Diana.

Rejected! by the man I loved rejected: Despised by him, and by myself betrayed! And all will know it—I could not hide it.

Our nature hath this need: woman must love. But oh! to have made my idol of a stone, To my wórship a déaf unanswering stone! At last I am cured. Since not my rank suffices To set me above the rules I gave my maids, I’ll never love. Am I to stand and wait, Till some man fancy me, and then to melt And conjure inclination at a nod? O man, thou art our god: the almighty’s curse Crowns thee our master: from the green-sick girl That mopes in worship of the nearest fool, To the poor jaded wife of thirty years Who dotes upon her striker, ’tis the same.... That’s not for me. Nay, give it up altogether: Go free. If man’s so base; if that high passion, That spirit-ecstasy, that supersensual, Conscious devotion of divinity Of which I dreamed, is only to be found In books of fanciful philosophy, Or tales of pretty poets ... why then away With books and men! my life henceforth shall prove Woman is self-sufficing: in my court No man shall step, save such as may be needed To show my spirit holds them in contempt. Women shall be my friends and women only; And I shall find allies. I had in Laura All that I could desire, a friend, unselfish, Devoted, grateful, and as yet untainted By any folly of love: and her I schemed To marry away. ’Tis not too late: I’ll save her: She shall not be enslaved: she doth not love. Her heart is free and generous; it has shrunk By instinct from the yoke: she will join with me; And if I tell her all,—or if she have guessed,— Now when I tell her she will comfort me. Comfort and counsel, friendship, that I need And she can give. I never will part fróm her.

Re-enter Flora.

Fl. Oh, my lady: the Lady Laura is gone, she has run away.

D. Run away!

Fl. Sir Gregory is coming to tell you all about it. She has run away with Mr. Frederick.

D. Nonsense! How dare you tell me....

Fl. I guess it’s true though. I remember now I used to say how strange it was that such a sweet lady, and so clever and proper a gentleman as....

D. Silence, Flora! What has come to you? What makes you say this?

Fl. Because she’s not to be found. But Sir Gregory will tell you.

D. Send Sir Gregory at once. (Aside.) This is impossible, impossible.

Fl. See here he comes.

D. (aside). Ah! if this were Frederick’s secret!

Enter Sir Gregory.

What is it? Sir Gregory, tell me.