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in this breast! It chokes me to think of it! Listen now, wait, let me catch my breath, there; now listen to this:

The shade of bloody Ivan now returning

Fans through my lips rebellion to a flame,

I am the dead Dimitri! In the burning

Boris shall perish on the throne I claim.

Enough! The heir of Czars shall not be seen

Kneeling to yonder haughty Polish Queen!”

Is that bad, eh? [Quickly] Wait, now, here’s something from King Lear. The sky is black, see? Rain is pouring down, thunder roars, lightning—zzz zzz zzz—splits the whole sky, and then, listen:

Blow winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!

You cataracts and hurricanoes spout

Till you have drench’d our steeples, drown’d the cocks!

You sulphurous thought-executing fires,

Vaunt-couriers of oak-cleaving thunderbolts,

Singe my white head! And thou, all shaking thunder,

Strike flat the thick rotundity o’ the world!

Crack nature’s moulds, all germens spill at once

That make ungrateful man!”

[Impatiently] Now, the part of the fool. [Stamps his foot] Come take the fool’s-part! Be quick, I can’t wait!

. [Takes the part of the fool]

“O, Nuncle, court holy-water in a dry house is better than this rain-water out o’ door. Good Nuncle, in; ask thy daughter’s blessing: here’s a night pities neither wise men nor fools.”