Three Plays Part 22

DOCTOR. Who is it then?

BELCREDI. One of our masqueraders.

DI NOLLI. He is one of the four youths we keep here to help him out in his madness....

BERTHOLD. I beg your pardon, Marquis....

DI NOLLI. Pardon be d.a.m.ned! I gave orders that the doors were to be closed, and that n.o.body should be allowed to enter.

BERTHOLD. Yes, sir, but I can't stand it any longer, and I ask you to let me go away this very minute.

DI NOLLI. Oh, you're the new valet, are you? You were supposed to begin this morning, weren't you?

BERTHOLD. Yes, sir, and I can't stand it, I can't bear it.

DONNA MATILDA (_to Di Nolli excitedly_). What? Then he's not so calm as you said?

BERTHOLD (_quickly_).--No, no, my lady, it isn't he; it's my companions. You say "help him out with his madness,"

Marquis; but they don't do anything of the kind. They're the real madmen. I come here for the first time, and instead of helping me....

(_Landolph and Harold come in from the same door, but hesitate on the threshold_).

LANDOLPH. Excuse me?

HAROLD. May I come in, my Lord?

DI NOLLI. Come in! What's the matter? What are you all doing?

FRIDA. Oh G.o.d! I'm frightened! I'm going to run away.

(_Makes towards exit at Left_).

DI NOLLI (_restraining her at once_). No, no, Frida!

LANDOLPH. My Lord, this fool here ... (_indicates Berthold_).

BERTHOLD (_protesting_). Ah, no thanks, my friends, no thanks! I'm not stopping here! I'm off!

LANDOLPH. What do you mean--you're not stopping here?

HAROLD. He's ruined everything, my Lord, running away in here!

LANDOLPH. He's made him quite mad. We can't keep him in there any longer. He's given orders that he's to be arrested; and he wants to "judge" him at once from the throne: What is to be done?

DI NOLLI. Shut the door, man! Shut the door! Go and close that door! (_Landolph goes over to close it_).

HAROLD. Ordulph, alone, won't be able to keep him there.

LANDOLPH. --My Lord, perhaps if we could announce the visitors at once, it would turn his thoughts. Have the gentlemen thought under what pretext they will present themselves to him?

DI NOLLI. --It's all been arranged! (_To the Doctor_): If you, doctor, think it well to see him at once....

FRIDA. I'm not coming! I'm not coming! I'll keep out of this. You too, mother, for Heaven's sake, come away with me!

DOCTOR. --I say ... I suppose he's not armed, is he?

DI NOLLI. --Nonsense! Of course not. (_To Frida_): Frida, you know this is childish of you. You wanted to come!

FRIDA. I didn't at all. It was mother's idea.

DONNA MATILDA. And I'm quite ready to see him. What are we going to do?

BELCREDI. Must we absolutely dress up in some fashion or other?

LANDOLPH. --Absolutely essential, indispensable, sir. Alas!

as you see ... (_shows his costume_), there'd be awful trouble if he saw you gentlemen in modern dress.

HAROLD. He would think it was some diabolical masquerade.

DI NOLLI. As these men seem to be in costume to you, so we appear to be in costume to him, in these modern clothes of ours.

LANDOLPH. It wouldn't matter so much if he wouldn't suppose it to be the work of his mortal enemy.

BELCREDI. Pope Gregory VII.?

LANDOLPH. Precisely. He calls him "a pagan."

BELCREDI. The Pope a pagan? Not bad that!

LANDOLPH. --Yes, sir,--and a man who calls up the dead! He accuses him of all the diabolical arts. He's terribly afraid of him.

DOCTOR. Persecution mania!

HAROLD. He'd be simply furious.

DI NOLLI (_to Belcredi_). But there's no need for you to be there, you know. It's sufficient for the doctor to see him.

DOCTOR. --What do you mean?... I? Alone?

DI NOLLI.--But they are there (_indicates the three young men_).

DOCTOR. I don't mean that ... I mean if the Marchioness....

DONNA MATILDA. Of course. I mean to see him too, naturally.

I want to see him again.

FRIDA. Oh, why, mother, why? Do come away with me, I implore you!

DONNA MATILDA (_imperiously_). Let me do as I wish! I came here for this purpose! (_To Landolph_): I shall be "Adelaide," the mother.