The Princess Of Bagdad Part 25

LIONNETTE.

I am going too far. I shall send you some toys, you may be sure.

RAOUL.

I like better going with you.

LIONNETTE.

Impossible, I tell you. Go now; let me pa.s.s.

RAOUL.

No!

LIONNETTE.

You must, my child.

NOURVADY (_very agitated and very impatient during this scene, walks from right to left to see if any one is coming._)

Some one is coming.

LIONNETTE (_a little more harshly_).

Now, now, let me go.

RAOUL.

No. (_He puts himself in front of his mother._)

NOURVADY (_taking the child by the arm, and throwing him far from him_).

Leave us alone, then!

(_The child totters, falls, and remains motionless._ LIONNETTE _stops, looks with stupor on what has pa.s.sed, recoils, covers her face with her hands, utters a piercing cry, and rushes at_ NOURVADY, _whom she seizes by the throat as if to strangle him_.)

LIONNETTE.

Miserable wretch!

NOURVADY (_whom she has struck on the shoulder, who feels himself getting exhausted, but who will not defend himself, with a feeble voice_).

You are hurting me.

LIONNETTE (_releasing him_).

Go away; go away! I shall strangle you. I shall kill you. My child! My child!

(_She utters several cries, and throws herself in despair upon the child._)

RICHARD (_who has entered during this scene, to_ NOURVADY).

Go away, sir, go away, in the name of heaven! Enough of such misfortunes, without that.

(_He makes_ NOURVADY _go away_.)

RAOUL (_half raising himself up_).

There is nothing the matter ... Mamma.... Nothing, I a.s.sure you.

(LIONNETTE _on her knees, with_ RAOUL'S _head on her breast, kissing him with rapture, sobbing without power to stop herself_).

RICHARD (_near her_).

Saved! You are saved!

LIONNETTE (_with sobs, tremulously accentuating every word_).

Yes, yes, yes, saved! (_To_ RICHARD.) Ah! I was mad.... I was mad....

But when that man laid his hand on my child, it is awful what took possession of me! I do not know how it was I did not kill him. What is the use of a man struggling with a mother? For I am a mother. I am....

Oh! I felt it truly, from my heart, that that could never be. Richard, you guessed rightly; yes. Right-minded people guess rightly!... They want my father's letters; very well, they shall have them. You shall sell everything; you shall pay--you must give that man back his money;--there will be an end to it all. Go, and find my husband.

(RICHARD _goes away_.) I want to see him before I die, for I am going to die, I feel it.

(_She lets her head fall upon the couch, and half loses consciousness._)

RAOUL (_jumping upon the couch, taking his mother's head in his arms, and kissing it._)

Mamma, mamma, mamma ... do not die, I beseech you.

LIONNETTE (_recovering consciousness_).

No, no, I shall live, for I love you!...

(_She covers him with kisses, and does not see_ JOHN, _who enters with_ RICHARD, _who is showing him the scene_. JOHN _starts back, comprehending nothing yet_. G.o.dLER _and_ TReVELe _look on and rejoin_ JOHN, _who cannot take his eyes off the picture of the mother and her child_. RICHARD _touches_ LIONNETTE'S _shoulder, who turns round and sees_ JOHN.)

SCENE V.

LIONNETTE, JOHN, RAOUL, RICHARD, G.o.dLER, TReVELe.

LIONNETTE _to_ JOHN (_running to him and falling on her knees_).

Do not leave me any more. I will explain all to you. I understand, I see it all clearly now! I am innocent, I swear to you! I swear to you! I swear to you! We will live modestly in some quiet place, wherever you like. What difference does that make now that my child has awakened my soul in me?

(_She throws herself again on her son's neck_).

JOHN (_in the hands of_ G.o.dLER _and_ TReVELe).