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Page 1 of 21901 · PDF PAGE 34
20 THE MOTHER’S TRAGEDY CORA. This shaft is aimed even against thy life. ULRIC. What is my life without the love of thee ? CORA. I hate each word as I do hate the devil. ULRIC. I, each evasion. Iam bound a slave To this wild passion. It will eat me up. CORA. You cannot guess the horror that you speak. I tell you, if I know your golden heart, This detestation of yourself shall cry The cry of Edipus—“ I have profaned——” ULRIC. What sphinx more cruel? What new C:dipus ? You riddle, Cora, and it breaks my heart. [He sinks exhausted. (Rallying.) By …
1901 · PDF PAGE 43
THE MOTHER’S TRAGEDY 29 ULRIC. So perish the Queen’s enemies! Well, little lover, have I done it well ? Cora, my sweetheart, we are happy now To think our troubles should be ended so In perfect love and—I am feeling ill [CORA recovers her mental balance. CORA. A blood-grey vapour and a scorpion steam To poison the unrighteous life of God! [ULRIC looks on in a completely dazed manner, uncomprehending. CORA Zakes razor and puts tt in his hand. Kill yourself. ULRIC, smiling, as tf with some divine and ineffable joy, draws the razor across his thro…
1901 · PDF PAGE 33
THE MOTHER'S TRAGEDY 19 CORA. All is too true—my own philosophy Mars my world’s wisdom. (Suddenly.) Can you tell me why I loved you as a child, and why I dare Now take your head between my hands and kiss Your forehead with these shameful lips of mine, These harlot lips, and kiss you unashamed ? ULRIC. Strange are these words, and this emotion strange! CORA. Strange is the truth, and deadly as an asp. ULRIC. Wear me no more with this anxiety. CORA. How can I speak? For this will ruin us. ULRIC. Unspoken, I demand thy heart of thee. CORA. My hear…
1901 · PDF PAGE 38
…ER’S TRAGEDY ULRIC. Believe me, I am nervous and distraught. You know me, how excitable I am. A moment, and you see me calm again. Come, Cora, do not frighten Madeline! [ He vatses her to lead her from the room. CORA. Where would you lead me? I am blind with tears. ULRIC. I have no tears. Mine eyes are hard and cold As my intention. Help me, Madeline. CORA. God will avenge me bitterly on you If you stretch hand to aid this infamy. ULRIC. You shall not wreck her life. Be silent now! Believe me, it 1s nothing, Madeline! She often falls into a fit…
1901 · PDF PAGE 28
… fury. You are silent. Yet you love! I read it in the terror of your eyes, The crimson of your burning face. I know, I know you love me! Cora, Cora, tell me! O she will die! I would not—I was rough— My overmastering desire to you— My queen, my wife, this maddens me. CORA, recovering. You fool! You beast! I hate you for your stupid self! I am defiled! Go! Touch me not! Speak not! I am accursed of the Lord my God. [Shrieks. ULRIC. Darling! my darling! How have I done this? CORA. Fool! It is madness! Yes, and punishment. O God, that all my love sh…
1901 · PDF PAGE 37
… 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! [He stoops to embrace her. Horror and madness catch him, and he runs about the room wildly, crying for CORA, whom he cannot see. MADELINE enters. MADELINE. O Cora! Cora! Ulric! Help! Help! Help! ULRIC regains his self-control. Hush! Allis well! I cannot tell you now. Some news—a letter—it has frightened her. MADELINE. But you were crying aS a madman would.
1901 · PDF PAGE 18
…n of her beauty and her peace A special dower. Your thoughts are ever pure; Your soul in sweet communion with God! Why, you are crying ? CORA. You say this to me? O could you look within a magic glass, Holding my hand, such sights would come to you Beyond your knowledge—aye, beyond belief ! I am no saintly virgin wrapped in prayer, Nor is my life one river of clear water Drawn from the wells of God. You foolish child! My love for you you cannot understand, Nor the low motive—you have shown it me— Of this beginning of our talk. MADELINE. Say on!…
1901 · PDF PAGE 35
…e To earn this infamy? Or rather, Thou, What have I not done? Have Thou pity yet; Sustain me in this vile extremity! [He prays silently. CORA, watching him. How wonderful! He will abide the shock. Death and mute horror fight within his face Against a will made masterful to Fate. ULRIC razses his eyes and lifts hts arm in act to strike. Then I detest you! Mother! Treacherous! Vile as the worm that battens on the dead! CORA. Ulric! He’s mad! Sweet heaven! what is this ? [CORA zs now hysterical, ULRIC does not notice. She shrieks at each new insul…
1901 · PDF PAGE 27
THE MOTHER’S TRAGEDY 13 ULRIC. My Cora! old! But urgently a word Came of some purpose. - I am half afraid To hear it—and yourself! Reluctance sits Doggéd against the will to speak. Dear friend, Let us sit close and whisper. GORA. Listen, then! You are grown man: young men seek happiness. Is there one joy your soul hath never felt ? One pure sweet passion ? ULRIC. Sweet! you speak of love! You must have guessed I meant to question you, And smoothed the passage to my modesty. CORA, with bitter sorrow at her heart. You make me very glad. Yes, yes,…
1901 · PDF PAGE 19
…EDY 5 MADELINE. I am dismayed at my discovery. (Slowly.) I never guessed my own poor silliness Until that moment when you frightened me. CORA. And now you know how dear he is to you! Come, child, I love you both. Your happiness Is my life’s purpose. I have seen the truth Of this in you; it comes to every one. I know that he is half in love with you. Look once again as you did look just now, And he would die for you. O foolish girl! [MADELINE weeps guzetly for a little, CORA caressing her. MADELINE. Please let me go: you are too kind to me! CORA…
1901 · PDF PAGE 15
….—TZhe room is furnished with comfort as well as luxury. A crucifix ts in the window to the East, and the room ts flooded with sunlight, CORA VAVASOUR (late of the Halls). ULRIC, tllegitimate son of Cora. MADELINE, girl in love with Ulric. THE SPIRIT OF TRAGEDY, as Chorus. SPIRIT OF TRAGEDY. ERE, in the home of a friend, Here, in the mist of a lie, The pageant moves on to the desolate end Under a sultry sky. Noon is upon us, and Night, Spreading her wings unto flight, Visits the lands that lie far in the West, Where the bright East is at peace …
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… this thing abominable. Come! I will not hurt you in the killing you! [|He catches MADELINE gently by the hair, bend- ing back her head. CORA sits thunder- struck, unable to move or speak. MADELINE. Help, Cora, help! he means to murder me! Jesus, my Saviour, save them from this deed ! Help! [ULRIC cuts her throat.
