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Page 1 of 11901 · PDF PAGE 35
THE MOTHER'S TRAGEDY 21 ULRIC. Stop! stop! I did not hear you. O my God! What agony is this? What have I done 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…
1901 · PDF PAGE 33
…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 heart is broken. This will murder thine. ULRIC. Kill, but not torture! Let me know the truth.
1901 · 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 38
24 THE MOTHER’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…
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 42
… Heart of Jesus! Thou art bleeding still ! This was Thy true disciple. Leave her not, Sweet Jesus, in this madness. Who is this ? [Enter ULRIC; he carries a razor. ULRIC. I have a lovely bride at last, my dear! A phantom with intolerable eyes Came close and whispered: I am Wisdom’s self, Thy spouse from everlasting. Mortal king Of my immortal self, I claim thy love! So, we are wedded close. Justice demands The punishment of this accurséd one, Originator of the cruel crimes My mother-mistress carried to their close. It was your vile affection, M…
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 28
…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 should come to this! You, you are mad! _ I speak of love, and you, You—you are acting! I was taken in! Let’s laugh about it! [Zrzes to laugh, sinks back. It was not well done. [ULRIC zs selent, and, puzzled, waits for her to £0 ON. Surely you knew that it was Madeline! ULRIC. What! I should…
1901 · PDF PAGE 29
…line. 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 there I know Tame harpies that had ceased to torture me; And this more ghastly brood renews thei…
1901 · PDF PAGE 15
…rt 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 on her breast: Opposite quarters un…
1901 · PDF PAGE 37
… 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 32
18 THE MOTHER'S TRAGEDY What shield against the lightning of his love ? (Hastily.) 1 have a husband living. ULRIC. Think you, then, I have lived so long and looked into your eves To listen to so hastily disgorged A prentice falsehood not grown journeyman ? Then, had you fifty husbands, am I one, - Reared in the faith of high philosophy, Schooled from my childhood in the brotherhood Of poets, to descend to this absurd Quibble of tedious morality ? Shame not your truth with that ignoble thought! And also—tell me, once for all, the truth! [Aztterl…
1901 · PDF PAGE 30
…! Conceive Her pangs that bore Thee, when her shame Devoured Her, with no memory of love— As mine, as mine! O bitter memories! [4 fause. ULRIC. Tell me, dear friend! anxiety and love Are like to kill me. Tell me in three words. CORA, slowly and deliberately. I am a dancer and a prostitute! ULRIC smiles contemptuously. Why trick me with so pitiful a lie? Were you the vilest woman on the earth, Mere scum of filth shed off the city’s dregs— Were you the meanest and most treacherous— Were you the sordid soul that most contrasts
1901 · PDF PAGE 18
…tive—you have shown it me— Of this beginning of our talk. MADELINE. Say on! CORA, meaningly. Much less you understand the love I bear To Ulric! MADELINE gzves a little cry. Heart of Christ! it cannot be! | CORA. No, child; I tricked you. Is your secret out ?
1901 · PDF PAGE 31
…ut the corpse of twenty years ago From the untrusty coffin of my mind, To poison, to corrupt, to strike you there Blind with its horror. ULRIC. Leave these bitter words! They torture me with terrible suspense, And you with fear. I see by these dread looks, Tedious prologues, that there is a truth You are afraid to speak. CORA, aside. What subterfuge ? B
1901 · PDF PAGE 23
…o warn ? Since angels only seek to gain That wisdom of the unprofane. All future happiness I surely see. I am the Soul of Tragedy! Enter ULRIC.