MARY. The cool nymph under Tiber stairs--what’s her name?--Egeria. Am I your Egeria, Marlowe? MARLOWE. Something less slippery. MARY. Oh, she was fun to play--first to please the Queen and then to please myself. For I was caught, you know. It’s something to be hung among the stars, something to say--“I was his Juliet!” MARLOWE. What, you--you Comedy-Kate? MARY. Why, I’m a woman! that is--fifty women! While he played Romeo to my Juliet I could be anything he chose. O Kit! I sucked his great soul out. You never lit the blaze I was for half an hour: then--out I went! MARLOWE. He stoops o’er the embers yet. MARY. But ashes fanned Fly from their centre, lighter than a kiss, And settle--where they please! [_She kisses him._] D’you love me? MARLOWE. More than I wish. MARY. Would you be cured? MARLOWE. Not possible. MARY [_singing_]. Go to church, sweetheart, A flower in your coat! Your wedding bells shall prove The death of love! The death of love! Ding-dong! Ding-dong! The death of love! Or so Will says. MARLOWE. He should know. MARY. What’s that? MARLOWE. Nothing. MARY. He’s married? MARLOWE. I do not tell you so. MARY. Married! He shall pay me. Married! I guessed it--but he shall pay me. A country girl? MARLOWE. If you must know! He has not seen her these ten years. She sent for him the night of ‘Juliet.’ MARY. Why now all’s plain. So she’s the canker that hath drooped our rose! If I had loved him--I do not love him, Marlowe-- This would have fanned a flame. Well, we’re all cheats! But now I cheat with better conscience. Married! Lord, I could laugh! He must not know I know it. MARLOWE. I shan’t boast I told you. O Mary, when I first came to you, it was he sent me. He came like a child and asked me to see you, to say what good of him I could, Because I was his friend. And now, see, see, How I have friended him! MARY. I love you for it. He shall not know. Why talk of him? Forget him! MARLOWE. Can you? MARY. Why, that I cannot makes me mad--