 Act 1 of Broken Hearts by W. S. Gilbert This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Broken Hearts. An entirely original fairy play in three acts. Dramatis Personae Prince Florian, read by Thomas Peter Muster, a deformed dwarf Read by Todd The Lady Hilda, read by Sonja The Lady Vavir, her sister Read by The Story Girl The Lady Melisine, read by Eva Davis The Lady Imanthus, read by Jen Broda Stage Directions, read by Michael Max Scene The Island of Broken Hearts The action of the piece takes place within twenty-four hours Broken Hearts Act 1 Scene A tropical landscape In the distance a calm sea A natural fountain, a mere thread of water Falls over a rock into a natural basin An old sundial, formed of the upper part of a broken pillar Round the shaft of which some creeping flowers are trained Stands on a small mound The time is within half an hour of sunset Muster, a deformed ill-favoured dwarf Humpbacked and one-eyed is discovered seated Reading a small black-letter volume Muster reads To move a mountain That will serve me not Unless, indeed, it will teach me how to lift This cursed mountain from my crippled back To make old young I am but forty-two, but still I'll mark that page The day will come when I shall find it useful Ah, what's this? To make the crooked straight, to heal the halt And clothe unsightly forms with comeliness At last, at last Enter Vavya, who listens in amazement Takes camony and roue with henbane gathered in a fat churchyard Pound in a mortar with three drops of blood Drawn from a serpent's tail at dead of night Yes, yes, that's plain enough Take pigeon's egg wrapped in the skin of a beheaded toad And then Sees Vavya Who's there? My Muster Pardon me, I'm at my book I did not hear thy step Thy book hath lines both strange and terrible My Muster, this is errant sorcery How came this thou with such a fearful thing? An unseen spirit brought it to me I brought it to me An hour or so ago I saw a distant boat make for our shores The wind was on her bow She tacked as though handled by one well-skilled in such small craft Well, on she came and I awaited her, armed with a boat-hook When, within fair hail, sheer off, I cried No stranger touches here But, heedless of my hail, she kept her course And when, within a bow-shot of the beach, down came her sail And in she ran to shore Whom did she carry, Muster? Not a soul The boat was tenetless Some unseen power had guided her I overhauled the craft to find some sign of human agency And found this book Vavir shrinking from it It is unholy lore How burnet, Muster Burnet? No, not I See what I am, dwarved, twisted and deformed I have a fancy to be tall and straight This volume teaches me to have my will My only eyeball flashes from its pit like a red snake Trapped in a sunken snare I do not like my eye As I have but one, I'd have it large and bright This teaches me to make it so My mouth is coarsely cut I like a tempting mouth, a mouth that smiles A mouth that smiled upon This teaches me to make it so I will not burn this book The Lady Hilda has entered during the last line And what would stow with beauty? What would I? Why, Lady, look around This isle is fair Its feathery palms that tower towards the sky Its pridling brooks that trickle to the sea Its hills and dales, its sea and sky are fair The beasts that dwell upon it and the birds that fly above it Even they are fair And, beyond all, the ladies who have made this isle their chosen home are very fair And what am I? Why, Lady, look at me I am the one foul blot upon its face I am the one misshapen twisted thing in this assemblage of rare loveliness I am the one accursed discord in this choir of universal harmony Is this, think you, a proud preeminence? Or rather, is it not a red-hot brand that stamps its damning impress on one's heart And changes man to devil before his time? Ah, you are mocking me I mock thee not We maidens all, save one, have dearly loved And those we loved have died We, broken hearts, knit by the sympathy of kindred woe Have sought this isle far from the kin of man And having loved and having lost our loves Stand pledge to love no living thing again Thou art our trusted servant and our friend The only man of all the world of men whom we admit upon our virgin shores We know thee and we trust thee, mooster Come, this thought might soften harder hearts than thine And why choose me, alone of all mankind, to serve you in your island loneliness Because my limbs, though crooked, are strongly framed Bah, there are tall straight men as strong as I Because my heart goes with my fealty Why, half my weight would buy the heart and soul of twenty well-proportioned servitors Because of reason of my face and form I do not count as a man Yes, I'm an ape, a crippled, crumpled, devil-faced baboon Who claims a place amid this loveliness by title of his sheer deformity Now, monkey though I be, I am a man, in all but face and form Of a man's heart, a man's desire to love, and to be loved Hilda seems amused Ah, you may laugh But those who seek to laugh may find, he thinks, more fitting merriment In such mad love as deals with sundials, trees, rocks and fountains And such baby-game My love at least is human in its aim It's well you should know this, be on your guard Exit Muster In truth, the love that Muster laughs at tells how strangely ordered is a woman's heart Does thou remember how, when first we came to this fair isle, I said in thoughtless jest A woman's heart must love, and we are women, so let us choose our loves Then, looking round, this running fountain shall be mine, I cried And kneeling by the brink, then sealed thou, as all such vows are sealed fixed men and women And thou, poor child, pleased with the jest replied, I take this dial to be my love for life Wavir, we little thought that in those words we pledged ourselves to an abiding love that rivals in its pure intensity the love that we had banished from our hearts Yet so it is We have so dwelt upon this idle fancy, keeping it alive with songs and sighs and vows of constancy That we have tricked ourselves into a love akin to that which we had all foresworn I love this little fountain as my life To me, my dial is more, far more than life It is the chronicle of the world's life, gridden by heaven's own hand As wrapped in thought, I watch its silent, solemn shadow creep from hour to hour And so from day to day, true as the sun itself, an awful record of heaven's most perfect and most glorious order My love is lost in reverential awe Oh, I have chosen well in choosing this It is a holy thing that bears a warrant sent from the source of life to tell the earth that even time is hastening to its end What is mere world love to such love as this? And yet thou hast no cause to shun world love When my great sorrow came and I withdrew to this lone isle with other broken hearts All, heart whole and