worse than you, when he lures feeble mortals into
crimes and himself accuses them afterwards for these crimes which are
his own work! What is my innocence to you? What does it matter to you
when and how I lost it. If I could not sacrifice my virtue, I have at
least staked my good name for you. The former is no more valuable than
the latter. What do I say? More valuable? Without it the former is a
silly fancy, which brings one neither happiness nor guilt. The good
name alone gives it some value, and can exist quite well without it.
What did it matter what I was before I knew you, you wretch! It is
enough that in the eyes of the world I was a woman without reproach.
Through you only it has learned that I am not so; solely through my
readiness to accept your heart, as I then thought, without your hand.

MELLEFONT.

This very readiness condemns you, vile woman!

MARWOOD.

But do you remember to what base tricks you owed it? Was I not
persuaded by you, that you could not be publicly united to me without
forfeiting an inheritance which you wished to share with me only? Is it
time now to renounce it? And to renounce it, not for me but for
another!

MELLEFONT.

It is a real delight to me to be able to tell you that this difficulty
will soon be removed. Content yourself therefore with having deprived
me of my father's inheritance, and let me enjoy a far smaller one with
a more worthy wife.

MARWOOD.

Ha! Now I see what it is that makes you so perverse. Well, I will lose
no more words. Be it so! Be assured I shall do everything to forget
you. And the first thing that I will do to this end, shall be this. You
will understand me! Tremble for your Bella! Her life shall not carry
the memory of my despised love down to posterity; my cruelty shall do
it. Behold in me a new Medea!

MELLEFONT (_frightened_).

Marwood!----

MARWOOD.

Or, if you know a more cruel mother still, behold her cruelty doubled
in me! Poison and dagger shall avenge me. But no, poison and dagger are
tools too merciful for me! They would kill your child and mine too
soon. I will not see it dead. I will see it dying! I will see each
feature of the face which she has from you disfigured, distorted, and
obliterated by slow torture. With eager hand will I part limb from
limb,