Part 1 (1/2)

The Lamp and the Bell.

by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

PROLOGUE

[Anselmo and Luigi]

ANSELMO. What think you,--lies there any truth in the tale The King will wed again?

LUIGI. Why not, Anselmo?

A king is no less lonely than a collier When his wife dies, And his young daughter there, For all her being a princess, is no less A motherless child, and cries herself to sleep Night after night, as noisily as any, You may be sure.

ANSELMO. A motherless child loves not, They say, the second mother. Though the King May find him comfort in another face,-- As it is well he should--the child, I fancy, Is not so lonely as she is distraught With grief for the dead Queen, and will not lightly Be parted from her tears.

LUIGI. If tales be true, The woman hath a daughter, near the age Of his, will be a playmate for the Princess.

CURTAIN

ACT I

Scene 1

[Scene: A garden of the palace at Fiori; four years later.]

[Discovered seated Laura, Francesca and Fidelio, Laura embroidering, Fidelio strumming his flute, Francesca lost in thought.]

LAURA. You,--Fool! If there be two chords to your lute, Give us the other for a time!

FRANCESCA. And yet, Laura, I somewhat fancied that soft sound he made.

'Twas all on the same tone,--but 'twas a sweet tone.

LAURA. 'Tis like you. As for myself, let music change From time to time, or have done altogether.

Sing us the song, Fidelio, that you made Last night,--a song of flowers, and fair skies, And nightingales, and love.

FIDELIO. I know the song.

It is a song of winter.

LAURA. How is that?

FIDELIO. Because it is a song of summer set To a sad tune.

FRANCESCA. [Sadly] Ah, well,--so that it be not A song of autumn, I can bear to hear it.

LAURA. In any case, music. I am in a mood for music.

I am in a mood where if something be not done To startle me, I shall confess my sins.

[Enter Carlotta.]

CARLOTTA. Ha! I will have that woman yet by the hair!