untouched by love of men, yet gavest up the world and all it holds to bite with me I do not love the world My darling sister found her sorrow there The world is not to me This tiny isle, but half a league in girth holds all I love My world is where thou art There let me stay for the few months that yet remain to me I think my time on earth will be but brief Hush, hush, Wavier, I will not hear these things My life has been a very happy life, so free from pain and sorrow of its own That, but then I have shared my sister's grief, I had not known what pain and sorrow are Yet even this calm rest, this changeless peace, saps my poor fragile fabric day by day And the first shaft that sorrow aims at it may shake its puny structure to the ground Why, what said silly fancy is this, Wavier? Thou hast no pain, my child No pain indeed, but a calm happiness, so strangely still It comes not of this world I am to die, ere very long Pray heaven I be prepared It's well for me and well for both of us I do not share these foolish fantasies Why, silly child, believeest thou that time will see the fruit that ripens on those cheeks And note the dainty banquet of those lips And not preserve such rich and radiant fare for his own feasting in his own good time? Trust the old epicure Exeunt Hilda and Wavier together Enter Florian He comes down looking round him in admiration All men who say I am five and twenty lie I was born but to-day, an hour ago Yes, this must be the world The distant land in which I've passed so many years And which I, in my puppy-blindness called the world Is but its anti-chamber Enter Muster with book Born to-day and by a process which is new to me My faculties are scarcely wide awake But if my memory serves me faithfully This twisted thing and I have met before The ladies are at supper Now is my time to master, undisturbed by curious eyes The ghostly secrets of my spirit-book Oh, where was I? Ah, takes Gammonie and Rue with Henbane gathered Florian, coming behind and taking book from him Pardon me, that's mine Oh, heaven and earth, a man, thou hearty fool What does thou on this isle? Draws knife Come, answer me Give me that knife Twisted out of his hand That's well, now what's your will? Go, get the answer once No, not just yet This paradise, if rumour tells the truth, is ruled by six fair ladies I prefer to take my sailing orders from their lips Their lips are mine Then you're a lucky dog I am their mouthpiece By their solemn rules No man may set his foot upon these shores Those rules thy hardyhood hath said it not How came's thou, and when? I am a prince, Prince Florian of Spain I landed here from yonder boat about an hour ago Liar, the boat was empty No, not quite, I was on board But I was on the beach I know you were With boat-hook in your hand to thrust her off You hailed me angrily I had no time to stop in parley then, so I hoped that fate would furnish me with some more fitting opportunity to offer you my best apologies I kept her head to land and jumped ashore Those best apologies I offer now If you'll believe me, sir, I saw you not I quite believe you, for I have the power to make myself invisible at will And having such a power, you'll see at once that force will serve you nothing Say you true? Undoubtedly, I've but to whine this veil Producing a gray galls-veil with gold tussles? About my head, and I'm invisible, and so remain till I remove it Why? This is a priceless talisman indeed Invisible? I'd give one half my life to be invisible for half a day Indeed, and why? There is no living thing but seeks a mate What birds and beasts may do, musta may seek to do, I want to mate And who do you think I want, some kitchen wench, one eyed, humped back and twisted like myself? I want the purest, fairest form on earth Upon my word you aim full high I do. Why not? Suppose I loved a kitchen wench and told her so A decent kitchen wench would soundly box your ears You're right, she would. My lady can't do more As I must fail, at least I'll fail for game worth failing for As yet I've breathed no word. Where I unseen I could take heart of grace and tell my love What would you say? Ah, ah, you laugh at me. But I have a wily tongue and I can woo like an Adonis when I'm in the dark A blind girl loved me once, a fair young girl with gentle face and gentle heart But blind How swear she was Ah, mark her not. She died Well, peace be with her. Find me some safe spot where I can pass the night. I'll pay you well Ha, ha, ha! Why do you laugh? Had I your power to make myself invisible at will, I should take up my quarters in the castle where all the ladies dwell I'm sure you would. Unfortunately I'm a gentleman, and so that course is closed to me Ah, of course. I did, but just. I beg your pardon, sir Aside If I could get that veil for one short hour, ah, but I've drugs to lull a man to sleep If I can tempt this squeamish Popping-Jay to trust himself to me, the thing is done Allowed I have a poor cottage. It is close at hand. Though humble it is clean and weathertight It will afford you shelter. Then for food I have some dried fish and eggs and oat and bread, quite at your service Good. But hide yourself. Someone approaches Florian covers his head with veil as Vavia enters with flowers Florian, aside to Musta Who is this fair maid? Musta, aside Lady Vavia. She always comes at Eve to bid good night to this old sundial Keep your ears open, and I'll warrant you. Your eyes will open too Allowed Lady Vavia, I bid you fair good night Good night to you Exit Musta In truth a fair young girl Dear sundial, just know what day this is Florian, aside He ought to know it comes within the radius of his calling A year ago today, and we too were betrothed, one happy, happy year Florian, aside To control thy faith, they're lovers then I must devise some gift to mark this happy day What shall it be? I'll weave a bower of rose and eglentine To place a buff by head at even tide, when the full moon's abroad No foolish moon shall cast false shadows on thy sleeping face Wake thee, mutter incoherent tales of hours long since gone by Or yet to come No madcap moon shall mar thy nightly rest Or in the mischief of half-witted glee Awake thy sleeping hours before their time Florian, aside He doesn't answer, the insensate dalt, and yet such words are warm enough To rouse a tombstone into life Not the flowers to deck thy stem They live their little life, and then they die But others follow them, and thou shalt have thy garland day by day While I am here to weave it for thee Florian, aside Well, this is the artist wooing, on my word, a thousand pities That the lady's love should be lopsided Rouse the dial, be eloquent with thanks That hath a mind to thank her for thee In the interests of all true horror-locks I'm content to sit and deck thee Silent though thou art And yet I would thou hats the gift of speech For