TROTTER. Those gentlemen are so honest as ever I saw: For yfaith one of them gave me six pence to fetch a quart of Seck.--See, maister, here they come.
[Enter Mountney and Valingford.]
MILLER. Trotter, call Em. Now they are here together, I'll have this matter throughly debated.
[Exit Trotter.]
MOUNTNEY. Father, well met. We are come to confer with you.
MANVILLE. Nay, with his daughter rather.
VALINGFORD. Thus it is, father, we are come to crave your friendship in a matter.
MILLER. Gentlemen, as you are strangers to me, yet by the way of courtesy you shall demand any reasonable thing at my hands.
MANVILLE. What, is the matter so forward they came to crave his good will?
VALINGFORD. It is given us to understand that your daughter is sodenly become both blind and deaf.
MILLER. Marie, God forbid! I have sent for her. In deed, she hath kept her chamber this three days. It were no little grief to me if it should be so.
MANVILLE. This is God's judgement for her treachery.
[Enter Trotter, leading Em.]
MILLER. Gentlemen, I fear your words are too true. See where Trotter comes leading of her.--What ails my Em? Not blind, I hope?
EM. [Aside.] Mountney and Valingford both together! And Manville, to whom I have faithfully vowed my love! Now, Em, suddenly help thy self.
MOUNTNEY. This is no desembling, Valingford.
VALINGFORD. If it be, it is cunningly contrived of all sides.
EM. [Aside to Trotter.] Trotter, lend me thy hand, and as thou lovest me, keep my counsell, and justify what so ever I say and I'll largely requite thee.
TROTTER. Ah, thats as much as to say you would tell a monstrous, terrible, horrible, outragious lie, and I shall sooth it-- no, berlady!
EM. My present extremity will me,--if thou love me, Trotter.
TROTTER. That same word love makes me to do any thing.
EM. Trotter, wheres my father?
TROTTER. Why, what a blind dunce are you, can you not see? He standeth right before you.
[He thrusts Em upon her father.]
EM. Is this my father?--Good father, give me leave to sit where I may not be disturbed, sith God hath visited me both of my sight and hearing.
MILLER. Tell me, sweet Em, how came this blindness? Thy eyes are lovely to look on, and yet have they lost the benefit of their sight. What a grief is this to thy poor father!
EM. Good father, let me not stand as an open gazing stock to every one, but in a place alone, as fits a creature so miserable.
MILLER. Trotter, lead her in, the utter overthrow of poor Goddards joy and only solace.
[Exit the Miller, Trotter and Em.]
MANVILLE. Both blind and deaf! Then is she no wife for me; and glad am I so good occasion is hapned: Now will I away to Chester, and leave these gentlemen to their blind fortune.
[Exit Manville.]
MOUNTNEY. Since fortune hath thus spitefully crost our hope, let us leave this quest and harken after our King, who is at this day landed at Lirpoole.
[Exit Mountney.]
VALINGFORD. Go, my Lord, I'll follow you.--Well, now Mountney is gone, I'll stay behind to solicit my love; for I imagine that I shall find this but a fained invention, thereby to have us leave off our suits.
[Exit Valingford.]
SCENE V.
The Danish Court.
[Enter Marques Lubeck and the King of Denmark, angerly with some attendants.]
ZWENO K. Well, Lubeck, well, it is not possible But you must be consenting to this act? Is this the man so highly you extold? And play a part so hateful with his friend? Since first he came with thee into the court, What entertainment and what coutenance He hath received, none better knows than thou. In recompence whereof, he quites me well To steal away fair Mariana my prisoner, Whose ransom being lately greed upon, I am deluded of by this escape. Besides, I know not how to answer it, When she shall be demanded home to Swethia.
LUBECK. My gracious Lord, conjecture not, I pray, Worser of Lubeck than he doth deserve: Your highness knows Mariana was my love, Sole paragon and mistress of my thoughts. Is it likely I should know of her departure, Wherein there is no man injured more than I?
ZWENO. That carries reason, Marques, I confess. Call forth my daughter.