ame, can easily take
dreadful words for dreadful deeds. But Mellefont! Mellefont will give
her fresh courage, and teach her to scorn my threats. He will! Perhaps
he will not! Few things would have been undertaken in this world, if
men had always looked to the end. And am I not prepared for the most
fatal end? The dagger was for others, the drug is for me! The drug
for me! Long carried by me near my heart, it here awaits its sad
service; here, where in better times I hid the written flatteries of my
lovers,--poison for us equally sure if slower. Would it were not
destined to rage in my veins only! Would that a faithless one--why do I
waste my time in wishing? Away! I must not recover my reason nor she
hers. He will dare nothing, who wishes to dare in cold blood!

ACT V.

Scene I.

Sara's _room_.

Sara (_reclining in an armchair_), Betty.

BETTY.

Do you feel a little better, Miss?

SARA.

Better--I wish only that Mellefont would return! You have sent for him,
have you not?

BETTY.

Norton and the landlord have gone for him.

SARA.

Norton is a good fellow, but he is rash. I do not want him by any means
to be rude to his master on my account. According to his story,
Mellefont is innocent of all this. She follows him; what can he do? She
storms, she raves, she tries to murder him. Do you see, Betty, I have
exposed him to this danger? Who else but me? And the wicked Marwood at
last insisted on seeing me or she would not return to London. Could he
refuse her this trifling request? Have not I too often been curious to
see Marwood. Mellefont knows well that we are curious creatures. And if
I had not insisted myself that she should remain with me until his
return, he would have taken her away with him. I should have seen her
under a false name, without knowing that I had seen her. And I should
perhaps have been pleased with this little deception at some future
time. In short, it is all my fault. Well, well, I was frightened;
nothing more! The swoon was nothing. You know, Betty, I am subject to
such fits.

BETTY.

But I had never seen you in so deep a swoon before.

SARA.

Do not tell me so, please!