Scene IV
The Queen; Jane; Gilbert behind the curtain
THE QUEEN.
Approach, young woman. You know who we are?
Jane.
Yes, madame.
THE QUEEN.
You know who is the man who seduced you?
Jane.
Yes, madame.
THE QUEEN.
He deceived you. He passed himself off for a nobleman called Amyas Pawlet?
JANE.
Yes, madame.
THE QUEEN.
You know now that it is Fabiano Fabiani, Earl of Clanbrassil?
JANE.
Yes, madame.
THE QUEEN.
Last night, when they seized you in your house, you had given him a rendezvous, you were waiting for him?
JANE (wringing her hands).
Heavens, madame!
THE QUEEN.
Answer!
JANE (with feeble voice).
Yes.
THE QUEEN.
You understand that there is no more hope, neither for him nor for you?
JANE.
Nothing but death! That is a hope!
THE QUEEN.
Tell me all about it. Where did you meet this man first?
JANE.
The first time I saw him was— But what is the use? A poor wretched girl of the people, frivolous and vain, in love with jewels and fine clothes, a girl dazzled with the handsome looks of a great lord—that is all. I am seduced, I am dishonored, I am lost. There is nothing to add to that. My God, madame, don’t you see that each word I speak is killing me?
THE QUEEN.
Enough.
JANE.
Your anger is terrible, I know it, madame. My head bends now beneath the punishment you have prepared for me.
THE QUEEN.
Punishment for you? Do you think I concern myself about you, simpleton? Who are you, wretched creature, that the Queen should concern herself about you? Oh, no! Fabiano is my affair. As for you, madame, some one else will look out for your punishment.
JANE.
Well, madame, whoever that one may be, whatever the punishment, I will endure all without a murmur. I will even thank you if you will listen to one prayer I am about to make. There is a man who took me in, an orphan from my birth, who adopted me, brought me up, nourished me, loved me, and who loves me still; a man of whom I am most unworthy, toward whom I have been most guilty, and yet whose image lies at the bottom of my heart, beloved, revered, sacred as is that of God; a man who now, while I am speaking to you, finds his home empty, deserted, robbed, who can’t understand it, and who rends his garments in anguish. Well, madame, what I ask of your Majesty is that he may never understand, that I may disappear without his knowing what has become of me, what I have done, or what you have done with me. Alas, kind Heaven, I do not know how to make you understand, but you ought to feel that I have a friend in him—a noble, generous friend. Poor Gilbert! yes, it is true, he respects me and believes me pure, and I do not want him to hate me and despise me! Oh, you understand me, don’t you, madame? That man’s respect is a great deal more to me than my life. And then it will make him suffer so much—such a surprise! He won’t believe it at first. No, he will not believe it. My God! Poor Gilbert. Oh, madame, have pity on him and on me! He has done you no harm! In the name of Heaven, keep him from knowing the awful truth! In the name of Heaven, don’t let him know that I am guilty. He will kill himself. Don’t let him know that I am dead. He will die too.
THE QUEEN.
The man you are speaking of is here; he is listening to you; he will judge you, he will punish you! [Gilbert appears.
JANE.
Heavens! Gilbert!
GILBERT (to the Queen).
My life belongs to you, madame.
THE QUEEN.
Good. Have you any conditions to make?
GILBERT.
Yes, madame!
THE QUEEN.
What are they? We give you our royal word that we will grant them.
GILBERT.
This, madame. It is very simple. It is a debt of gratitude I pay to one of your noble lords, who employed me a great deal in my capacity as engraver.
THE QUEEN.
Speak!
GILBERT.
This lord has a secret liaison with a woman whom he cannot marry because she belongs to a proscribed family. This woman, who up to the present time has lived in concealment, is the only daughter and heiress of the last Lord Talbot, beheaded under King Henry VIII.
THE QUEEN.
What? Are you sure of what you are saying? You say, John Talbot, the good Catholic lord, the loyal defender of my mother of Aragon, has left a daughter? Upon my crown, if that is true, this child is my daughter. And what John Talbot did for the mother of Mary of England, Mary of England will do for the daughter of John Talbot.
GILBERT.
Then, of course, it will be a pleasure to your Majesty to give back Lord Talbot’s estates to his daughter?
THE QUEEN.
Yes, truly, and to take them away from Fabiano. But are there proofs that this heiress exists?
GILBERT.
There are!
THE QUEEN.
And if there are not, we will make them! We are not a queen for nothing!
