Tales of the Wonder Club, Volume III

by M. Y. Halidom

D. Die. Nay, this is madness.
Gip. Q. Hear me, swarthy hag. This castle is mine,
And not for such as thee. Begone, I say,
Or I will have thee hanged, ere breaks the dawn,
From the loftiest turret of this pile.
Gip. Q. Villain, I fear no threats.
Look on this bond.
D. Die. What folly's this? Say, who let these men in?
F'th. M. (Advancing.) I, Don Miguel, whom you basely thought
To use as instrument in your foul plot,
Twenty-two years ago, when you did plan
The mockery of a marriage to induce
This trusting gipsy to accede to what
Your own dark soul did lust for; thinking that
'Twere easy work to dupe the innocent.
So, writing to a worthless boon companion,
Already in your debt, you promised him
To cancel all his debt, and further add
Another sum in recompense, were he
To condescend to sink himself so low
As to enact the part of priest in this
False marriage. But that letter never reached
Its destination. Djâbel, gipsy king,
This woman's father, once suspecting guile,
As well he might, did send his spies abroad,
And so this letter, fell into my hands.
I quick conceived the plan to pen reply,
As coming from the tool you sought to use,
In which 'twas stated that he lay in bed,
Ill of a fever, and so could not come,
And therefore he would send a substitute
To act for him. That substitute was I.
I, Father Miguel, with dissembling mien,
By you too fully trusted, had access
Unto your presence, as you fondly thought,
To help you in your plot of the feigned match.
But know, base villain, you alone were duped,
Your marriage was a real one, and holds good.
D. Die. This is some false concocted tale, got up
For some hellish purpose.
Priest. (At the altar, advances.) Lord Don Diego,
I tell you this is no invented tale,
This Father Miguel is well known to me,
A worthy priest of our most holy Church.
The bond is valid.
D. Die. Flouted on all sides!
How now! Do I dream? Am I master here,
Or am I not?
F'th. M. Another Master there's
Above us all, more powerful than thou,
Dispensing justice and avenging wrong.
D. Die. What cant is this? Ho! guards, cut down the rabble.

[Some halberdiers advance. D. Pascual and gipsies put themselves on the defensive.

F'th. M. Raise but a finger, or cause to be raised
An arm in thy defence, and dread the worst.
D. Die. This from a shaven crown! A pretty plight
For feudal lord to be in! What ho! guards.

[A skirmish ensues, and guards are beaten back by gipsies.

On, cowards, on! Where are my men-at-arms?
F'th. M. All drugged, and powerless by my device.
They sleep like dead men. Seek no help from them.
D. Die. Damnation! Am I worsted by a priest
And gang of squalid gipsies? Ho! my men,
Go, rouse the sluggards! Bring my armour, quick.
F'th. M. (To Guards.) Budge but an inch, and not a man of ye shall see to-morrow's sun.
D. Die. How now! Who's he
That threatens and gives orders in my hall?
Have I no friends among these honoured guests
To save me from these insults? Who am I?
F'th. M. A sinner, made amenable to law.
D. Die. (Laughs diabolically.) Ha, ha! This craven's insolence is such
It well nigh moves my laughter. How now! guests,
Not one sword drawn! No single arm upraised.
A Guest. My Lord Don Diego, in a cause that's just
My sword is at your service. So say all
The others. But we will not fight for wrong.
Let us be first persuaded if this priest
Have right upon his side. Show us the bond.
D. Die. The bond is but a forgery.
D. Pas. 'Tis false,
Thou lying knave. I'll make thee eat thy words.
D. Die. Who is this mongrel gipsy, bold of tongue,
Who beards us with drawn sword.
F'th. M. Your lawful son,
Of this poor gipsy born in holy marriage.
D. Die. The tale is too preposterous.
Officiating Priest. Nay, look
Well on the bond, Don Diego.
Guests All. Ay, the bond.
D. Die (To Officiating Priest.) And thou, Sir Shaveling, didst thou not come here
To-night to draw up deed of legal marriage?
And dost thou now come forward and take part
With this base priest, who for some plan of his——
Off. Priest. My compliance was but in appearance.
I came, well knowing of your former marriage,
Twenty-two years ago, as saith the bond,
With her they call the Gipsy Queen. All this
I had from Father Miguel; and besides,
Have well perused the bond, which, being valid,
I could not undertake to tie the knot
In conscience, and have no intent to do 't.
D. Die. I was but mocked, then?
Guests All. Come, the bond! the bond!
D. Die. Give me the bond. I'll soon cut short this work.

[Snatches the bond from the hands of Gipsy Queen. Glances hastily over it, and proceeds to tear it.

'Tis false. This is no signature of mine.
Gip. Q. Darest to deny thy bond? Die, villain, then,
In this thy perjury! [Stabs Don Diego.
D. Die. Help! help! I bleed. [Falls.
Guards. Don Diego to the rescue! Seize the hag.

[Guards and a few guests lay hands on Gipsy Queen.

D. Pas. (Furiously.) Leave go, my mother. He that lays a hand
Upon her person, I'll send straight to hell.
A Guest. (Advancing with drawn sword.) Secure this furious and audacious youth.
D. Pas. Have at thee, then. [Kills guest.
Guest I die. [Dies.
Two Guests. (Advancing.) Hold him! hold him!

[Both guests attack Pascual at once, but are driven back. Guards come up and attempt to seize him. Gipsies attack guards, and a general skirmish ensues. Two guards are killed by gipsies. One gipsy falls. Don Silvio bears off Inez in the confusion.