FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116  
117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   >>   >|  
madam, when I say I have had a gen'rous and a faithful passion, which you had never favoured, but through revenge and policy. LADY TOUCH. Ha! MASK. Look you, madam, we are alone,--pray contain yourself and hear me. You know you loved your nephew when I first sighed for you; I quickly found it: an argument that I loved, for with that art you veiled your passion 'twas imperceptible to all but jealous eyes. This discovery made me bold; I confess it; for by it I thought you in my power. Your nephew's scorn of you added to my hopes; I watched the occasion, and took you, just repulsed by him, warm at once with love and indignation; your disposition, my arguments, and happy opportunity accomplished my design; I pressed the yielding minute, and was blest. How I have loved you since, words have not shown, then how should words express? LADY TOUCH. Well, mollifying devil! And have I not met your love with forward fire? MASK. Your zeal, I grant, was ardent, but misplaced; there was revenge in view; that woman's idol had defiled the temple of the god, and love was made a mock-worship. A son and heir would have edged young Mellefont upon the brink of ruin, and left him none but you to catch at for prevention. LADY TOUCH. Again provoke me! Do you wind me like a larum, only to rouse my own stilled soul for your diversion? Confusion! MASK. Nay, madam, I'm gone, if you relapse. What needs this? I say nothing but what you yourself, in open hours of love, have told me. Why should you deny it? Nay, how can you? Is not all this present heat owing to the same fire? Do you not love him still? How have I this day offended you, but in not breaking off his match with Cynthia? which, ere to-morrow, shall be done, had you but patience. LADY TOUCH. How, what said you, Maskwell? Another caprice to unwind my temper? MASK. By heav'n, no; I am your slave, the slave of all your pleasures; and will not rest till I have given you peace, would you suffer me. LADY TOUCH. O Maskwell! in vain I do disguise me from thee, thou know'st me, knowest the very inmost windings and recesses of my soul. O Mellefont! I burn; married to morrow! Despair strikes me. Yet my soul knows I hate him too: let him but once be mine, and next immediate ruin seize him. MASK. Compose yourself, you shall possess and ruin him too,--will that please you? LADY TOUCH. How, how? Thou dear, thou precious villain, how? MASK. You hav
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116  
117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

morrow

 

passion

 

nephew

 
Mellefont
 
Maskwell
 

revenge

 
Cynthia
 

stilled

 

Confusion

 

relapse


offended
 

diversion

 

present

 

breaking

 

strikes

 
Despair
 

married

 

inmost

 

windings

 
recesses

precious

 
villain
 

Compose

 

possess

 

knowest

 

temper

 

Another

 
caprice
 

unwind

 

pleasures


disguise

 

suffer

 

patience

 

confess

 

thought

 

discovery

 

imperceptible

 

jealous

 

indignation

 

disposition


arguments

 

repulsed

 

watched

 

occasion

 

veiled

 

policy

 
favoured
 

faithful

 

quickly

 

argument