ELIZABETH. I thread my own needles, Henslowe, being a woman. [MARY FITTON _enters._] Send Mr. Shakespeare to me! [_Then, as_ MARY _turns to go_--] Mary! MARY. Madam? ELIZABETH. Bid him hurry! [MARY _turns to the door._] Mary! MARY. Madam? ELIZABETH. What did I tell you but now? MARY. Madam, to bid him hurry. HENSLOWE [_recognising the voice_]. “Hurry!” ELIZABETH. Wait. Daylight, Henslowe? Girl, you’re slow. You go heavily. Have you not slept? Let Henslowe do your errand! [_To_ HENSLOWE.] Let him wait at hand! MARY. Madam, I can well go. ELIZABETH. No hurry now. [HENSLOWE _goes out._] D’you guess why I send for your teller of tales? MARY. No, Madam. ELIZABETH. He has told a tale, it seems, that I’d hear told again. MARY. Told? ELIZABETH. Why are you not in black, Mary? MARY. I, Madam? ELIZABETH. Marlowe is dead. MARY. I grieve to hear it. ELIZABETH. When did you hear? MARY. Why, Madam, now--you tell me! ELIZABETH. Then I tell you wrong. He is alive and has told all. MARY. Alive? They lie to you, Madam! What has he told? Who says it? ELIZABETH. You, Mary Fitton! For by your dark-ringed eyes Your dreaming service and those blind hands of yours Seeking a hold, I think you saw him die, Ere you passed Henslowe in the dark, crying “Hurry!” MARY. Madam, it was your errand. For this Shakespeare, This quill you thrust on me to sharpen up, Jealous of Marlowe, though he had no cause (What! must I live his nun, his stay-at-home? Your servant and a lady of the court!), Sent me a letter-- ELIZABETH. Let me read! MARY. I tore it! --so inked in threat that I post-haste for Deptford-- ELIZABETH. Ill judged! MARY. I know! I followed my first fear. --rode to warn Marlowe. Shakespeare following, Spying upon us, spying upon us, Madam! Found us in counsel. Then, with a hail of words That Marlowe would not bear, with “stale” and “harlot,” He beat me down, till Marlowe flung ’em back; Then like two dogs they struggled. Marlowe fell. ELIZABETH. Struck down? MARY. Struck down, but blindly, not to kill-- I will not think to kill--and as he fell His own knife caught him, here. ELIZABETH. What did you then? MARY. I, Madam? ELIZABETH. You, Madam? Did you fold your hands And watch this business as you’d watch a play, And clap them on? Or, as a short month since You played a part I think, did you strike in And play a part? Why did you call for help? MARY. I did not, Madam!