the complete plays-第47章
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For oh； they cannot bear
To see their father weep！
（Enter MABEL）
SOLOMABEL
Dear father； why leave your bed
At this untimely hour；
When happy daylight is dead；
And darksome dangers low'r？
See； heav'n has lit her lamp；
The midnight hour is past；
And the chilly night…air is damp；
And the dews are falling fast！
Dear father； why leave your bed
When happy daylight is dead？
GIRLS： Oh； dry the glist'ning tear； etc。
（FREDERIC enters）
MABEL： Oh； Frederic； cannot you； in the calm excellence of
your wisdom； reconcile it with your conscience to say
something that will relieve my father's sorrow？
FREDERIC： I will try； dear Mabel。 But why does he sit； night
after night； in this draughty old ruin？
GENERAL： Why do I sit here？ To escape from the pirates'
clutches； I described myself as an orphan； and； heaven
help me； I am no orphan！ I come here to humble myself
before the tombs of my ancestors； and to implore their
pardon for having brought dishonour on the family
escutcheon。
FREDERIC： But you forget； sir； you only bought the property a
year ago； and the stucco on your baronial castle is
scarcely dry。
GENERAL： Frederic； in this chapel are ancestors： you cannot deny
that。 With the estate； I bought the chapel and its
contents。 I don't know whose ancestors they were； but
I know whose ancestors they are； and I shudder to think
that their descendant by purchase （if I may so describe
myself） should have brought disgrace upon what； I have
no doubt； was an unstained escutcheon。
FREDERIC： Be comforted。 Had you not acted as you did； these
reckless men would assuredly have called in the nearest
clergyman； and have married your large family on the
spot。
GENERAL： I thank you for your proffered solace； but it is
unavailing。 I assure you； Frederic； that such is the
anguish and remorse I feel at the abominable falsehood
by which I escaped these easily deluded pirates； that I
would go to their simple…minded chief this very night
and confess all； did I not fear that the consequences
would be most disastrous to myself。 At what time does
your expedition march against these scoundrels？
FREDERIC： At eleven； and before midnight I hope to have atoned
for my involuntary association with the pestilent
scourges by sweeping them from the face of the earth
and then； dear Mabel； you will be mine！
GENERAL： Are your devoted followers at hand？
FREDERIC： They are； they only wait my orders。
RECITGENERAL
Then； Frederic； let your escort lion…hearted
Be summoned to receive a gen'ral's blessing；
Ere they depart upon their dread adventure。
FREDERIC： Dear； sir； they come。
（Enter POLICE； marching in single file。 They form in line； facing
audience。）
SONGSERGEANT
When the foeman bares his steel；
Tarantara！ tarantara！
We uncomfortable feel；
Tarantara！
And we find the wisest thing；
Tarantara！ tarantara！
Is to slap our chests and sing；
Tarantara！
For when threatened with …meutes；
Tarantara！ tarantara！
And your heart is in your boots；
Tarantara！
There is nothing brings it round
Like the trumpet's martial sound；
Like the trumpet's martial sound
Tarantara！ tarantara！； etc。
MABEL： Go； ye heroes； go to glory；
Though you die in combat gory；
Ye shall live in song and story。
Go to immortality！
Go to death； and go to slaughter；
Die； and every Cornish daughter
With her tears your grave shall water。
Go； ye heroes； go and die！
GIRLS： Go； ye heroes； go and die！ Go； ye heroes； go and die！
POLICE： Though to us it's evident；
Tarantara！ tarantara！
These attentions are well meant；
Tarantara！
Such expressions don't appear；
Tarantara！ tarantara！
Calculated men to cheer
Tarantara！
Who are going to meet their fate
In a highly nervous state。
Tarantara！ tarantara！ tarantara！
Still to us it's evident
These attentions are well meant。
Tarantara！ tarantara！ tarantara！
EDITH： Go and do your best endeavour；
And before all links we sever；
We will say farewell for…ever。
Go to glory and the grave！
GIRLS： For your foes are fierce and ruthless；
False； unmerciful； and truthless；
Young and tender； old and toothless；
All in vain their mercy crave。
SERGEANT： We observe too great a stress；
