Page:Poet Lore, volume 29, 1918.pdf/115

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VICTOR DYK
101

Second Gentleman.—Six, seven,—but I wanted to tell you something more. Does it not seem sad to you to see the end from the beginning?

Mistress.—What do you mean by that?

Second Gentleman.—Let us grant it is the heavens—a vast sky. The endless heaven with the Milky Way. So I think anyway, but, after all, it suddenly becomes not the vast, unending sky. It is only a rug,—a decoration, something which so soon and so bitterly ends——

Mistress (Clinging to him).—Let it be a decoration. Just so it has love in it.

Second Gentleman.—You have much soul— In fact, too much soul— You know how to laugh. I don’t. (Looks around.) The stars are really shining. Where did we leave off counting? (Points to the sky.) At the seventh one. We shall pass to the constellation, the big bear, eight, nine, all is correct. (Arises, withdraws from the embrace of the lady, bows, without a word and is about to go.)

Mistress.—What does this mean?

Second Gentleman (In doorway).—I go to find my desire. I go to seek the eight preceding nights.

Curtain

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