The man, his bearing, and the mystery
Of his arrival, and the time; the account, too,
The Intendant gave (for I have not beheld her)
Of his wife's dignified but foreign aspect;
Besides the antipathy with which we met,
As snakes and lions shrink back from each other
By secret instinct that both must be foes
Deadly, without being natural prey to either; 280
All--all--confirm it to my mind.
Of his arrival, and the time; the account, too,
The Intendant gave (for I have not beheld her)
Of his wife's dignified but foreign aspect;
Besides the antipathy with which we met,
As snakes and lions shrink back from each other
By secret instinct that both must be foes
Deadly, without being natural prey to either; 280
All--all--confirm it to my mind.
Byron
Hence!
_Ulr. _ Come on, old oracle, expound thy riddle!
[_Exit with_ IDENSTEIN _and_ FRITZ.
_Stral. _ (_solus_). A stalwart, active, soldier-looking stripling,
Handsome as Hercules ere his first labour,
And with a brow of thought beyond his years
When in repose, till his eye kindles up
In answering yours. I wish I could engage him:
I have need of some such spirits near me now,
For this inheritance is worth a struggle. 260
And though I am not the man to yield without one,
Neither are they who now rise up between me
And my desire. The boy, they say, 's a bold one;
But he hath played the truant in some hour
Of freakish folly, leaving fortune to
Champion his claims. That's well. The father, whom
For years I've tracked, as does the blood-hound, never
In sight, but constantly in scent, had put me
To fault; but _here_ I _have_ him, and that's better.
It must be _he_! All circumstance proclaims it; 270
And careless voices, knowing not the cause
Of my enquiries, still confirm it. --Yes!
The man, his bearing, and the mystery
Of his arrival, and the time; the account, too,
The Intendant gave (for I have not beheld her)
Of his wife's dignified but foreign aspect;
Besides the antipathy with which we met,
As snakes and lions shrink back from each other
By secret instinct that both must be foes
Deadly, without being natural prey to either; 280
All--all--confirm it to my mind. However,
We'll grapple, ne'ertheless. In a few hours
The order comes from Frankfort, if these waters
Rise not the higher (and the weather favours
Their quick abatement), and I'll have him safe
Within a dungeon, where he may avouch
His real estate and name; and there's no harm done,
Should he prove other than I deem. This robbery
(Save for the actual loss) is lucky also;
He's poor, and that's suspicious--he's unknown, 290
And that's defenceless. --True, we have no proofs
Of guilt--but what hath he of innocence?
Were he a man indifferent to my prospects,
In other bearings, I should rather lay
The inculpation on the Hungarian, who
Hath something which I like not; and alone
Of all around, except the Intendant, and
The Prince's household and my own, had ingress
Familiar to the chamber.
_Enter_ GABOR.
Friend, how fare you?
_Gab. _ As those who fare well everywhere, when they 300
Have supped and slumbered, no great matter how--
And you, my Lord?
_Stral. _ Better in rest than purse:
Mine inn is like to cost me dear.
_Gab. _ I heard
Of your late loss; but 'tis a trifle to
One of your order.
_Stral. _ You would hardly think so,
Were the loss yours.
_Ulr. _ Come on, old oracle, expound thy riddle!
[_Exit with_ IDENSTEIN _and_ FRITZ.
_Stral. _ (_solus_). A stalwart, active, soldier-looking stripling,
Handsome as Hercules ere his first labour,
And with a brow of thought beyond his years
When in repose, till his eye kindles up
In answering yours. I wish I could engage him:
I have need of some such spirits near me now,
For this inheritance is worth a struggle. 260
And though I am not the man to yield without one,
Neither are they who now rise up between me
And my desire. The boy, they say, 's a bold one;
But he hath played the truant in some hour
Of freakish folly, leaving fortune to
Champion his claims. That's well. The father, whom
For years I've tracked, as does the blood-hound, never
In sight, but constantly in scent, had put me
To fault; but _here_ I _have_ him, and that's better.
It must be _he_! All circumstance proclaims it; 270
And careless voices, knowing not the cause
Of my enquiries, still confirm it. --Yes!
The man, his bearing, and the mystery
Of his arrival, and the time; the account, too,
The Intendant gave (for I have not beheld her)
Of his wife's dignified but foreign aspect;
Besides the antipathy with which we met,
As snakes and lions shrink back from each other
By secret instinct that both must be foes
Deadly, without being natural prey to either; 280
All--all--confirm it to my mind. However,
We'll grapple, ne'ertheless. In a few hours
The order comes from Frankfort, if these waters
Rise not the higher (and the weather favours
Their quick abatement), and I'll have him safe
Within a dungeon, where he may avouch
His real estate and name; and there's no harm done,
Should he prove other than I deem. This robbery
(Save for the actual loss) is lucky also;
He's poor, and that's suspicious--he's unknown, 290
And that's defenceless. --True, we have no proofs
Of guilt--but what hath he of innocence?
Were he a man indifferent to my prospects,
In other bearings, I should rather lay
The inculpation on the Hungarian, who
Hath something which I like not; and alone
Of all around, except the Intendant, and
The Prince's household and my own, had ingress
Familiar to the chamber.
_Enter_ GABOR.
Friend, how fare you?
_Gab. _ As those who fare well everywhere, when they 300
Have supped and slumbered, no great matter how--
And you, my Lord?
_Stral. _ Better in rest than purse:
Mine inn is like to cost me dear.
_Gab. _ I heard
Of your late loss; but 'tis a trifle to
One of your order.
_Stral. _ You would hardly think so,
Were the loss yours.
