THE MOTHER
135
Your virginal
sweet
spirit cannot reach
My fury ....
Thus
in
the intoxication
of his desire he raves , in
her silence
he sees her affection , and in
the terror of
her eyes her love .
Cora is horror -stricken
: “ you beast !”
“
you fool !”
“
I
am
defiled .”
He
stands
dazed
and wondering .
Then
in
the
following
pages
she tells him :
“ I
am
the
mother
of
thy
bastard
birth ” ;
he
prays ,
he
threatens , and shrieking
hurls insult on insult at her :
Me , the sole pledge of your debaucheries ,
You
keep - your love, the mere maternity
You
share
with swine and
cattle !...
I love you still
With carnal love and spiritual love !
And I will have you, by the living God ,
To be my mistress . If I fail in this ,
Or falter in this counsel of despair ,
May God's own curses dog me into hell ,
And mine own life perpetuate itself
Through
all
the ages
of
eternity
.
Amen
!
Amen
!
Come
,
Cora
,
to
my heart
!?
Madeline
,
whom
Cora
had hoped
to
have
made
Ulric's bride
,
appears
,
and for
a
moment his mad fury
slackens
only
to
burst
out again
,
as
he
drags Cora
from
the
room
.
When
she
re
-
enters
her voice
is
hoarse and horrible
:
O
Phædra
!
lend
me
of
thy wickedness
,
Lest
I
go
mad
to
contemplate myself
!3
Then turning
to
Madeline
-
young
,
pretty
,
and foolish
-who bids her seek
help from
the
Mother
of
God
,
•
Our Lady
of
the seven
stars
”
says
:
|
The Mother's Tragedy
,
vol
.
i,
p
.
159
.
Ibid
.
vol
.
i,
p
.
163
.
3
Ibid
.
vol
.
i,
p
.
164
.