_Kent._ What do you want? Why hold away your hands? Fear not that I'll embrace thee! _Mar._ What art thou? _Kent._ Nothing to thee, whatever else I am. Away! For Death and I have just locked hands. One moment more and I had cozened him Of all his pain. But you, dear, damned foe, Take up his weapons and re-gash my wounds. _Mar._ Is this my lord? _Kent._ Go. I command you. Go! Eternity drops on me, and lightfoot Time Hies like a ghost to nothing. What dost here? _Mar._ I die. _Kent._ You die? No fear of that. You are Too great a lover of this life that vaunts A bloated bubble 'twixt immortal shores. _Mar._ If once 'twere true--if once I loved this world-- Thy bitter words have sucked desire to live From all my senses. As a god I held thee, Now mocking gods bid me look on whilst thou Deport'st thyself 'neath mortal. Sir, what plague Hast met? What conjuration of the skies Disfigures thee? _Kent._ The same that made thyself A woman. Back unto your world! _Mar._ O, true I loved this life, and held a heart not dead To music, beauty, sweet and warm delights, An interest in the season-robing earth, An entertained eye for fortune's chance, And too pretentiously I sighed to leave The unfollowed steps of fair and flying Truth, And last, poor woman, shrank to change thine arms For the cold circlet of Elysian clouds; But you, pervert and monstrous, work my peace, Unto my eyes deforming all the world And making the unknown more dear than dream. _Kent._ I monstrous? O, thou shame! To've died for you Were scarcely more than's done each day for love; But I for you have heaped my name with crime, Crime that will damn my reputation's snow While lasts the world and men recount old tales! _Mar._ 'Twas for my sake you did it! Ah, I know. You loved me well. Would you had known me better, Or loved me less! O, how couldst think my life Would flower with happiness when sacrifice Of one as dear to Heaven as myself Lay burning at its root? Nay, I must wither Unto this world, but as I fall thy name Grows fairer, for I have confessed 'twas I. For love of me you sinned. The punishment Is mine. _Kent._ Confessed? You have confessed? No, no! _Mar._ I shall be soon forgot, but your great name Will live, and since it must, or dark or bright, I would remove as much of foulness from it As blood of mine will cleanse. _Kent._ You have confessed! O, God of truth, let man trust to thy mercy, Not hope to cheat thy justice! You confessed? Already I was doomed, but you--you might Have lived. Ay, and you shall! [_Comes near her and sees that her hands are fettered_]