Walter.

What! run the waves so high? Not ready yet!

Your lord will soon be here! The guests collect.

Julia. Show me some way to 'scape these nuptials! Do it!

Some opening for avoidance or escape,

Or to thy charge I'll lay a broken heart!

SHERIDAN KNOWLES.

It may be, broken vows, and blasted honour !

Or else a mind distraught!

Walter.

Julia.

What's this?

The strait

I'm fallen into my patience cannot bear !

It frights my reason-warps my sense of virtue !
Religion!-changes me into a thing

I look at with abhorring!

Walter.

Listen to me.

Julia.

Listen to me, and heed me! If this contract

Thou hold'st me to-abide thou the result!
Answer to Heaven for what I suffer!-act !
Prepare thyself for such calamity

To fall on me, and those whose evil stars
Have link'd them with me, as no past mishap,
However rare, and marvellously sad,

Can parallel lay thy account to live

A smileless life, die an unpitied death-
Abhorr'd, abandon'd of thy kind,-as one

Who had the guarding of a young maid's peace,—
Look'd on and saw her rashly peril it;

And when she saw her danger, and confess'd

Her fault, compell'd her to complete her ruin!

Walter.

Hast done?

Julia.

Another moment, and I have.

Be warn'd! Beware how you abandon me

To myself! I'm young, rash, inexperienced! tempted

By most insufferable misery!

Bold, desperate, and reckless! Thou hast age,

Experience, wisdom, and collectedness,

THE APPEAL AND THE REPROOF.

Power, freedom,-everything that I have not,

Yet want, as none e'er wanted! Thou canst save me,
Thou ought'st thou must! I tell thee, at his feet

I'll fall a corse-ere mount his bridal bed!

So choose betwixt my rescue and my grave ;—

And quickly too! The hour of sacrifice
Is near ! Anon the immolating priest

Will summon me! Devise some speedy means

To cheat the altar of its victim. Do it!

Nor leave the task to me!

Walter.

Julia.

Hast done?

I have.

Walter. Then list to me-and silently, if not

With patience.

[Brings chairs for himself and her.

How I watch'd thee from thy childhood,

I'll not recall to thee. Thy father's wisdom-
Whose humble instrument I was-directed

Your nonage should be pass'd in privacy,

From your apt mind, that far outstripp'd your years,
Fearing the taint of an infected world;-

For in the rich ground, weeds, once taking root,

Grow strong as flowers. He might be right or wrong!

I thought him right; and therefore did his bidding.

Most certainly he loved you-so did I;

Ay ! well as I had been myself your father!

[His hand is resting upon his knee. Julia attempts to take it. He withdraws it; looks at her. She hangs her head.

Well; you may take my hand!

I need not say

How fast you grew in knowledge, and in goodness,--
That hope could scarce enjoy its golden dreams,

So soon fulfilment realized them all!

SHERIDAN KNOWLES.

Enough. You came to womanhood. Your heart

Pure as the leaf of the consummate bud,

That's new unfolded by the smiling sun,

And ne'er knew blight nor canker! When a good woman

Is fitly mated, she grows doubly good,

How good soe'er before! I found the man

I thought a match for thee; and, soon as found,
Proposed him to thee. 'Twas your father's will,
Occasion offering, you should be married
Soon as you reach'd to womanhood. You liked
My choice-accepted him. We came to town ;
Where, by important matters, summon'd thence,
I left you, an affianced bride!

Julia.

You did!

You did!

Walter. Nay, check thy tears! Let judgment now,
Not passion, be awake. On my return,

I found thee-what? I'll not describe the thing
I found thee then! I'll not describe my pangs
To see thee such a thing! The engineer
Who lays the last stone of his sea-built tower
It cost him years and years of toil to raise,
And, smiling at it, tells the winds and waves
To roar and whistle now-but, in a night,
Beholds the tempest sporting in its place-
May look aghast, as I did!

GERALD MASSEY.

OUR WEE WHITE ROSE.

ALL in our marriage garden
Grew, smiling up to God,

A bonnier flower than ever

Suckt the green warmth of the sod;

O beautiful unfathomably

Its little life unfurled;

And crown of all things was our wee
White Rose of all the world.

From out a balmy bosom,

Our bud of beauty grew:
It fed on smiles for sunshine;
On tears for daintier dew:
Aye nestling warm and tenderly,
Our leaves of love were curled,
So close and close, about our wee
White Rose of all the world.

With mystical faint fragrance
Our house of life she filled-
Revealed each hour some fairy tower
Where winged hopes might build!
We saw-though none like us might see-
Such precious promise pearled

Upon the petals of our wee

White Rose of all the world.