one brief second Time enough to say Vavir, I love thee With my whole, whole heart Florian, aloud Vavir, I love thee with my whole, whole heart Vavir, recoiling horrified Who spake? Tozai, thy dial Oh, terrible! What shall I do? Fair lady, have no fear Fair lady, it's a man My sister's help I am betrayed Have patience for a while Oh, and what art thou? Speak Florian, aside What shall I say? Allowed I am a poor, long-suffering mortal man Whom in the stony substance of thy dial A cruel magician holds in carcer it Oh, marvellous! And very pitiful I Pitiful indeed, poor, prisoned soul Advancing There shalt thou lie, said he Till some pure maid shall have been constant to thine unseen self A twelve month and a day That maid hath thou Alas, poor man I feign would set thee free Yet I have loved not thee But this thy tomb Thou canst not separate me from my tomb Except by loving me In loving it thou lovest me Who am bound up with it And in so loving me Provided that thy love A twelve month old last one day more Thou givest me my freedom and my life If thou hast loved thy dial Thou hast loved me Yes I have loved my dial But earnestly, with a surpassing love I cannot say I am ill-versed in the degrees of love Judge for thyself When I am weak and ill My sister's place, my couch beside my dial That I may lay my poor, thin hand on it It gives me life and strength I know not why Judge for thyself When the black winter comes My sister's weep To see me weep My darling's brief day life And when the bright, long summer days return They join my joy Because with light comes hope And hope is life And they would have me live Judge for thyself At dawn of day I seek my dial alone To watch its daily waking into life At set of sun I come to it again To kiss good night upon its fading shade Then, with a prayer that I may lay to heart The lesson of its silent eloquence I seek my bed So speeds my little life If this be love Then I have loved indeed Judge for thyself Rises Enter Melisine A small hand-mirror hangs from her waist Favere The evening dews are falling fast The night air teams with temp So come, dear love Return it once with me Oh, Melisine, I have a secret A side to dial May I tell it? Yes A secret? I, a wonder's secret too My sundial hath ears to hear with all And eyes to see with all And a sweet voice The gentle, tender voice to woo with all Oh, marvellous, who fortunate Thavere To woo and to be wooed And being wooed to keep her vow intact I'd give the world if my loved mirror Were endowed with speech Have then thy wish, fair lady Why, who's spake? Thy mirror's spake Thou day of wonderment Who gave thee speech art thou enchanted too? Aye, that in truth I am As all must be on whom those eyes Are turned so lovingly Thare I polished mirror-earth As for that, we mirrors are as other galons are Teaming with compliment to fair young maids But apt to be extremely curt and rude With old and wrinkled faces On the whole we are good galons as good galons go And thus thou love me? Love thee, gentle maid Have I not laughed with thee and wet with thee And ever framed my face in sympathy With all the changes of thy varying moods? Has thou air cast thine eyes upon my face And found me light of heart when thou wast sad? Or sad when thou wast light of heart? No, no, most wonderful And yet not wonderful I am but one of many This fair isle teems with poor prison souls There is not a tree, there is not a rock, A brook, a shrub, a stone But holds some captive spirit Who awaits the unsought love that is to set him free Melasin to Vavir We'll keep this secret safely to ourselves If it should get abroad This little isle will barely hold the maidens who will come Prepared to pass the springtime of their lives And setting free these captives Come, Vavir, and we will warn our sisters Fare thee well, beloved dial I go to dream of thee Dream thou of me God send thee, son Good night Exeunt Vavir and Melasin Two maids at once bewitching And bewitched One loves Amira Well, that's not so strange Though she'll grow angry with her ten years hence The other loves a dial A cold-stone fact That surely marks the deadly flight of time Wonders will never cease Let none despair Old Cronus, enemy of womankind Has found a pretty sweetheart after all Enter Lady Hilda Singing and playing on a mandolin Far from sin, far from sorrow Let me stay, let me stay From the fear of tomorrow Far away, far away I am weary and shaken Let me stay, let me stay Till in death I awaken Far away, far away Towards the close of the song She sinks on her knees As a ray of moonlight falls on her Florian has watched her eagerly during the song With every symptom of the profoundest admiration O Heaven enlighten me Is this fair thing a soul of earth A being born of a woman Conscious of sin and destined to decay O good and ill How share ye such a spoil Can this pure form Instinct with Heaven's own light Clothed in the majesty of innocence Have art in common with the vapoured toy We break and cast aside O sordid earth Praise Heaven that leaves this angel yet unclaimed O heart of mine O willful wayward heart Bow down in homage Thou art caught and caged During these lines Hilda Seated by the fountain Has been playing with its water And kissing her wet hands The sun has set The fierce hot thirsty sun Who like a greedy vampire as he is Drinks my love's lifeblood till it pines away And dwindles to a thread The moon's abroad She is not jealous of my fountain love She sheds her gentle light upon our trist And decks my love with diamonds of her own Florian, aside Poor senseless fount To have thy home in Heaven And not to know it Shall I tell thee how I came To give my poor bruised heart to thee Or art thou of those churlish lovers Who can brook no love that is not born of them Why then I am unworthy in thine eyes For I have loved as women love but once He was a prince, a brave, God-fearing knight The very pink and bloom of chivalry Proud as a war-horse, fair as the dawn of day Stanch as a woman, tender as a man He knew not that I loved him Who was I that he should mark the flushing of my face Amid a thousand maids Who stricken hearts dance to their lips As he, my prince, rolled by One sullen winter day, dark as his doom He left his home to seek distant land A weary while I wept Month passed away And yet no tidings came Then tales were told of ships Overwhelmed by boisterous wintry seas And rough men prayed And maiden swept aloud For he was loved of all Then came the news At first in shuddering whispers One by one, then babbled by Ten thousand clamorous tongues The cold fierce sea had robbed me Of my love, my star, my light My life, my Florian Florian, aside O senseless dullard, to have turned away From heaven's unthreshold at thine own free will I wept no more Tears are the balm of sorrow, not of woe I fled my home A gentle sister whose poor little life Lives on the