Dea
I do not understand, but for what is love save to pass understanding? [She puts her arm through his] Come, let us go.
Duchess [with furious malice]
What a charming way of conducting life, little blind girl! When your lover is tired of pursuing his latest fancy and has been thrown out [almost stamping her foot] he will return and grow warm in the rays of your faith.
Dea
Gwymplane will not fancy anyone save me. Ursus says so, and besides I know it—I could not live if I did not know it.
Duchess [laughing]
[Gwymplane steps menacingly towards her.]
Clown, clown, you shall not murder me because I do not champion your deceits. [to Dea] Your lover does not care that I should repeat the poetry of his conversation to me this evening, but it was such rare poetry—more rare than I wanted in fact. [mimicking derisively] "I feel as if we were in a black barge upon a scarlet sea, as if in a moment our boat would dip over the horizon line, and we two should be lost forever," or—here is another pretty line—"I feel as if all the rays of light in the world were flowing from behind the chalice of your pale face."
Dea [putting her hand to her heart]