Page:Plays by Jacinto Benavente - Second series (IA playsbyjacintobe00bena).pdf/93

 this liberty upon which you plume yourself, forgetting who you are and the respect which you owe to your rank as Princess.

. Oh! What is the use of talking? Now you are finding fault with me; it has become a habit. I might very well doubt your love, since you should have warned me before that I was forgetting who I was and what I owed to myself as Princess, and not now when it is too late, if all that you saw in me was Princess Helena of Suavia.

. You have no right to say such things; you misjudge me. What I wish is to see you respected, to feel that your conduct is becoming your rank and position. I am not willing to have people think that a craving for low, promiscuous adventure threw us together, when it was love. Besides, I am afraid that you will be disillusioned yourself when you are brought face to face with the very matter-of-fact hardships to which we shall presently be exposed, which will appear intolerable to you. I do not wish you to have stooped so low when that time comes, that it will be impossible to recover the position which you renounced for love of me, as I hope and believe—for love of me entirely. Yes, is it not true, my Princess Bebé, born into a world into which of all others you should never have been born, to become the terror of the Court of Suavia, like a great, unruly boy in the midst of a den of musty antiquaries, who laughs at them and rifles their hoary parchments and diplomas, and overturns their ancient cabinets which are covered with dust?

. Yes, it is so lovely to rebel! It was in heaven, next to God. There was a rebel angel, even there, who for mere love of it, exchanged heaven for hell.

. Exactly, for hell. Now you have said it. Perhaps you will be mourning your lost paradise some day.