love I bear it Fled with me So hand in hand We wandered through the world Till in this haven of pure peace and rest We found safe sanctuary from our woe Florian, aloud Who would not die to be so mourned by thee? Hilda expresses alarm and intense surprise Fear nothing, I who speak in but a voice The murmur of the waters Shaped to words by the all-potent alchemy of love Oh, foolish maid, this is some mad-kept dream No dream indeed, or if it be, dream on Can't thou then hear the words I speak to thee? I, that I can, and every word I hear Adds fuel to my love A wonderful, hast thou the power to love? Indeed I have And is thy love akin to mine? It is so near akin that as it comes to thine And lives on thine, so without thine it dies If my poor love has called thine into life So is my love in duty bound to thine It's kiss and kin But if the rumours of thy Florian's death should prove As rumours often prove untrue If he should be alive, loving thee well Eager to tell his love to thee What then? Thou jealous found What untold miracle would bear the tidings to this lonely isle? Say that in wandering through the unknown world Chance led Prince Florian to these shores And he, flushed with the radiance of thy loveliness Stood a manifest before thine eyes What then? O heaven, what then? Joy kills as sorrow kills Dare not think what then? Let it suffice that I have given thee all That I am thine, forever and foray Enter Muster, unperceived He places himself so that the dial Conceals him from Florian and Hilda Ever and I are fragile flowers That fade before the breath of an old love-long lost O gentle voice, born of the falling water Have no fear, in heaven's sight I pledge myself to thee What love is in me that I give to thee What love thou hast to give I take from thee Kiss thou my hands Holding her hands for the water to fall on Henceforth we twain are one End of Act 1 Act 2 of Broken Hearts by W. S. Gilbert This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org Act 2 Scene same as Act 1 Time sunrise Enter Muster cautiously I left him sleeping soundly in my hut He did not drink the wine, but still he sleeps Producing Vale I stole it from his pillow Here's a prize Poor devil that I am Who's only hope in meeting other men on equal terms Lies in his chance of keeping out of sight Ha! Someone comes I'll hide thee carefully Places it under a stone of dial Someday, maybe, thou'll do as much for me Enter Florian angrily So here you are, I've sought you everywhere Why, I am here You're early from your bed Well, it's no bed for such fine folk as you I'm very sorry, but it was all I had The bed was well enough I have been robbed I? I? And how was that? There is a thief upon this aisle It's very possible, when people come and go invisibly It's hard to say who is or is not here What has the villain robbed? A woman's heart? Two woman's hearts? How many woman's hearts? If there's a thief here, it is you or I It comes to that Now, what is it you've lost? My talisman Your talisman? Oh-ho! I see no cause for jest You don't? Observe A prince, or someone who so styles himself With power to make himself invisible Employs that power to gain admission To an aisle where certain maidens dwell When there his talisman is stolen And he stands revealed before their eyes The help was but of all their ridicule With not to say but Ladies, pray forgive me I had thought to enter unobserved To wander here and watch your movements Also unobserved And when grown weary of this novel sport To take my leave of you still unobserved But as I failed, so pray you pardon me And off he goes His tail between his legs like a well-beaten hound Florian, seizing him Mishapen imp Have you so little care for such a dark life As warms your twisted carcass That you dare to bandage jests with me? Release me, sir Had I your talisman Would you suppose I should be here before your eyes? No, no Whoever has the veil is using it There are about six of us besides myself If one of those is missing Why be sure that one has taken it I'll go and see Exit, mister The imp is right And yet the talisman was safe with me last night But who comes here? Confusion, it's Vavir I shall be seen Where can I hide myself? Enter Vavir She starts in intense alarm on seeing Florian Kind heaven, protect me Who art thou? And what dost thou on this aisle? Fair maiden, have no fear I am a knight, sworn on the sacred coat of chivalry Called all womankind in reverence Listen, and I will tell thee all Vavir, who has recognized his voice Kneels as in adoration No need Thy voice hath told me all I know thee now O foolish heart, be still For all is well He will not harm thee This is he whose words Through the still watches of the long, long night Wrang like a mighty clarion in my ears Vavir, I love thee With my whole, whole heart Thou art the messenger of hope and life For heaven has not bestowed this joy on me To take me from it Yes, I am to live Florian, raising her Oh, heaven, forgive me, maiden Can it be that thou hast loved this dial of thine with love Akin to that which women bear to men? I, that I have, as I was sold to save Why, I have sat for hours and clung to it Until I have believed I felt a heart beating within its frame And as I clung, I thought I drew both warmth and life from it I wondered then that such a thing could be Oh, my dear love I do not wonder now Embracing him Florian, aside God help thee, gentlemaid I little thought my heedless words Conceived an air in jest Charmed and so aptly with thy fantasies Allowed Be not deceived I am immortal like thyself In all except thy innocence A sinning man unworthy of thy love Be not deceived I know thee And I love thee as thou art Not as the spirit of my nightly dreams But as thou art A man of life and death Hast thou then seen a spirit in thy dreams? I have The spirit of the sundial A godlike form of fearful excellence Clad like the sun in golden panoply His head surmounted with a diadem that shed eternal rays And in his hand a mighty javelin of gold and fire So I pictured the sun's ambassador A god to worship Not a man to love Leaning on his breast I had not guessed at half my happiness Florian, aside Now by my knighthood I would give ten years To find some way to break the truth to her Time was when I was very glad to die I did not fear what others seemed to fear I have heard say that brave, stout-hearted men Whose reckless valor hath withstood the test Of many a battle-plane Will quail and blanche Brought face to face with unexpected death I am a poor, weak girl Whose fluttering heart quakes at the rustle of a leaf And yet I did not fear to die I prayed to die But now thou hast so bound me to the earth Thou, oh, my first, my last, my only love I dare not think of death Oh, let me live My life is in thine hands Oh, let me live Yes, thou shalt live of the earth, so have no fear Thou wilt not leave