GILBERT.
Your Majesty will give back to Lord Talbot’s daughter the estates, lands, rank, coat-of-arms, and device of her father. Your Majesty will remove her from all proscription, and will guarantee that her life shall be safe. Your Majesty will marry her to this lord, who is the only man she can marry. Upon these conditions, madame, you can dispose of me, of my liberty, of my life, and of my will as you see fit.
THE QUEEN.
Good! I will do what you have asked.
GILBERT.
Your Majesty will do what I have asked? The Queen of England swears it to me, Gilbert the engraver, upon her crown which is here, and upon the open gospel which is there?
THE QUEEN.
Upon the royal crown which is here, and the divine gospel which is there, I swear it.
GILBERT.
The compact is concluded, madame. Have a tomb prepared for me and a nuptial bed prepared for the lovers. The lord I speak of is Fabiani, Earl of Clanbrassil. Talbot’s heiress, behold her!
JANE.
What does he say?
THE QUEEN.
Am I dealing with a fool? What do you mean? Have a care, sir! You are bold to mock the Queen of England! In the royal chambers people should look to their words; there are times when the lips bring the head to the block!
GILBERT.
You have my head, madame; I have your oath.
THE QUEEN.
You do not mean to say you are speaking seriously? This Fabiano—this Jane! Come, come!
GILBERT.
This Jane is the daughter and the heiress of Lord Talbot.
THE QUEEN.
Bah! Nonsense! Delusion! Fancy! Have you got the proofs?
GILBERT.
Complete!
[He takes a packet from his breast.
Read these papers.
THE QUEEN.
Have I time to read your papers? Did I ask for your papers? What do your papers matter to me? If they prove anything, upon my soul, I will throw them into the fire and nothing will be left of them.
GILBERT.
Nothing but your oath, madame!
THE QUEEN.
My oath, my oath!
GILBERT.
Upon the crown and upon the gospel, madame; that is to say, on your head and your soul—on your life in this world, and on your life in the next.
THE QUEEN.
But what do you want? Oh, I swear you are mad!
GILBERT.
What do I want? Jane has lost her rank, give it back to her! Jane has lost her honor, give it back to her! Proclaim her the daughter of Lord Talbot and the wife of Lord Clanbrassil, and then take my life.
THE QUEEN.
Your life! What do you want me to do with your life then? I didn’t want it except to use for vengeance on this man—this Fabiano. You can’t understand anything at all, can you? Well! I can’t understand you, either. You talked about vengeance! That is the way you avenge yourself, is it? These men of the people are stupid! And after all, do you suppose I believe your ridiculous story about an heiress of Talbot? The papers! You show me papers! I won’t look at them. Oh, a woman wrongs you, and you play the magnanimous. Well, do it if it suits you! I am not magnanimous! No! My heart is full of rage and hate. I will avenge myself and you shall help me! Oh, but this man is mad, mad, mad! My God! why do I need him? It is exasperating to have to deal with people like this, at such a serious time.
GILBERT.
I have your word, as Catholic Queen. Lord Clanbrassil has seduced Jane; he shall marry her!
THE QUEEN.
And if he refuses to marry her?
GILBERT.
You will force him to do it.
JANE.
Oh, no! Have pity upon me, Gilbert!
GILBERT.
Well, then, if this infamous wretch refuses, your Majesty can do what she pleases with him and with me!
THE QUEEN (with joy).
Ah, that is all I ask!
GILBERT.
In that case, I will do everything the Queen commands, provided the crown of the Countess of Waterford is solemnly replaced by the Queen on the sacred and inviolable head of Jane, who stands here!
THE QUEEN.
Everything?
GILBERT.
Everything! Even a crime, if it is a crime you want. I will not stop at treachery, which is more than a crime; nor at infamy, which is more than treachery.
THE QUEEN.
You will say what I want you to say? You will die the death that I want you to die?
GILBERT.
The death that you want me to die!
JANE.
Oh, my God!
THE QUEEN.
You swear it?
GILBERT.
I swear it!
THE QUEEN.
Then it is settled. It is enough! I have your word, you have mine! It is agreed.
[She seems to reflect a moment.
[To Jane.] You are not needed here: go out. I will send for you.
JANE.
Oh, Gilbert, what is this you have done? Oh, Gilbert, I am a wretched creature, and I don’t dare to raise my eyes to you. Oh, Gilbert, you are more than an angel, for you have the virtues of an angel and a man’s passions at the same time. [She goes out.