC： Swear that； till then； you will be true to me。
MABEL： Yes； I'll be strong！
By all the Stanleys dead and gone； I swear it！
ENSEMBLE
Oh； here is love； and here is truth；
And here is food for joyous laughter：
He （she） will be faithful to his （her） sooth
Till we are wed； and even after。
Oh； here is love； etc。
（FREDERIC rushes to window and leaps out）
MABEL： （almost fainting） No； I am brave！ Oh； family descent；
How great thy charm； thy sway how excellent！
Come one and all； undaunted men in blue；
A crisis； now； affairs are coming to！
（Enter POLICE； marching in single file）
SERGEANT： Though in body and in mind
POLICE： Tarantara！ tarantara！
SERGEANT： We are timidly inclined；
POLICE： Tarantara！
SERGEANT： And anything but blind
POLICE： Tarantara！ tarantara！
SERGEANT： To the danger that's behind；
POLICE： Tarantara！
SERGEANT： Yet； when the danger's near；
POLICE： Tarantara！ tarantara！
SERGEANT： We manage to appear
POLICE： Tarantara！
SERGEANT： As insensible to fear
As anybody here；
As anybody here。
POLICE： Tarantara！ tarantara！； etc。
MABEL： Sergeant； approach！ Young Frederic was to have led you
to death and glory。
POLICE： That is not a pleasant way of putting it。
MABEL： No matter； he will not so lead you； for he has allied
himself once more with his old associates。
POLICE： He has acted shamefully！
MABEL： You speak falsely。 You know nothing about it。 He has
acted nobly。
POLICE： He has acted nobly！
MABEL： Dearly as I loved him before； his heroic sacrifice to
his sense of duty has endeared him to me tenfold； but
if it was his duty to constitute himself my foe； it is
likewise my duty to regard him in that light。 He has
done his duty。 I will do mine。 Go ye and do yours。
（Exit MABEL）
POLICE： Right oh！
SERGEANT： This is perplexing。
POLICE： We cannot understand it at all。
SERGEANT： Still； as he is actuated by a sense of duty
POLICE： That makes a difference； of course。 At the same time；
we repeat； we cannot understand it at all。
SERGEANT： No matter。 Our course is clear： we must do our best
to capture these pirates alone。 It is most distressing
to us to be the agents whereby our erring fellow…
creatures are deprived of that liberty which is so dear
to