me Only for a while I will return to thee So hand in hand We shall grow old and die Still hand in hand? Yes, ever hand in hand Oh, gentle heaven I have more happiness than I can bear Exit, Vavya Poor soul, what shall I say? To tell her now would be to kill her Pauses, irresolute, then exit Enter Muster, watching them Oh, young knight I'm sorry for Vavya Well, it concerns me not The girl is fair And traps are set for her because she's fair And she'll fall into them because she's fair Good looks should pay some penalty That's only fair Better be such as I am after all No one sets traps for me Ah, who comes here? The Lady Hilda, parting from Vavya Come forth, my talisman The time has come to test thy power Takes fail from behind stone As Hilda enters hurriedly He whines it about his head Oh, spirit of the well, I've wondrous news The poor enchanted soul till now entombed Within the sundial have taken human form Oh, gentle spirit, grant my trembling prayer If thou hast power to quit thy silver stream And stand in human form before mine eyes Then, by my long and faithful love I pray that thou wilt suffer me to see thy face Muster hobbles across behind the fountain And replies as Florian Yes, I can take such form, but press me not And wherefore not? I dare not show myself lest all thy love should fade Ah, have no fear, my love runs with my life So women say, who live but once, yet love a dozen times I am not such as they I know it well Then let me see thy face but once But once Then thou shalt hide thee to thy well again Forever if thou wilt That may not be Once seen in human form I must remain a man With more than man's infirmities I am no shapely spirit framed to catch a woman's fancy I am roughly hewn, somewhat uncouth I'm a shapen, some might say Does thou not fear to look on me? No, no Take thou thy form, whatever that form may be But stay, thou hast a serving man A crumpled wretch, one eyed in lame But, passing honest, say that I am such a twisted thing as he What then? O spirit of the well, fear not My love is not a thing of yesterday Nor does it spring from thought of face and form I love thee for thy boundless charity That seeks no recompense Doing good works in modest silence From the very love of doing good Bestowing life and strength On high and low, on rich and poor alike Embracing in thy vast philosophy All creeds, all nations, and all ranks of men Holding thyself to be no higher Than the meanest wretch who claims thy charity Yet holding none to be of such account As to deserve thy homage Just to all, lovely in all thy modest deeds of good Excelling type of godliest charity Show thyself in whatever form thou wilt O spirit of the well And I perforce must love thee Be it so, thou shalt behold me as I am But first ere I do that which cannot be undone Give me a solemn token that shall serve as evidence of troth Twix thee and me Does thou still doubt me then? I doubt myself I doubt my rugged form, my rough-hewn face My crumpled limbs See, lady, I exchange my immortality for life and death My demigodhood for the state of man Man, undersized and crippled and accursed All this I do for thee Let me be sure that when I've done all this Thou wilt not cry a whole way distorted thing My love is not for such a thing as thou Oh, doubting spirit, take this sacred ring It is a holy relic And the vow spoken thereon Binds her who utters it through life to death Upon this sacred stone I do repeat my vow of yesterday I am thy bride Throws ring into the fountain Muster, taking the ring out of the fountain Then, lady, have thy will But bear in mind that modest virtue oft will clothe herself In most unlikely garb Mistrust all prejudice Well-favored hearts may underlie ill-favored heads We spurn the dirt beneath our feet But nevertheless we grubble in such dirt for diamonds And sometimes find them there A comely face is but a food of time A kindly heart time touches but to soften Think of this, and in thy breast some pity may be found For the poor wretch to whom thy truth is given Muster reveals himself Hilda, whose fears have been gradually aroused During this speech recoils in horror and amazement at seeing him Muster! Oh, heaven, what have I said and done? Was thy in the voice that spake? My lady, yes Oh, cruel, cruel! Lady, pardon me, I knew not what I did Oh wretched man, I pardon thee Thou dost not, canst not know how deep a wound Thine idle words have riven Oh heart, my broken heart Sinks on to ground by dial My muster, shame upon thee for this jest This heartless jest, this girl mockery When thou was thick to death I tended thee Through weary days and weary, weary nights And bathed thy fevered brow and prayed with thee And soothed thy pain with such poor minstrelty as I am mistress of I sang to thee and brought thee pleasant books to help thee Speed the lagging hours of thy recovery As my heart seemed to thee so stony heart That it could bear this deadly blow unbrewed Oh, Muster, shame upon thee for this jest Jest, lady Hilda? Nay, I did not jest Why, look at me Hilda gazing at him Oh, Muster, can it be that thou hast dared? No, no, impossible It is too terrible I, I have dared I studied necromancy And I learned to weave a mighty engine for myself A web that gives invisibility Producing veil Shrouded than this I wooed thee yesterday night Oh, I can woo At least I've shown thee that A voice rang music in thy nears It was mine Words thrilled thee to the core I spake those words Love filled thy very soul It was I that wooed My very self, stripped of the hideous mask In which my soul stands shrouded from the world I'll woo like that all day But shove thine eyes, or turn thy head away And I shall make as fair a husband as the best of them Oh, horrible Go, get the hens away Take money, what a wilt, but get the hens Oh, madman, madman Why, what could I do? Should I have reasoned with myself and said Mosta, when thou was thick and like to die The Lady Hilda came to thy bedside And sat and nursed thee day by day It was nothing when writhing at thy very worst Her tears fell on thy face like rain A woman's trick When baffled death was tugging at thy throat Her gentle prayers rose to the gates of heaven Mingled with the insensate blasphemies of thy delirium Account it not Go to thy labour, get thy spade and dig And when a foolish sob of gratitude Rises unbidden to thy croaking throat They sometimes will, one can't be sure of them Swear a big oath and whistle it away Lest it take root and blossom into love Was this my duty, think ye? No, no, no My body's twisted, Lady, not my heart Hilda, with forced calmness But say that, bound in duty to the trust That thou hast wrung from me, I taught myself I will not say to love, to bear with thee How could I hope to live at peace With one armed with so terrible a talisman A talisman that vests in him the power To come to me and go from me unseen