"But when her Eyes she opened, (Although the Sun it shone,) She found the Shepherd had not stirred— 'Because the Light was gone!' "Ah, Cupid! wanton Cupid! 'Twas ever thus your Way: When Maids would bid you ply your Wings, You find Excuse to stay!" THE COUNTESS. Famous ! He earned whate'er he got :- THE BARON (turning the page). I think not.-No. Unless 'tis this: My fate is far more hard than his ;— THE COUNTESS. Now, that's a breach! Your bond is not to make a speech. Of sentiment, and Arcady, Where vows are hung on every tree. THE BARON (offering his arm, with a low bow). And no one dreams-of PERFIDY. THE METAMORPHOSIS THE METAMORPHOSIS On s'enrichit quand on dort." SCENE. A high stone Seat in an Alley of clipped Lime-trees. THE ABBÉ TIRILI. MONSIEUR L'ÉTOILE THE ABBÉ (writing). HIS shepherdess Dorine adored— "THIS What rhyme is next? Implored?—ignored? Poured?-soared?-afford? That facile Dunce, L'ÉTOILE, would cap the line at once. "Twill come in time. Meanwhile, suppose We take a meditative doze. (Sleeps. By-and-by his paper falls.) M. L'ÉTOILE (approaching from the back). Some one before me. Monsieur the Scholar? What! 'tis you, Sleeping too! (Picks up the fluttering paper.) One can't refuse More "Tales," of course To chase so fugitive a Muse! Insane! "CLITANDER AND DORINE." (Three names for one. This passes all. 'Tis "furiously" classical!) "No doubt their Purpose oft would be 'On dit,' not less, these earthward Tours Ere he could say an Ave' o'er, They changed him-like a Louis-d'or." ("Aves," and current coinage! O!O shade of NICOLAS BOILEAU!) Bird, Beast, or River he became : Trim Waist, ripe Lips, bright Eyes, had she; THE METAMORPHOSIS Her Beauty made some local Stir ;- This Shepherdess Dorine adored. Implored, ignored, and soared, and poured— (He's scrawled them here!) His fable on his second leaf. (Writes.) We'll sum in brief There, they shall know who 'twas that wrote:"L'ÉTOILE'S is but a mock-bird's note." THE ABBÉ (waking). [Exit. Implored's the word, I think. But where,- Ah! 'tis there! Eh! what? (Reads.) THE METAMORPHOSIS "The Shepherdess Dorine adored L'ÉTOILE,—by all the Muses! Peste! He's off, post-haste, to tell the rest. |