The Lady of Loyalty House: A NovelMcCarthy, Justin H. (Justin Huntly)
History
The Lady of Loyalty House: A Novel
McCarthy, Justin H. (Justin Huntly)
Adventure stories; Great Britain -- History -- Civil War, 1642-1649 -- Fiction; Love stories
"'O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name:
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.'"
Evander said his line a little stiffly; he was awkward, being a man.
"'Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?'"
Brilliana flowed on:
"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy:
Thou art thyself though not a Montague.
What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot,
Nor arm nor face. O be some other name
Belonging to a man.
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes,
Without that title.--Romeo, doff thy name;
And for thy name which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.'"
Evander put heart now into his part as he moved towards her.
"'I take thee at thy word.
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptiz'd;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.'"
Brilliana affected to peer into the darkness of a green garden.
"'What man art thou, that thus bescreened in night,
So stumblest on my counsel?'"
Evander answered, very earnest now:
"'By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee:
Had I it written, I would tear the word.'"
Brilliana's voice faltered as she took up the tale.
"'My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
Of thy tongue's uttering, yet I know the sound.
Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?'"
Evander was quite near now to the chair and the fair maid perched
upon it, and the words trembled on his lips.
"'Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.'"
He put out his hands and caught hers for a moment. Then she drew them
free and jumped down. She went to the open space and looked into the
wet garden with a hand to her head and a hand to her heart. Evander
followed her.
"Ah, me," she said, "love was a heady god in Verona. Here in England
he could not solder such hostilities."
Evander answered her passionately.
"Here in England love is a more glorious god yet, for he can fling a
Puritan soldier at the feet of a Cavalier lady."
Brilliana still stared straight before her.
"We have drifted from the land of shadows."
Evander spoke from his heart.
"We have drifted into reality. I love you. I cannot change my faith
for that, I cannot change my flag. But believe this, remember this,
that in the Parliament's army one Puritan is as true your lover as
all the Cavaliers who worship you."
Brilliana turned and looked at him now, very steadfastly:
"You do not speak by the book."
"No, only by my heart," Evander answered, simply. "I tell you my
soul's truth. I love you, I shall love you to the end, whether the
end come in a battle on a windy heath, or in an oblong box of a bed."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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