And play the truan that his own free will Thou askest more than woman kind can grant Most are trembling with excitement Oh, Lady, Lady Give me but thy love And in that gift will lie the surest proof That I will not misuse my talisman It may be so, but times an alchemist Who changes gold to dross Someday may be this love of thine will Sicken, wane, and die How could I bear this witherhood of soul Knowing that thou hast power to come and go Unseen Muster, overjoyed Be sure, I'll neither come nor go My place is at thy side Such love as thine would surely chain The proudest prince on earth And how much more so poor a wretch as I I'll trust thee not Doubt would lie heavy at my heart Not less because I had no reason for that doubt Give me thy talisman Nay, bear with me Give me thy talisman Well, well, it is thine But bear in mind The troth that thou hast pledged upon this ring Can never be recalled I know it well I'll keep my troth Give me thy talisman Lady, it is thine See how I trust in thee Do with it as thou wilt Render it apart and cast it to the winds Its work is done Giving it to her Behold me now, unarmed Hilda, changing her manner Unarmed be thou as all should be Who use a deadly power to such foul traitor's ends I am thy bride I am thy bride Make thou the very most of such poor comfort As those words may hold Proclaim thy victory Say to thyself She is my bride I wrung an oath from her With miserable lies She is my bride She saved my wretched life And in return I poison hers But still, she is my bride She shudders at my all-polluting touch She lows my mean and miserable soul What matters it So that she be my bride Oh, poor blind fool Thy plot so subtly late Is late too subtly And the cunning snare that trapped thy bird Is late too cunningly For as it made me thy poor prisoner So shall it hold me from thy deadly grasp For ever and for ever Raise thine head and look upon thy bride For once and all For by the heaven above The eye of man shall never rest upon my face again She covers her face with veil and exit Fiends, tear your throat to rags No, no, I-I-I rave Hilda, come back to me I'll be thy slave Thy willing slave once more I did but just My just is dead and gone Come back to me Release thee from thy plighted trough I love thee, love thee, love thee Oh, come back and save my soul and body Twas a jest, an idle jest I am thy drudging slave No more than that I never thought of love Twas but a jest Twas idly done But well Oh, Lady Hilda Oh, come back to me Enter Florian What is this outcry? It concerns you not Where is the Lady Hilda? Who shall say? Why thou shalt say As those heaven above I'll ring a civil answer from thy lips Take any answer that may fit your mood and leave me to myself I'm not in queue for more cross-questioning Thine impish tongue is set awry today It is awry, take care But stay When you were seeking for your talisman You bade me ascertain if any one were missing Very well The Lady Hilda's missing Foolish ape, dost thou infer? I draw no inference I state the figures Add them for thyself Enter Hilda, still veiled She gazes in amazement at Florian Hilda, aside Mercyful heaven, restore me if I rave His form, his face, his voice Florian to Muster Base liar, know that we are plighted lovers, she and I She gave her heart to me but yesternight Why should she hide herself for me to-day? Perhaps excess of joy hath driven her mad I'll not believe thy tale The maid is here and can and shall be found Well, go and search And if thou findest her, why, I'm a liar Reward me as thou wilt A fit reward will be a yard of steel between thy ribs And thou shalt have it Thank you kindly, sir Exit Muster Florian sits dejectedly by Fenton Twas he that spake to me, how can I doubt? Are there two such as he? O heaven, is this the senseless herald of a mind unstrong? Let me be sure He spake of me who long had mourned him dead He told how shrouded from my gaze last night he gave his love to me O gentle heaven, give me more strength to bear this weight of joy She advances to reveal herself When Vavia enters and sits lovingly at Florian's feet Hilda, horrified, veils herself again At last I've found thee, Florian Far and near I've sought thee, for I'm very strong today Why, what a wise physician is this love For see, my eyes are bright, my face is flushed Flashed with the glow of health This newborn love gives me a newborn strength O Florian, place thine arms round me Let me rest on thee I draw my life from thee My heart, my heart Florian, aside Alas, poor maiden I must tell thee all May heaven help me break the truth to thee Aloud Dear little lady You'll not up thine heart too readily The world is set with traps and hidden pitfalls Keep thy gentle heart for one who, by his pure and godly life Have given thee proof of his right worthiness Vavia, surprised Why speakest thou in parable? Behold, have I not loved thee for a long, long year? What proofest thou that I indeed am he whom thou hast loved so long? I have thy word, and had I not thy word I have my heart to tell me whom to seek and whom to shun Mistrust that little heart It is not frame to guide thee of itself Like virgin gold untainted by alloy It is too pure for this rough-ready world of work a day I have a tale to tell There was a knight who, as he journeyed Met a gentle maid with whom he, light of heart and light of tongue Conversed in playful strain The maid was fair, and he, in jest, spake loving words to her Believing that she knew them to be feigned At this point it begins to dawn upon Vavia That Florian is referring to her She, pure as faith, having no thought of guile Tender and trustful in her innocence Believed the mad capnights unworthy words And nursed them in her heart He, submit with shame, for he was plighted to her sister Vavia, finding her fears confirmed Rises shrinking from Florian Expressing extreme pain He rises after her Whom he loved with an exceeding love Is said with clumsy, hint and far-fetched parable To break the truth to her At length, at length, by very slow degrees Light came to her Shall I go on? No need I know the rest The maiden died She pardoned him Then died Vavia, during the ensuing lines Show symptoms of fainting No, no, Vavia, she lived The maiden lived He was not worth a tear She loved him well, but still she lived, Vavia But still she lived If only for the gentle sister whom she loved so tenderly And for whose sake she, in the blushing daybreak of her life Had yielded up the world How say she lived? Vavia falls senseless in Florian's arms Hilda, who has been listening eagerly to the latter part Of Florian's tale, kneels Praying as the act drop falls End of Act Two Act Three of Broken Hearts by W. S. Gilbert This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org Act Three Seen, same as Act One About half an hour before sunset Vavia discovered sleeping at foot of sundial