1901 · PDF PAGE 20
6 THE MOTHER’S TRAGEDY CORA remains thinking. I was no bolder twenty years ago! Time, Time, thou maker and destroyer both, Only in resurrection hast no part! | Broods. SPIRIT OF TRAGEDY. How light and how agreeable, Paved pathway to the gate of hell! See how all virtues, graces, shine, Till woman half appears divine! But I am waiting, watching still The treason of the powers of ill. Soft, moveless, as a tigress glides, Strange laughing devilry abides Its hour to poison. How they gloat, The fiends, upon her lips and throat! They touch her heart,…
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…of the rod, The moving nod. Silence, reflected thence, still and intense, into the firmament; Such silence as befits the event. Re-enter CORA. CORA. This is the hour, O child whom I have loved With love more tender than a mother’s love, Being thy friend; this moment have I sought, Awaiting always the propitious time, To speak some purpose grown more definite Than is our wont. We spent the honey days In gentle intercourse: high souls have stood Watching us drink from their crystalline stream Meandering through language: mighty kings Have listene…
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…dy, disgust— It touches not my question! This one fact O’ermasters all eccentric circumstance : I love you—you, and not your attributes! CORA. Great noble soul! I hate myself the more That I must wound you further with the truth. A double prong this poisoned poniard Snaps in our hearts. I kept the secret long. Your breath, that burns upon me, wraps me round With whirling passion, pierces through my veins With its unhallowed fire, constrains, compels, Drags out the corpse of twenty years ago From the untrusty coffin of my mind, To poison, to cor…
1901 · PDF PAGE 16
…he jealous days Pass into sunshine, and youth-beaming rays Quicken the soul’s elixir. Let me show How these air-castles tumble into woe. CORA. Why did your eyelids quiver as I spoke ? A smile, a tear? that trembling, in their deep Violet passion, of the beautiful Eyes that they half discover? Speak to me. I have long thought a secret was your spouse, Shared your deep fancies and your lightest word, Partook your maiden bed, and gave you dreams Somewhat too troublous to be virginal. MADELINE. My dear kind Cora, do they lie to you, These fancies o…
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…y being! Yes! I would not give that sunny fruit of yours For twenty such frail flowers as Madeline. I am a man—you mate me with a girl ? CORA. Stop! not a word! My blasphemy to hear, Yours to speak out—when you are told the truth! ULRIC. What truth? This word hath first an ugly sound. The truth! God curse it to His blackest hell If but it stand between us and our love! CORA. O Ulric, Ulric! bear with me awhile! Speak no more words—each syllable strikes here, [Hand to heart. A cloud of wingéd scorpions, that rage In mine own deepest self; for th…
1901 · PDF PAGE 40
…ery Of this wild whirlpool sea of circumstance. Mine old eyes look askance: It is my punishment to dwell In mine own self-created hell. [CORA vushes in. MADELINE. What curse of God hath smitten you? I see Exceeding horror in abiding shape, Blasting the countenance of peace and love With some distortion. O your mouth’s awry! CORA, 2% a hoarse, horrible voice, You cannot tell! I cannot tell myself. Some vital mist of blood is shrouding sight From all but my corruption’s self. Come here And look within mine eyes, if you can see
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THE MOTHER'S TRAGEDY The trifles that shall make it master yet Of the strong soul that bade itself forget. CORA. Let me not shrink! Truth always purifies. I will go through those twe impossible Actual years. The city was itself; Hard thinking if hard drinking—sober-sides! One night I stepped up tremulous on the stage, Sang something, found my senses afterward Only to that intolerable sound Of terrible applause. They shook the sky With calling me to answer. And J lay— A storm of weeping swept across my frame— Till the polite, the hateful manager…
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…wift troubled tremblings in myself: I seek Again those visionary skies. Alas! That angel chorus swells another note I cannot understand. CORA. I am so moved, I cannot find it in my heart to say The words I purposed. Let my folly pass As an old worldly woman’s talk. MADELINE. O no! You bear the sainted fragrance of your love Higher than even my dreams. In earthly life 3