ha' make Miss Babylam' cry
hussef sick when she's gwine away ter be a fine lady? Mars
Nelson he mighty good to gib her eddication, but true fo'
sho he might jes' well gib it to my Tatermally fer all de
thanks he's gittin'. Ol' Zurie reckon it a sin to cry ober
de goodness ob God!

(Mrs. Clemm and Poe come out of cottage, both disturbed)

Poe. But, aunt, how are we going to live without her?

Mrs. C. My dear Edgar, we must not let our affections root so
deep in mortal things.

Poe. Mortal? Virginia mortal! She is a sister to Psyche,
immortal as the breath that blew her into beauteous bloom!

Mrs. C. While I am glad, my son, to see you so devoted to your
sister--

Poe. Sister! Thank Heaven she is not my sister! Aunt, Virginia
must be my wife!

Mrs. C. (Bewildered) Are you mad, Edgar?

Poe. No. Sane at last. I have been mad until now. I have drunk
loneliness and death. Here I breathe, grateful, glad as a
flower! My breast swells and falls as a bird's throat with
happy song! O, aunt, help me to accept this fair new
life--the only real life! Do not drive me back to gloom
and the devils! Give me your Virginia!

Mrs. C. A child, Edgar! A child!

Poe. To you--only to you. She has her full dower of
beauty--womanhood's portion.

Mrs. C. She has a right to her education. I can not wrong my
child.

Poe. I will teach her--teach her more than she will ever learn
at the great mess table of knowledge where the genius must
take his treacle and the blacksmith his ambrosia! O, aunt,
you will give her to me?

Mrs. C. Edgar, I love you dearly,--but--my little girl--my
Virginia--

Poe. (Bitterly) There is a difference then. She is yours, I am
not.

Mrs. C. Do not be cruel. I am a distracted mother!

Poe. My dear aunt!

(Virginia runs into yard and flings her arms about her
mother)

Vir. O, mama, uncle had to stop at Judge Carroll's and they got
into an argument and Mrs. Carroll said they would be at it
for hours--she knew by the way the judge was filling his
pipe--and told me to run back if I wanted to--Mama! Edgar!
What is the matter?

Mrs. C. Edgar does not want you to leave hom