Melusine is kneeling Amantus is standing, leaning on dial Vavia's head rests on pillows And a cloak envelops her How peacefully she sleeps O Melusine, can it be that this solemn death-like calm Is but the silent herald of the end? As she has lived, so will our darling die Gently and peacefully this tranquil sleep Change to tranquil death and give no sign So will she pass away But see, she wakes What heaven that we had fairer news for thee My poor Vavir Vavir, awakening and very feebly Thy face is very sad Are there no tidings of my sister? None Dear Melusine Keep not the truth from me Some fearful evil has befallen her Tell me the truth See, I am stronger now Nay, calm thyself, Vavir Save only that she has been sought And has not yet been found We have no truth to tell How speed's the day? Thy dial points to eight One little hour And then my son will set Farewell, O son How gloriously he dies The sun will sink to rest throughout the night As we shall rest, but not to die To die as we should die The night is given to the world That she may mourn her widowhood He knows no night But journey is calmly on his heavenly path Wrapped in eternal light All a type of the excelling life we try to live Of the all-glorious death we hope to die See, Vavir, see upon Beacon Hill Moosta returning from his weary search Is he alone? Alas, my darling, yes But still perchance he brings some news to us I'll go and meet him Stay thou here, Vavir, and I will bring thee tidings Be it so Be quick, dear Melisine And then To both Go seek Prince Florian Then say to him That I would feign have speech with him alone If he will deign to grant me audience Accent, Melisine, and Amensis Another hour And then my son will set Oh, Hilda Oh, my sister Come to me Hilda enters, veiled The loving day is drawing to a close I dare not face the cold black night alone I want thine arms around me And thy face pressed once again on mine Before I die Oh, Hilda Oh, my sister Come to me Hilda, unveiling and kneeling Vavir, fear nothing I am here, my child Vavir, embracing her Hilda, my sister Heaven is merciful And thou art safe and well Yes, safe and well Where has thou been? Throughout the long, long day My weeping sisters have been seeking thee No meta now, Vavir When thou art strong, I'll tell thee all But I have news for thee Rare news, dear sister Dry those gentle eyes The mighty sorrow that hath bowed thy heart Is at an end Thy Prince, thy Florian Whom thou hast loved so tenderly He lives Hilda, my sister He is seeking thee Here, on this island He is seeking thee Hilda He loves thee For he told me so I know he loves me Thou hast seen him then I know he loves me I, even more, Vavir I know the secret of thy heart Poor broken heart Oh, sister, pardon me I did not seek his love Nor knew I then that he had loved thee Oh, sister, pardon me For I have suffered very bitterly Vavir, I have a prayer to make to thee Vavir, thou lovest him Thy little life, more precious To us all than all the world Lies in his hands He is thy life to thee And pitying heaven hath led him To our shores to save thee for us Take no thought of me For I have wrestled with this love of mine And vanquished it It lies beneath my feet With assumed gaiety Remember, thou and I have but one heart And so that it is happy What care we whose bosom it may beat in Dying o' mine Nay, but thou shall not speak I'll keep away His eyes shall never rest on me again He will forget me then And wander soon Men's hearts are in their eyes This love of theirs must have its daily food Oh, it will die I'll keep away, so take him to dine heart And tell him Tell him that I spake in jest That I had plucked his image from my heart And cast it from me twelve long months ago Say that my heart is cold and dead to him Say that, say that Hilda breaks down and sobs in Vavia's lap Oh, sister Weep no more Thy prince hath chosen And hath chosen well Of what account is such a life is mine Why it is ebbing fast Grief not for me Then yet I feign would live a little while To see thy face once more a light with joy As in the old, old days So shall thou live To see my joy at thine own happiness Vavir, he will be sorry for a while Be kind to him He will forget me then Remember all my love for him is dead Kiss me, my child Kiss me again Farewell Hilda pauses Looking at Vavir for a moment Then covers her face with the veil And exit Oh, loving heart Sweet, gentle sister heart To bid me blight the outset of thy life Then I may count the time that's left to me by days Instead of hours Come back to me I have no time to love The end is near Enter Melisine, followed by Florian Obedient to thy summons I am here Yet I am very loath to look upon the misery My healessness hath caused Vavir, leaning on Melisine With an effort to appear cheerful Sir Florian My pain is at an end The blow was heavy For I am not strong And justs are new to me Forgive me, sir My brain is filled with foolish fantasies That carry me beyond my reasoning self I pray your pardon Think no more of me Save as the subject of a merry tale How a mad maiden loved a sundial And very dearly too I have some news to give you comfort Hilda has been here She is alive and well Then heaven be thanked But stay You met her as you came No, no, we saw no sign of her It's very strange She left me but a minute since And took the path by which you came Go seek her, sir Be very sure she waits you close at hand Come, Melisine Farewell, sir Florian Deal gently with me When you tell the tale Exit Vavir supported by Melisine She shows by her change of expression That the effort to appear cheerful Has caused her great suffering She took that path And yet I saw her not There's but one clue to the strange mystery She has the talisman By what strange means it found its way Into her spotless hands I've yet to learn Muster has entered during the speech Let me assist you, sir I stole it from your pillow as you slept And used it for my ends I took your place beside the fountain And I wooed her there And there she pledged herself to be my wife And as a token gave this ring to me Showing ring What miserable ape! Has thou then lost the mere life-seeking instinct That inspires the very meanest of thy fellow-beasts? Thou hast come to say those things to me? I have. I say these things to you Because I want to die I tried to kill myself, but I'm no hero And my courage failed She's gone from you forever And I come to mock the bitter blighting of your life To chuckle at the aching misery that eats your heart away I come to spit my hate upon you If my toad's mouth held the venom of a toad I would spit that Come Have I said enough? Then draw thy sword and make an end of me I am prepared Florian, drawing sword I need no assurance, yay or nay That some foul planning of thy leper heart Had worked this devilry Thou lovest her? Thou lovest her? Is there no blasphemy that devil's