The Collected Works of Oscar Wilde: 250+ Titles in One Edition. Оскар Уайльд

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СКАЧАТЬ But he will not do that. I did not know him.

       I thought he meant to sell me to the Judge;

       That is not strange; we women never know

       Our lovers till they leave us.

       [Bell begins to toll]

       Thou vile bell,

       That like a bloodhound from thy brazen throat

       Call’st for this man’s life, cease! thou shalt not get it.

       He stirs - I must be quick: [Takes up cup.]

       O Love, Love, Love,

       I did not think that I would pledge thee thus!

       [Drinks poison, and sets the cup down on the table behind her: the noise wakens GUIDO, who starts up, and does not see what she has done. There is silence for a minute, each looking at the other.]

       I do not come to ask your pardon now,

       Seeing I know I stand beyond all pardon;

       Enough of that: I have already, sir,

       Confessed my sin to the Lords Justices;

       They would not listen to me: and some said

       I did invent a tale to save your life;

       You have trafficked with me; others said

       That women played with pity as with men;

       Others that grief for my slain Lord and husband

       Had robbed me of my wits: they would not hear me,

       And, when I sware it on the holy book,

       They bade the doctor cure me. They are ten,

       Ten against one, and they possess your life.

       They call me Duchess here in Padua.

       I do not know, sir; if I be the Duchess,

       I wrote your pardon, and they would not take it;

       They call it treason, say I taught them that;

       Maybe I did. Within an hour, Guido,

       They will be here, and drag you from the cell,

       And bind your hands behind your back, and bid you

       Kneel at the block: I am before them there;

       Here is the signet ring of Padua,

       ‘Twill bring you safely through the men on guard;

       There is my cloak and vizard; they have orders

       Not to be curious: when you pass the gate

       Turn to the left, and at the second bridge

       You will find horses waiting: by tomorrow

       You will be at Venice, safe. [A pause.]

       Do you not speak?

       Will you not even curse me ere you go? -

       You have the right. [A pause.]

       You do not understand

       There lies between you and the headsman’s axe

       Hardly so much sand in the hour-glass

       As a child’s palm could carry: here is the ring:

       I have washed my hand: there is no blood upon it:

       You need not fear. Will you not take the ring?

      GUIDO

       [takes ring and kisses it]

       Ay! gladly, Madam.

      DUCHESS

       And leave Padua.

      GUIDO

       Leave Padua.

      DUCHESS

       But it must be tonight.

      GUIDO

       Tonight it shall be.

      DUCHESS

       Oh, thank God for that!

      GUIDO

       So I can live; life never seemed so sweet

       As at this moment.

      DUCHESS

       Do not tarry, Guido,

       There is my cloak: the horse is at the bridge,

       The second bridge below the ferry house:

       Why do you tarry? Can your ears not hear

       This dreadful bell, whose every ringing stroke

       Robs one brief minute from your boyish life.

       Go quickly.

      GUIDO

       Ay! he will come soon enough.

      DUCHESS

       Who?

      GUIDO

       [calmly]

       Why, the headsman.

      DUCHESS

       No, no.

      GUIDO

       Only he

       Can bring me out of Padua.

      DUCHESS

       You dare not!

       You dare not burden my o’erburdened soul

       With two dead men! I think one is enough.

       For when I stand before God, face to face,

       I would not have you, with a scarlet thread

       Around your white throat, coming up behind

       To say I did it.

      GUIDO

       Madam, I wait.

      DUCHESS

       No, no, you cannot: you do not understand,

       I have less power in Padua tonight

       Than any common woman; they will kill you.

       I saw СКАЧАТЬ