SOBEIDE. Why, very noble. As one who seeks to sully his own image In other eyes, to spare that other pain-- Quite different, no longer kind as once --It was the greatest kindness, so to act-- His spirit rent and full of mockery, that Perhaps was bitterer to himself than me, Just like an actor oftentimes, so strangely With set intent. At other times again Discoursing of the future, of the time When I should give my hand-- MERCHANT (vehemently). To me? SOBEIDE (coldly). When I should give my hand to any other;-- Describing what he knew that I should never Endure, if life should ever take that form. As little as himself would e'er have borne it A single hour, for he but made a show, Acquaint with me, and knowing it would cost The less of pain to wrench my heart from him, So soon as I had come to doubt his faith. * * * * * * * * * * * * 'Twas too well acted, but what wealth of goodness Was there. MERCHANT. The greatest goodness, _if_ 'twas really Naught but a pose assumed. SOBEIDE (passionately). I beg thee, husband, This one thing: ruin not our life together. As yet 'tis young and blind as tiny fledglings, A single speech like this might swiftly slay it! I shall not be an evil wife to thee: I mean that slowly I shall find, perhaps, In other things a little of that bliss For which I held out eager fingers, thinking There was a land quite full of it, both air And earth, and one might enter into it. I know by now that _I_ was not to enter ... I shall be almost happy in that day, All longing, painless, shared 'twixt past and present, Like shining sunlight on the fresh green trees, And like an unburdened sky behind the garden The future: empty, yet quite full of light ... But we must give it time to grow: As yet confusion everywhere prevails. Thou must assist me, it must never happen That with ill-chosen words thou link this present Too strongly to the life which now is over. They must be parted by a wall of glass, As airtight and as rigid as in dreams. (At the window.) That evening must not come, that should discover Me sitting at this window without thee: --Just not to be at home, not from the window Of my long girlhood's chamber to look out Into the darkness, has a dangerous, Peculiar and confusing power, as if I lay upon the open road, no man's possession,