Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The poetical works of Alfred Tennyson. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material is part of the Elmer Belt Florence Nightingale collection. The original may be consulted at University of California Libraries.
805/870 page 769
![But now you will set it all right again, and I Shall not be made the laughter of the vil- lage, And poor old father not die miserable. Dora (siiu/in;/ in the (listance). O joy for the promise of May, of May, Ojoy for the promise of ]May. Edgar. Speak not so loudly; that must be your sister. You never told lier, then, of wiiat has past Between us. Eva. Never! Edgar. Do not till I bid you. Eva. No, Philip, no. [Tunis aicay. Edgar (moved). How gracefully there she stands Weeping — the little Niobe ! What! we l)rize The statue or the picture all the more When we have made them ours! Is she Less lovable, Less lovely being wholly mine! To stay — Follow my art among these quiet tields, Live with these honest folk — And play the fool! No ! she that gave herself to me so easily Will yield herself as easily to another. Eva. Did you speak, Philip ? Edgar. Nothing more, farewell. [ The 11 embrace. Dora {coming nearer). O grief for the promise of May, of May, O grief for the promise of May. Edgar (still embracing her). Keep up your heart until we meet again ? Eva. If that should break before we meet again ? Edgar. Break! nay, call for Philip when you will. And he returns. Eva. Heaven hears you, Philip Edgar! Edgar (moved). And he would hear you even from the grave. Heaven curse him if he come not at your call! [Exit. Enter Dora. Dora. Well, Eva! Eva. Oh, Dora, Dora, how long you have been away from home! Oh, how often I have wished for you ! It seemed to me that we were parted for ever. ■ Do7-a. For ever you foolish child! What's come over you ? We parted like the brook yonder about the alder island, to come together again in a moment and 44 to go on together again, till one of us be married. But where is this Mr. Edgar whom you praised so in your tirst letters'! You have n't even mentioned liina in your last ? Eva. He has gone to London. Dora. Ay, child ; and you look thia and pale. Is it for his absence 1 Have you fancied yourself in love with him''. That's all nonsense, you know, such a baby as you are. But you shall tell me all about it. Eva. Not now — presently. Yes, I have been in trouble, but I am happy — 1 tJiiuk, quite happy now. Dora [taking Eva's hand). Come, then, and make them happy in the long barn, for father is in his glory, and there is a i)iece of beef like a house-side, and a plnm-])ud(ling as big as the round hay- stuck. But see they are coming out for the dance already. Well, my child, let us join them. Enter all from barn laughing. Eva s(7s re- luctdiitlg under apple tree. Steer enters smoking, sits bij Eva. Dance. ACT II. Five years have elapsed between Acts I. and II. Scene. — A meadow. On one side a path ivay going over a rustic bridge. At back the farmhouse among trees. In the dis- tance a church spire. DoBSON and Dora. Dobson. So the owd uncle i' Cooraber- land be deiid. Miss Dora, beiint he ? Dora. Yes, Mr. Dobson, I 've been at- tending on his death-bed and his burial. Dobson. It be five years sin' ye went afoor to him, and it seems to me nobbut t'other day. Hes n't he left ye nowt 1 Dora. No, Mr. Dobson. Dobson. But he were mighty fond 0* ye, war n't he ? Dora. Fonder of poor Eva — like everybody else. Dobson. (Handing Dora basket of roses.) Not like me. Miss Dora; and I ha' browt these roses to ye — I forgits what they calls 'em, but I hallus gi'ed soom on 'em to Miss Eva at this time o' year. Will ya taake 'em, fur Miss Eva, she set the bush by my dairy winder afoor](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20452597_0805.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
