Alcestis | Page 8

of women

sinketh, perisheth, Under the green earth, down where the shadows
darken, Down to the House of Death!
[During the last words ADMETUS and ALCESTIS have entered.
ALCESTIS _is supported by her Handmaids and followed by her two
children._]
LEADER. And who hath said that Love shall bring More joy to man
than fear and strife? I knew his perils from of old, I know them now,
when I behold The bitter faring of my King, Whose love is taken, and
his life Left evermore an empty thing.
ALCESTIS. O Sun, O light of the day that falls! O running cloud that
races along the sky!
ADMETUS. They look on thee and me, a stricken twain, Who have
wrought no sin that God should have thee slain.
ALCESTIS. Dear Earth, and House of sheltering walls, And wedded
homes of the land where my fathers lie!
ADMETUS. Fail not, my hapless one. Be strong, and pray The
o'er-mastering Gods to hate us not alway.
ALCESTIS (_faintly, her mind wandering_). A boat two-oared, upon
water; I see, I see. And the Ferryman of the Dead, His hand that hangs
on the pole, his voice that cries; "Thou lingerest; come. Come quickly,
we wait for thee." He is angry that I am slow; he shakes his head.
ADMETUS. Alas, a bitter boat-faring for me, My bride ill-starred.--Oh,
this is misery!
ALCESTIS (_as before_). Drawing, drawing! 'Tis some one that
draweth me ... To the Palaces of the Dead. So dark. The wings, the
eyebrows and ah, the eyes!... Go back! God's mercy! What seekest thou?
Let me be!... (_Recovering_) Where am I? Ah, and what paths are these
I tread?

ADMETUS. Grievous for all who love thee, but for me And my two
babes most hard, most solitary.
ALCESTIS. Hold me not; let me lie.-- I am too weak to stand; and
Death is near, And a slow darkness stealing on my sight. My little ones,
good-bye. Soon, soon, and mother will be no more here.... Good-bye,
two happy children in the light.
ADMETUS. Oh, word of pain, oh, sharper ache Than any death of
mine had brought! For the Gods' sake, desert me not, For thine own
desolate children's sake. Nay, up! Be brave. For if they rend Thee from
me, I can draw no breath; In thy hand are my life and death, Thine, my
belovèd and my friend!
ALCESTIS. Admetus, seeing what way my fortunes lie, I fain would
speak with thee before I die. I have set thee before all things; yea, mine
own Life beside thine was naught. For this alone I die.... Dear Lord, I
never need have died. I might have lived to wed some prince of pride,
Dwell in a king's house.... Nay, how could I, torn From thee, live on, I
and my babes forlorn? I have given to thee my youth--not more nor less,
But all--though I was full of happiness. Thy father and mother both--'tis
strange to tell-- Had failed thee, though for them the deed was well,
The years were ripe, to die and save their son, The one child of the
house: for hope was none, If thou shouldst pass away, of other heirs. So
thou and I had lived through the long years, Both. Thou hadst not lain
sobbing here alone For a dead wife and orphan babes.... 'Tis done Now,
and some God hath wrought out all his will. Howbeit I now will ask
thee to fulfill One great return-gift--not so great withal As I have given,
for life is more than all; But just and due, as thine own heart will tell.
For thou hast loved our little ones as well As I have.... Keep them to be
masters here In my old house; and bring no stepmother Upon them. She
might hate them. She might be Some baser woman, not a queen like me,
And strike them with her hand. For mercy, spare Our little ones that
wrong. It is my prayer.... They come into a house: they are all strife
And hate to any child of the dead wife.... Better a serpent than a
stepmother! A boy is safe. He has his father there To guard him. But a
little girl! (Taking the LITTLE GIRL _to her_) What good And gentle

care will guide thy maidenhood? What woman wilt thou find at father's
side? One evil word from her, just when the tide Of youth is full, would
wreck thy hope of love. And no more mother near, to stand above Thy
marriage-bed, nor comfort thee pain-tossed In travail, when one needs a
mother most! Seeing I must die.... 'Tis here, across my way, Not for the
morrow, not for the third day, But now--Death, and to lie with things
that were. Farewell. God keep you happy.--Husband