Collected Works (Vol. III)

82 A DRAMATIC VERSION OF BLANCHE, I know how you must despise me—oh! you are right. I am too poor a creature to occupy one thought of your mind. Alas! although you must die for me to- morrow-—[She stops short, and watts for him to respond, but DENYS is indeed think- ing of something else.) What! You are too proud to link yourself with the dis- honoured house of Malétroit? I too have my pride: and now—and now—I would no more marry you than I would marry my uncle’s groom. [Stamps her foot. DENYS turns round and looks at her tngutringly. He has not heard what she has been saying; he becomes again absorbed in his own thoughts. BLANCHE gets angrier and angrier, stamps again, and, not attracting his atten- tion, falls into the chaty and cries petulantly. BLANCHE. It’s too hard. To ask and be refused--— I,a Malétroit. [DENvys comes back into the room and faces her. She rises and strikes him across the face with her glove.) Cowardly boy! [DENys turns furiously red, catches her suddenly in his arms and kisses her, flings her away, drops to the floor and groans in an agony of shame and love.| Double coward! [She reels away as tf he had struck her: comes back to where he crouches, bends over him and strokes his hatr.) Denys! Monsieur Denys! I am so sorry. You are going to die so soon and I am rude to you— when it is all my fault. [Denys rises and stands facing her manfully. DENYS. Die! Not I! Blanche, when I kissed you I loved you: I loved you when I saw you in the doorway, and I know you love me now. BLANCHE. : Sir! I do not love you. speak to me so? How dare you DENYS. You love me. [Laughing.] Why, you said so | | BLANCHE, You pass my patience, sir. I was acting, acting for your own safety. I made the most shameful declaration a maid can make for your sake—and you fling it in my teeth. [Denys kuows his triumph, and pro- ceeds to enjoy it with laughing speech, as one with a petulant child. DENys. I fail to see that my safety is any the more assured now-—without it. Yes, Mon- sieur de Maladroit, I accept your offer with the best will in the world. BLANCHE. O you despicable coward! I will kill you at the very altar-steps. DENYS, Yours is a wonderful strong family for killing, little one. BLANCHE, Mademoiselle de Malétroit is my name. DENYS. For half-an-hour-—nay ! barely that. [BLANCHE stamps her foot and turns away ansry. Breaks down and kneels in chatr, crying. DENYS follows and stands above her. DENYS. O Blanche! Blanche! Do you not see how every tear is like a drop of poisonous