Bellona. Ah, keep that look, sweet child! The mystery
Of sense and soul! Her eyes are infinite.
Herminia, what would not you and I,
Maids as we are, and infants yet in law,
Surrender thankfully to own again
The dream of innocence?
Herminia. My beauty—ay,
Half of my beauty for the dewy dawn,
The fragrance, and the shadow of heaven, the blood
That knows not what it would, bathing the thought
With odorous tides, the rapture of life, the swoon
Of innocence, the infinite longing,
The sweet pain, and a pure, brave boy to love me!
Antinous, we shall please ourselves with this,
And play at being a boy and girl again.
Antinous. My love, you are happier in this fantasy
Than when you were the thing and knew it not.
Herminia. And I believe you.
Bellona. Here they come. Sit, child.

Annie Smith sits on a knoll. Herminia and Bellona lie on either side of her. Antinous stands behind.

Enter Clown with Ringan Deane.

Ringan. What deity is this? whose bride? whose queen?
Look, how she sits among these earthly maids,
A star between two lamps. She looks at me
With eyes like beckoning flames. A kind of night
Hovers about her, she so dazzles day.
She bends toward me; she stretches out her arms;
A tear, a molten tear wells in each eye,
And overhangs the lid and slowly falls,
Loth to descend these tender wistful heavens.
Her lips are open, but her struggling voice,
A helpless, still-born sigh, dies in her mouth.
I hope I may have strength to speak to her.
[He kneels before Annie Smith.
Annie. O Ringan—Ringan Deane!
Ringan. You know me, then!
Annie [embracing him]. O, Ringan, I am Annie—Annie Smith!
Bellona. Clown, this is very well. I am so moved;
I feel a kindliness to all the world.
Clown. And I am of the world.
Bellona. Ay, so you are.

Re-enter Sir James, Lady Montgomery, and the others.

Bellona. Well, noble earl? What!—wonders?
Edmund. Yes, indeed,
Most wonderful.
Bellona. Sit, then, and tell us. See,
The feast is spread.
Edmund. We'll tell you when we sit;
But there's a thing to do before we sit.—
Ladies and gentlemen, a little way
We've stepped beyond convention. I propose
A further deviation from the path
Beaten by ages, dusty with the trade
Of thronging use and wont. The Scottish law
Permits us here to marry as we are:
Let us be married—are we not all paired?
And this same feast shall be our wedding-feast.
Do you object, Sir James?
Sir James. Why should I, sir?
Edmund. Then, May Montgomery, will you know me yet?
May. I am in a dream. One mystery at a time.
However came you by my proper name?
Edmund. That is the strangest accident of all:
I was a prophet when I wrote my book.—
Sweet May Montgomery, I take you for my wife
In sight of heaven and you, astonished friends.
May. I take you for my husband.
Antinous. I take you,
Herminia, for my wife.
Herminia. And I take you,
Antinous, for my husband. [Aside to Ant.] Dear old Jack.
Bellona. My name is Mary Jones.
Clown. So? Ha! Then I,
James Jocelyn, take you to be my wife.
Bellona. I love you, and I take you for my husband.
Mercer. My dearest wife, you'll be my bride again?
Mary-Jane. Surely, my husband.
Sir James. This is bravely done!
My wife and I bid heaven's blessing on you.
Mary-Jane. But where are Annie Smith and Ringan Deane?
May. I saw them, like a vision, steal away.

Curtain.

BRUCE: A CHRONICLE PLAY
(Glasgow, 1884)

DRAMATIS PERSONS
Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrich, afterwards King of Scotland.
Edward Bruce.
Nigel Bruce.
Lamberton, Archbishop of St. Andrews.
Walter, the Steward of Scotland.
Sir William Wallace.
Sir James Douglas.
Sir Thomas Randolf.
Sir Christopher Seton.
Sir John Seton.
James Crombe.
Kirkpatrick.
Comyn, Earl of Badenoch.
Comyn, Earl of Buchan.
Macduff, Earl of Fife.
Sir Robert Comyn.
Edward I., King of England.
Edward II., King of England.
The Earl of Pembroke.
Lord Henry Percy.
Lord Robert Clifford.
Sir Ingram de Umfraville.
Sir Giles de Argentine.
Sir Peter Mallorie, Justiciary of England.
Hugh Beaumont.
Isabella, Countess of Carrick, afterwards Queen of Scotland. Isobel,
Countess of Buchan.
Countess of Badenoch.
Lady Douglas.

An Old Man, a Young Friar, a Messenger, a Forester, a Spy.
Lords, Ladies, Gentlemen, Monks, Soldiers, &c.