shrink from? Has thou seen thyself? Seizing muster and holding his head over the pool Look in the fountain Bend thy cursed head Look at it, dog-face Muster struggles Shrink not back, pal It will not harm the coward Look at it What do we do with such a thing as that When it dares claim a common right with man? We crush it underfoot We stamp it down, lest other reptiles Take their cue from it and say If he is human, so are we Flinging him on the ground Muster crouching on ground Spare me your tongue I well know what I am And what I've done My life is forfeited Strike at the heart Be quick, I am prepared Has thou no prayer to utter? No, not I Curse you, be quick, I say Yet stay, one word Before you pass your sword between my ribs Look at yourself, Cerndite Then look at me You, comely Straight-limbed Fair of face and form I say not this to court your favours, sir The devil take your favour Ah, a dwarf Crooked, humped back in one eye So file the thing that I am feigned To quote my love for women to prove That I have kinship with mankind Well, we are deadly rivals, you and I Do we start fair, do you think? Are you and I so nicely matched That winds a woman that I should hold myself In honour bound by laws of courtesy? But one word more, and I have done Had I, though shapely limbs That fair, smooth face Those two great, godlike eyes May lightning blast them as it blasted mine Believe me, sir I'd use no talismans Now, kill me quick, I'm prepared I only ask one boon of you Strike surely, and be quick Florian pauses for a moment Then sheaths his sword Go, take thy life I'll none of it With one whom heaven hath so defaced Let heaven deal, I will not sit in judgment On thy sin, my wrath is faded When I look upon the seal That heaven hath set upon thy brow Why, I could find it in my heart To ask thy pardon for the fear of my words Go, take thy life Make fairer use of it Muster, much moved I thank you, sir Not for my blighted life But for the pitying words In which you grant it You've moved me very deeply Places the ring that Hilda gave him on Florian's finger Then kisses his hand Curse the tears I am not used to weep, my lord But then I am not used to gentleness from men Exit, Muster And happy creature Go thy ways in peace Thou hast atonement O Hilda, come to me If thou art here If thou canst hear my words And by the love that thou hast borne to me By all the tears that thou hast shed for me By all the hope thou hast held out for me I do implore thee to reveal thyself Enter Hilda, veiled Fear nothing, for I have the holy ring On which thine oath was given By cunning fraud that oath was wrung from thee Fear nothing now Hilda, unveiling Sir Florian, I am here O Hilda, my only love Safe in my arms at last Why did thou hide thyself away from me? Hilda, hurriedly I hid myself to save my sister's life To save her life I now reveal myself How fair's the veer Alas, her little life is ebbing fast From hard wounds of thy making Florian, I have no time to lose on empty forms I have no words to waste on idle speech My poor sick sister loves thee Much misled by thy light words She placed full faith in thee And she is dying for her faith O sir, there is but one physician in the world Who, under heaven, can save my darling's life Go to her now If thou hast loved me, sir Be merciful and save this life for me Hilda, be just How can I do this thing? Can I command my heart Or deal with it as I can deal with life or limb? By heaven, I would lay down my life to save the veer But not my love I do not ask thy life I have a life to yield If such a price could save my sister O forgive me, sir My weight of grief hath matted me And yet I ask for no one-sided sacrifice What is thy loss to mine? For three long years this love of thee Tinged my devoted life with such blank woe Such utter misery that I was feign Hope being dead to me to sit apart And wait the far-off end Then, when the end seemed yet too far away The bright blue heaven shone through the lowering clouds For he whom I had mourned as dead came back To claim my love and crown it with his own At last, at last I hold thee by the hand Taking Florian by both hands At last I have thy love, O love of mine Thou art my very own At last, at last Well then, sir Florian I yield thee up Releasing him To save her life I tear this newborn joy Out of my very heart For her I crush my only hope on earth If I can yield the love of three long years To save her life Canst thou not yield thy love of yesterday? The task is very bitter Yesterday I learned that thou whom I so blindly love Had blindly loved me years ago To date thou bits me take this love of mine elsewhere Art thou so sure that I have loved thee long? I loved one Florian A stainless knight, brave as the very truth And, being brave, tender and merciful As brave men are Whose champion heart was sworn in chivalry To save all women, sorrowing and oppressed Nor did he hold that woman to be bent Whose sorrow came of her great love for him Tell me, art thou the Florian that I loved? If not that stainless Florian Yet one who would be such as he Taking her by both hands I have thy love I have lived a loveless life till now Well, then I yield thee up Releasing her If words of mine can save thy sister I will speak those words I knew it, Florian I was sure of thee God bless thee, Florian Thou hast saved her life Kissing his forehead Oh, how I loved thee With hurried emphasis Go to her at once Go to her quickly, ere it be too late Thy sister comes this way Aside Alas! Vivia, there is more heaven than earth in that pale face Enter Vavia, very pale and weak Supported by Melasin and Amensis Florian receives her in his arms And they lay her gently on the ground Hilda rushes to her As they place her on the ground near the sundial Florian kneels by her And takes her hand Vavir, my love My gentle sister See, he loves thee Florian loves thee He is here to tell thee this To call thee back to life Come at his call The earth is bright for thee See how he loves thee Vavir, come back It is too late Too late I feel the hand of death upon my heart So let it be My day is spent My tale is nearly told Vavir Vavir, have pity on us Gentle little soul Flying not to thine appointed heaven Not yet Not yet Eternity is thine Spare but a few brief years To us on earth And still eternity remains to thee He loves thee Florian loves thee well O death Are there no horny men and aged women Weeping for thee to come and comfort them O death O death Leave me this little flower Take thou the fruit But pass the blossom by Weep not The bitterness of death is past Kiss me, my sister Florian Think of me I loved thee very much Be good to her, dear sister Place my hand upon my dial No, weep not for me I have no pain indeed Kiss me again My son is set Vavir dies Hilda falling senseless on her body Curtain End of Act 3 End of Broken Hearts By W.S. Gilbert