Page:Poet Lore, volume 26, 1915.djvu/312

 Jeroným.—It will be a pleasure to serve you if (bowing to ) the Countess consents.

Sylvia (with a joyous smile).—Be so kind. (They depart at the left to the forest, going across stage to the castle. The music grows more distant, becomes fainter and its echoes are broken at times by distant cries and merry shouts.)

Bětuška.—There he goes and I hardly dare even to call to him—Jeroným! ( does not hear.) Jeroným!

Jeroným (stops and looks around).—Bětuška! I’m busy, Bětuška!

Bětuška.—So busy that you cannot speak even a few words to me?

Jeroným.—What do you wish to say to me?

Bětuška.—What do I wish to say to you? Everything, everything and—nothing. I would tell you that I’m sad, that I could weep—but why should I tell you? You are gay—everything around you is gay, only I—I alone have no joy. That little bird twitters, sings, the turtle-dove in the orchard coos and the chicks joyously root about in the ashes. Only I am sad, only I sit silent on the verandah or in the courtyard, or I weep, weep at home in my little room.

Jeroným. And what is the cause of all this?

Bětuška.—Don’t you know—how am I to tell you!

Jeroným.—Bětuška!

Bětuška.—I know, I know, things will never be better and you, Jeroným, will not even look at me. And why should your eyes even glance at me when they will never be mine? Everything on earth is happy except I—Bětuška.

Jeroným (Takes her hand).—Because you don’t want to be happy. How glad brother Václav would be if you would show him the least favor.

Bětuška.—You can’t overturn the mountains, and you can’t make over the heart. Neither yours nor mine. I know Václav cares for me—but I know only of one heart. And you, in turn, know only one.—Another! (Quickly.) I know, I alone know