his
chamber these thirty nights puff her name out his window with as
many honeyed drawls of passion as--as--as--June has buds? 'Sweet
Helena!'--la! 'Fair Helena!'--O! 'Dear Helena! my rose! my queen!
my sun and moon and stars! Thy kiss is still at my lips, thy breast
beats still on mine! my Helena!'--Um! Oh, 'tmust be a rare damsel.
I'll make a sluice between her purse and mine, wench; do you hear?"

HAEMON: Well--well?

BARDAS: No more. When I had struck him down,
He swore it was unswerving all and truth.
Hasting to warn I found Helena ta'en
And sought you here.

HAEMON (_grasping his brows_): Ah!

BARDAS: Helena who is
All purity!

HAEMON: Ah sister, child!--Have I
With strength been father and with tenderness
A mother been to her unfolding years
But to see now unchastest cruelty
Pluck her white bloom to ease his idle sense
One fragrant hour?--If it be so, no flowers
Should blossom; only weeds whose withering
Can hurt no heart!

BARDAS: These tears should seal fierce oaths
Against him!

HAEMON: And they shall! until God wrecks
Him in the tempest raised of his outrage!

BARDAS: Then may I be the rock on which he breaks!
But hear; who comes? (_Revellers are heard approaching._)
We must aside until
This mirth is past. (_They conceal themselves._)

_Enter revellers dressed as bacchanals and bacchantes, dancing and
singing._

Bacchus, hey! was a god, hei-yo!
The vine! a fig for the rest!
With locks green-crowned and lips red-warm--
The vine! the vine's the best!
He loved maids, O-o-ay! hei-yo!
The vine! a maiden's breast!
He pressed the grape, and kissed the maid!--
The cuckoo builds no nest!

(_All go dancing, except LYDIA and PHAON, who clasps and
kisses her passionately_)

LYDIA (_breaking from him_): Do you think kisses are so cheap? You
must know mine fill my purse! A pretty gallant from Naples, with
laces and silks and jewels gave me this ring last year for but one.
And another lover from Venice gave me this (_a bracelet_)--but he
looked so sad when he gave it. Ah, his eyes! I'd not have cared if
he had given me naught.

PHAON: Here, here, then! (_Offers jewel._)

LYDIA (_putting it aside_): They say the ladies in Venice ride with
their lovers through the streets all night in boats: and the very