Page:Tolstoy on Shakespeare.djvu/33

Rh "Why?" "Why, to put his head in; not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case." "—Be my horses ready?" "Thy asses are gone about 'em. The reason why the seven stars are no more than seven is a pretty reason." "Because they are not eight?" "Yes, indeed: thou would'st make a good fool."

And so on.

After this lengthy scene, a gentleman enters and announces that the horses are ready. The fool says:

"She that's a maid now, and laughs at my departure, Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter."

The second part of the first scene of the second act begins by the villain Edmund persuading his brother, when their father enters, to pretend that they are fighting with their swords. Edgar consents, altho it is utterly incomprehensible why he should do so. The father finds them fighting. Edgar flies and Edmund scratches his arm to draw blood and