Ulr. (aside). Devout, too! Well, sir, I obey at once.

(Then aloud to a Servant.)

Ludwig, dismiss the train without! [Exit LUDWIG

And so

Ida.
You yield at once to him what I for hours

Might supplicate in vain.

Sieg. (smiling).

You are not jealous

Of me, I trust, my pretty rebel! who

Would sanction disobedience against all

Except thyself? But fear not; thou shalt rule him Hereafter with a fonder sway and firmer.

Ida. But I should like to govern now.

You shall

Sieg.
Your harp, which by the way awaits you with
The countess in her chamber. She complains
That you are a sad truant to your music:
She attends you.

Ida. Then good morrow, my kind kinsmen ! Ulric, you'll come and hear me?

Ulr.

By and by

Ida. Be sure I'll sound it better than your bugles; Then pray you be as punctual to its notes:

I'll play you King Gustavus' march.

Ulr.

Old Tilly's?

Ida.

And why not

Not that monster's! I should think My harp-strings rang with groans, and not with

music,

Could aught of his sound on it:-but come quickly;
Your mother will be eager to receive you. [Exit IDA.
Sieg. Ulric, I wish to speak with you alone.
Ulr. My time's your vassal.

VOL. XIV.

(Aside to RODOLPH.) Rodolph, hence! and do As I directed: and by his best speed

And readiest means let Rosenberg reply.

Rod. Count Siegendorf, command you aught? I am bound

Upon a journey past the frontier.

(Aside to himself.) That

Ulr. (aside to RODOLPH). To Hamburgh.

Word will, I think, put a firm padlock on

His further inquisition.

Rod.

Count, to Hamburgh.

Sieg. (agitated). Hamburgh! No, I have nought

Sieg. Ulric, this man, who has just departed, is One of those strange companions whom I fain Would reason with you on.

Ulr.

My lord, he is

Noble by birth, of one of the first houses

In Saxony.

Sieg. I talk not of his birth,

But of his bearing. Men speak lightly of him. Ulr. So they will do of most men. Even the monarch

Is not fenced from his chamberlain's slander, or

The sneer of the last courtier whom he has made Great and ungrateful.

Sieg.

If I must be plain,

The world speaks more than lightly of this Rodolph: They say he is leagued with the "black bands" who

In any case,

I thought you knew it better than to take
An accusation for a sentence.

Sieg.

I understand you: you refer to

Son !

-but

My Destiny has so involved about me
Her spider web, that I can only flutter

Like the poor fly, but break it not. Take heed,
Ulric; you have seen to what the passions led me :
Twenty long years of misery and famine [chance,
Quench'd them not-twenty thousand more, per-
Hereafter (or even here in moments which

Might date for years, did Anguish make the dial)
May not obliterate or expiate

The madness and dishonour of an instant.
Ulric, be warn'd by a father!—I was not
By mine, and you behold me!

Ulr.

I behold The prosperous and beloved Siegendorf, Lord of a prince's appanage, and honour'd By those he rules and those he ranks with.

Sieg.

Ah!

Why wilt thou call me prosperous, while I fear For thee? Beloved, when thou lovest me not! All hearts but one may beat in kindness for me— But if my son's is cold!

Ulr.

Who dare say that?

Sieg. None else but I, who see it—feel it-keener Than would your adversary, who dared say so, Your sabre in his heart! But mine survives The wound.

Ulr.

You err. My nature is not given
To outward fondling: how should it be so,
After twelve years' divorcement from my parents?
Sieg. And did not I too pass those twelve torn years
In a like absence? But 'tis vain to urge you―
Nature was never call'd back by remonstrance.
Let's change the theme. I wish you to consider
That these young violent nobles of high name,
But dark deeds (ay, the darkest, if all Rumour
Reports be true), with whom thou consortest,
Will lead thee.

Ulr. (impatiently). I'll be led by no man.
Sieg.

Be leader of such, I would hope: at once
To wean thee from the perils of thy youth
And haughty spirit, I have thought it well
That thou shouldst wed the lady Ida—more
As thou appear'st to love her.

Ulr.

I have said

I will obey your orders, were they to

Unite with Hecate-can a son say more?

Nor

Sieg. He says too much in saying this. It is not

The nature of thine age, nor of thy blood,

Nor of thy temperament, to talk so coolly,
Or act so carelessly, in that which is
The bloom or blight of all men's happiness,
(For Glory's pillow is but restless if

Love lay not down his cheek there): some strong bias, Some master fiend is in thy service to

Misrule the mortal who believes him slave,

And makes his every thought subservient; else

Will wed her;" or, " I love her not, and all

The powers of earth shall never make me."- So
Would I have answer'd.

Ulr.

Sir, you wed for love.

Sieg. I did, and it has been my only refuge

In

many

miseries.

Ulr.

Which miseries

Had never been but for this love-match.

In a word, do you love, or love not, Ida?
Ulr. What matters it, if I am ready to
Obey you in espousing her?

Sieg.
As far
As you feel, nothing, but all life for her.
She's young-all beautiful-adores you-is
Endow'd with qualities to give happiness,
Such as rounds common life into a dream
Of something which your poets cannot paint,