Part 3 (1/2)
I made myself a partaker in your crimes? In what way?
MELLEFONT.
By keeping silent about them.
NORTON.
Well, that is good! A word would have cost me my neck in the heat of your pa.s.sions. And, besides, did I not find you already so bad, when I made your acquaintance, that all hope of amendment was vain? What a life I have seen you leading from the first moment! In the lowest society of gamblers and vagrants--I call them what they were without regard to their knightly t.i.tles and such like--in this society you squandered a fortune which might have made a way for you to an honourable position. And your culpable intercourse with all sorts of women, especially with the wicked Marwood----
MELLEFONT.
Restore me--restore me to that life. It was virtue compared with the present one. I spent my fortune; well! The punishment follows, and I shall soon enough feel all the severity and humiliation of want. I a.s.sociated with vicious women; that may be. I was myself seduced more often than I seduced others; and those whom I did seduce wished it.
But--I still had no ruined virtue upon my conscience. I had carried off no Sara from the house of a beloved father and forced her to follow a scoundrel, who was no longer free. I had----who comes so early to me?
Scene IV.
Betty, Mellefont, Norton.
NORTON.
It is Betty.
MELLEFONT.
Up already, Betty? How is your mistress?
BETTY.
How is she? (_sobbing_.) It was long after midnight before I could persuade her to go to bed. She slept a few moments; but G.o.d, what a sleep that must have been! She started suddenly, sprang up and fell into my arms, like one pursued by a murderer. She trembled, and a cold perspiration started on her pale face. I did all I could to calm her, but up to this morning she has only answered me with silent tears. At length she sent me several times to your door to listen whether you were up. She wishes to speak to you. You alone can comfort her. O do so, dearest sir, do so! My heart will break, if she continues to fret like this.
MELLEFONT.
Go, Betty! Tell her, I shall be with her in a moment,
BETTY.
No, she wishes to come to you herself.
MELLEFONT.
Well, tell her, then, that I am awaiting her----
(_Exit_ Betty.)
Scene V.
Mellefont, Norton.