Collected Works (Vol. III)

78 A DRAMATIC VERSION OF DENYS. A moment, of your grace, Mademoiselle. Do not think that I am some obscure fortune- hunter who will jump at the chance so strangely offered him. My nameis as noble as your own—ay! were things otherwise, I would still spare you. As itis, I have but to do as my duty and my interest—and yours— demand. We will see if Monsieur de Malé- troit can cage me here for ever. [Looks at sword meditatively.| That is unfortunate. BLANCHE, I am so afraid, sir: I know my uncle well: but—thank you,—thank you ! DENYS. Is Monsieur de Malétroit at hand? BLANCHE. There is a servant within call. [Strikes gong thrice. [A pause. Enter ANDREW. DENYS. Ask Monsieur the Sire de Malétroit to honour us with his presence. [ANDREW bows and exit. BLANCHE. Monsieur, I don’t know what we—you— will do, but thank you—thank you. DENYS. [Draws himself up.| Ah! Mademoiselle, trust me, all will be well. [Enter ALAIN and tronically bows. DENYS. [Grandly.] Messire, I suppose that I am to have some say in the matter of this marriage, so let me tell you without further ado, I will be no party to forcing the inclinations of this lady. [ALAIN sw7z/es, DENYS fazses.] I—er—you understand me, sir? [ALAIN s¢277 smiles.) Wad it been freely offered to me, I should have been proud to accept her hand, for I perceive she is as good as she is beautiful [ALAIN stzll smiles], but as things are—er—TI have the honour, Messire, of refusing [ALAIN smiles more and more|—I—er—er-— [ALAIN’S saizle becomes positively insupportable, BLANCHE smiles through her tears in gratitude and zs secretly tickled at hts confusion. DENYS gets annoyed, and swings away on his heel with an expression of disgust. ALAIN. I am afraid, Monsieur de Beaulieu, that you do not perfectly understand—the alterna- tive. Follow me, I beseech you, to this window. [TZhey cross to the window, DENYS shrugging his shoulders.) Look out! [DENYS looks out into the blackness. ALAIN points to just below.) Were are hooks. Iron hooks. Fastened into the wall. Strong. [Zhey turn back into room.] And there [fozn/s] is the Lady Blanche. And so, Monsieur Denys de Beaulieu, Damoiseau de Beaulieu, in the province of Normandy, I do myself the honour to inform you that unless you are married to my niece in an hour's time, from these hooks you will hang. [BLANCHE screams aloud, and falls half fainting into a chair.) I trust your good sense will come to your aid, for of course it is not at all your death that I desire, but my niece’s establishment in life. Your family, Monsieur de Beaulieu, is very well in its way, but if you sprang from Charlemagne you should not refuse the hand ofa Malétroit with impunity—not if she had been as common as the laris road, not if she were as hideous as the gargoyles on my roof. Neither my niece, nor you, nor my own private feelings move me in this matter. The honour of my house has been com- promised: I believe you to be the guilty person: at Jeast you are now in the secret; and though it will be no satisfaction to me