On the risks that on us press；
And of reference a lack
To our chance of coming back。
Still； perhaps it would be wise
Not to carp or criticise；
For it's very evident
These attentions are well meant。
POLICE： Yes； it's very evident
These attentions are well meant；
Evident； yes； well meant； evident
Ah； yes； well meant！
ENSEMBLE
Chorus of all but Police Chorus of Police
Go and do your best endeavour； Such expressions don't
appear；
And before all links we sever Tarantara；
tarantara！
We will say farewell for ever。 Calculated men to cheer；
Go to glory and the grave！ Tarantara！
For your foes and fierce and Who are going to their fate；
ruthless； Tarantara；
tarantara！
False； unmerciful； and In a highly nervous state
truthless。 Tarantara！
Young and tender； old and We observe too great a
stress；
toothless； Tarantara；
tarantara！
All in vain their mercy crave。 On the risks that on us
press；
Tarantara！
And of reference a lack；
Tarantara；
tarantara！
To our chance of coming back；
Tarantara！
GENERAL： Away； away！
POLICE： （without moving） Yes； yes； we go。
GENERAL： These pirates slay。
POLICE： Tarantara！
GENERAL： Then do not stay。
POLICE： Tarantara！
GENERAL： Then why this delay？
POLICE： All right； we go。
ALL： Yes； forward on the foe！
Yes； forward on the foe！
GENERAL： Yes； but you don't go！
POLICE： We go； we go
ALL： Yes； forward on the foe！
Yes； forward on the foe！
GENERAL： Yes； but you don't go！
POLICE： We go； we go
ALL： At last they go！
At last they really go！
（Exeunt POLICE。 MABEL tears herself from FREDERIC and exits；
followed by her sisters； consoling her。 The MAJOR…GENERAL
and others follow the POLICE off。 FREDERIC remains alone。）
RECIT…FREDERIC
Now for the pirates' lair！ Oh； joy unbounded！
Oh； sweet relief！ Oh； rapture unexampled！
At last I may atone； in some slight measure；
For the repeated acts of theft and pillage
Which； at a sense of duty's stern dictation；
I； circumstance's victim； have been guilty！
（PIRATE KING and RUTH appear at the window； armed。）
KING： Young Frederic！ （Covering him with pistol）
FREDERIC： Who calls？
KING： Your late commander！
RUTH： And I； your little Ruth！ （Covering him with pistol）
FREDERIC： Oh； mad intruders；
How dare ye face me？ Know ye not； oh rash ones；
That I have doomed you to extermination？
（KING and RUTH hold a pistol to each ear）
KING： Have mercy on us！ hear us； ere you slaughter！
FREDERIC： I do not think I ought to listen to you。
Yet； mercy should alloy our stern resentment；
And so I will be merciful say on！
TRIORUTH； KING； and FREDERIC
RUTH： When you had left our pirate fold；
We tried to raise our spirits faint；
According to our custom old；
With quips and quibbles quaint。
But all in vain the quips we heard；
We lay and sobbed upon the rocks；
Until to somebody occurred
A startling paradox。
FREDERIC： A paradox？
KING： （laughing） A paradox！
RUTH： A most ingenious paradox！
We've quips and quibbles heard in flocks；
But none to beat this paradox！
A paradox； a paradox；
A most ingenious paradox！
Ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ Ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！
KING： We knew your taste for curious quips；
For cranks and contradictions queer；
And with the laughter on our lips；
We wished you there to hear。
We said； 〃If we could tell it him；
How Frederic would the joke enjoy！〃
And so we've risked both life and limb
To tell it to our boy。
FREDERIC： （interested）。 That paradox？ That paradox？
KING and RUTH： （laughing） That most ingenious paradox！
We've quips and quibbles heard in flocks；
But none to beat this paradox！
A paradox； a paradox；
A most ingenious paradox！
Ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ Ho！ ho！ ho！ ho！
CHANTKING
For some ridiculous reason； to which； however； I've no desire to
be disloyal；
Some person in authority； I don't know who； very likely the
Astronomer Royal；
Has decided that； although for such a beastly month as February；
twenty…eight days as a rule are plenty；
One year in every four his days shall be reckoned as nine and…
twenty。
Through some singular coincidence I shouldn't be surprised if
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