Scene II.
The Landlord, Sir William Sampson, Waitwell.
LANDLORD.
So early, gentlemen, so early? You are welcome; welcome, Waitwell! You have doubtless been travelling all night! Is that the gentleman, of whom you spoke to me yesterday?
WAITWELL.
Yes, it is he, and I hope that in accordance with what we settled----
LANDLORD.
I am entirely at your service, my lord. What is it to me, whether I know or not, what cause has brought you hither, and why you wish to live in seclusion in my house? A landlord takes his money and lets his guests do as they think best. Waitwell, it is true, has told me that you wish to observe the stranger a little, who has been staying here for a few weeks with his young wife, but I hope that you will not cause him any annoyance. You would bring my house into ill repute and certain people would fear to stop here. Men like us must live on people of all kinds.
SIR WILLIAM.
Do not fear; only conduct me to the room which Waitwell has ordered for me; I come here for an honourable purpose.
LANDLORD.
I have no wish to know your secrets, my lord! Curiosity is by no means a fault of mine. I might for instance have known long ago, who the stranger is, on whom you want to keep a watch, but I have no wish to know. This much however I have discovered, that he must have eloped with the young lady. The poor little wife--or whatever she may be!--remains the whole day long locked up in her room, and cries.
SIR WILLIAM.
And cries?
LANDLORD.
Yes, and cries; but, my lord, why do your tears fall? The young lady must interest you deeply. Surely you are not----
WAITWELL.
Do not detain him any longer!
LANDLORD.
Come, come! One wall only will separate you from the lady in whom you are so much interested, and who may be----
WAITWELL.
You mean then at any cost to know, who----
LANDLORD.
No, Waitwell! I have no wish to know anything.
WAITWELL.
Make haste, then, and take us to our rooms, before the whole house begins to stir.
LANDLORD.
Will you please follow me, then, my lord? (Exeunt.)
Scene III.--Mellefont's room.
Mellefont, Norton.
MELLEFONT (in dressing-gown, sitting in an easy chair).
Another night, which I could not have spent more cruelly on the rack!--(calls) Norton!--I must make haste to get sight of a face or two. If I remained alone with my thoughts any longer, they might carry me too far. Hey, Norton! He is still asleep. But is not it cruel of me, not to let the poor devil sleep? How happy he is! However, I do not wish any one about me to be happy! Norton!
NORTON (coming).
Sir!
MELLEFONT.
Dress me!--Oh, no sour looks please! When I shall be able to sleep longer myself I will let you do the same. If you wish to do your duty, at least have pity on me.
NORTON.
Pity, sir! Pity on you? I know better where pity is due.
MELLEFONT.
And where then?
NORTON.
Ah, let me dress you and don't ask.
MELLEFONT.
Confound it! Are your reproofs then to awaken together with my conscience? I understand you; I know on whom you expend your pity. But I will do justice to her and to myself. Quite right, do not have any pity on me! Curse me in your heart; but--curse yourself also!
NORTON.
Myself also?
MELLEFONT.
Yes, because you serve a miserable wretch, whom earth ought not to bear, and because you have made yourself a partaker in his crimes.
NORTON.
I made myself a partaker in your crimes? In what way?
MELLEFONT.
By keeping silent about them.
NORTON.
Well, that is good! A word would have cost me my neck in the heat of your passions. And, besides, did I not find you already so bad, when I made your acquaintance, that all hope of amendment was vain? What a life I have seen you leading from the first moment! In the lowest society of gamblers and vagrants--I call them what they were without regard to their knightly titles and such like--in this society you squandered a fortune which might have made a way for you to an honourable position. And your culpable intercourse with all sorts of women, especially with the wicked Marwood----
MELLEFONT.
Restore me--restore me to that life. It was virtue compared with the present one. I spent my fortune; well! The punishment follows, and I shall soon enough feel all the severity and humiliation of want. I associated with vicious women; that may be. I was myself seduced more often than I seduced others; and those whom I did seduce wished it. But--I still had no ruined virtue upon my conscience. I had carried off no Sara from the house of a beloved father and forced her to follow a scoundrel, who was no longer free. I had----who comes so early to me?
Scene IV.
Betty, Mellefont, Norton.
NORTON.
It is Betty.
MELLEFONT.
Up already, Betty? How is your mistress?
BETTY.
How is she? (sobbing.) It was long after midnight before I could persuade her to go to bed. She slept a few moments; but God, what a sleep that must have been! She started suddenly, sprang up and fell into my arms, like one pursued by a murderer. She trembled, and a cold perspiration started on her pale face. I did all I could to calm her, but up to this morning she has only answered me with silent tears. At length she sent me several times to your door to listen whether you were up. She wishes to speak to you. You alone can comfort her. O do so, dearest sir, do so! My heart will break, if she continues to fret like this.
MELLEFONT.
Go, Betty! Tell her, I shall be with her in a moment,
BETTY.
No, she wishes to come to you herself.
MELLEFONT.
Well, tell her, then, that I am awaiting her----
(Exit Betty.)