Three Wonder Plays | Page 7

for a young girl to stay in her standing in the presence of a king's kindred and his son, since he is come so far to look for me.
_Second Aunt_: That is a very nice thought.
_Princess_: My far-off grandmother, the old people were telling me, never sat at the table to put a bit in her mouth till such time as her lord had risen up satisfied. She was that obedient to him that if he had bidden her, she would have laid down her hand upon red coals.
_(Prince looks bored and fidgets.)_
_First Aunt_: Very good indeed.
_Princess_: That was a habit with my grandmother. I would wish to follow in her ways.
_King_: This is some new talk.
_Queen_: Stop; she is speaking fair and good.
_Princess_: A little verse, made by some good wife, I used to be learning. "I always should: Be very good: At home should mind: My husband kind: Abroad obey: What people say."
_First Aunt: (Getting up.)_ To travel the world, I never thought to find such good sense before me. Do you hear that, Prince?
_Prince_: Sure I often heard yourselves shaping that sort.
_Second Aunt_: I'll engage the royal family will make no objection to this young lady taking charge of your house.
_Princess_: I can do that! _(Counts on fingers.)_ To send linen to the washing-tub on Monday, and dry it on Tuesday, and to mangle it Wednesday, and starch it Thursday, and iron it Friday, and fold it in the press against Sunday!
_Second Aunt_: Indeed there is little to learn you! And on Sundays, now, you will go driving in a painted coach, and your dress sewed with gold and with pearls, and the poor of the world envying you on the road.
_Queen: (Claps hands.)_ There is no one but must envy her, and all that is before her for her lifetime!
_First Aunt_: Here is the golden arm-ring the Prince brought for to slip over your hand.
_Second Aunt_: It was put on all our generations of queens at the time of the making of their match.
_Princess: (Drawing back her hand.)_ Mine is not made yet.
_First Aunt_: Didn't you hear me saying, and the Prince saying, there is nothing could be laid down against it.
_Princess_: There is one thing against it.
_Queen_: Oh, there can be nothing worth while!
_Princess_: A thing you would think a great drawback and all your kindred would think it.
_Queen: (Rapidly.)_ There is nothing, but maybe that she is not so tall as you might think, through the length of the heels of her shoes.
_Second Aunt_: We would put up with that much.
_Princess: (Rapidly.)_ It is that there was a spell put upon me--by a water-witch that was of my kindred. At some hours of the day I am as you see me, but at other hours I am changed into a sea-filly from the Country-under-Wave. And when I smell salt on the west wind I must race and race and race. And when I hear the call of the gulls or the sea-eagles over my head, I must leap up to meet them till I can hardly tell what is my right element, is it the high air or is it the loosened spring-tide!
_Queen_: Stop your nonsense talk. She is gone wild and raving with the great luck that is come to her!
_(Prince has stood up, and is watching her eagerly.)_
_Princess_: I feel a wind at this very time that is blowing from the wilderness of the sea, and I am changing with it.... There. _(Pulls down her hair.)_ Let my mane go free! I will race you, Prince, I will race you! The wind of March will not overtake me, Prince, and I running on the top of the white waves!
_(Runs out; Prince entranced, rushes to door.)_
_Aunts: (Catching hold of him.)_ Are you going mad wild like herself?
_Prince_: Oh, I will go after her!
_First Aunt: (Clutching him)_ Do not! She will drag you to destruction.
_Prince: (Struggling to door.)_ What matter! Let me go or she will escape me! _(Shaking himself free.)_ I will never stop till I come to her.
_(He rushes out, Second Aunt still holding on to him.)_
_First Aunt_: What at all has come upon him? I never knew him this way before!
_(She trots after him.)_
_Princess: (Comes leaping in by window.)_ They are gone running the road to Muckanish! But they won't find me!
_Queen_: You have a right to be ashamed of yourself and your play-game. It's easy for you to go joking, having neither cark nor care: that is no way to treat the second best match in Ireland!
_King_: You were saying you had your mind made up to take him.
_Princess_: It failed me to do it! Himself and his counsellors and his seven aunts!
_Queen_: He will give out that you are crazed and mad.
_Princess_: He will be thankful to his life's