Thursday, April 29, 2010

Scene III. Peru, before the House of Parkerson.

[Enter Eduard and Praetoria.]
Praetoria. Eduard, darling, today your father
announced our future marriage to all.
My feet are cold. I can not warm them to
this most dreadful mistake. I have known you
since the playground. Good friends we shall always 5
be. But the Path of Life is not ours to
tread together.
Eduard. You speak the truth. I love you, Praetoria,
most dearly as a friend. You are to me
uniquely special, a friend indeed for 10
all my life. But you are not the friend to
share my bed, not to live with, not to have,
not to hold, nor to wed.
Praetoria. Our fathers long have agreed, in fatherly
misperception, that our lives must be bound. 15
My birth was not but three days gone when our
fathers concluded the contract of marriage
so recently announced. To break this bond
would now break their manly will. It surly
will take a good deal of patient 20
planning to untie this ancient knot.
Eduard. Wiser, which, would it seem? To let our two
fathers be at peace in their command, and
respect them in their dotage; or by faith
break this pledge and know that we are happy 25
within ourselves to be without each other?
Praetoria. Let us be happy within ourselves, Eduard.
Our fathers will grow over their disappointments.
But if we wed, they will have forty years
of our unhappy dissatisfaction. 30
Eduard. Let us find some means, then, to break this news
to our parents.
Praetoria. It is difficult to disobey one’s parents,
even in love. I do not wish to be
the one so charged. 35
Eduard. Nor I. Must be that we do this mutually.
The quicker, the better, so they say.
Spare not the sorrow, let the tears flow.
And soon all will be forgot by loving dads.
The first occasion presenting itself, 40
we shall step forward and end this proposal.
[Enter Constantine.]
Constantine!
Constantine. Eduard! Praetoria!
Eduard. A pleasant surprise. What brings you to these haunts?
Constantine. A short break from my studies. I return 45
home to have my laundry done. I was in
the Park when your father announced that you
two are getting married. I have always thought
in all the duchy there was not a better match.
Praetoria. As matched as Dill and Scout. Two friends are not 50
necessarily one flesh.
Constantine. What? Surely the Duke asked you before he
invited all to a wedding.
Praetoria. Our fathers had us wed from birth. It is
not their fault that we cannot consummate 55
their plan.
Eduard. Help us, Constantine. Make certain discreet
hints to my father that this marriage
is a matchmaker’s mistake.
Constantine. No way! Your father, the Duke, finds favor 60
in me. Spare me from causing him distress.
Eduard. Please! My father is a reasonable Duke.
The disappointment will not last more than
a year or two.
[Enter Horatio, Eunomia and Parkerson.]
Hush. Hush. Here they come. 65
Now, Constantine, be brave, be bold, but most
of all, our fathers must be told.
Eunomia. The children are already here. Methinks,
Parkerson, your daughter grows lovelier
every day. 70
Parkerson. Thank you, sweet lady. But a third is with
the pair. We may have a problem perhaps.
Horatio. No. ‘Tis only Constantine. Constantine!
How good it is to see you once again.
Your studies are done and your exams have 75
gone well? Eduard, of course you have asked
Constantine to be your best man!
Eunomia. Please, dear, I’m sure that must have been what they
were discussing before our arrival.
Praetoria. Indeed, sweet lady. We were discussing 80
the marriage. Tell them, Constantine.
Constantine. Umm, well, I, umm, umm.
Horatio. Out with it lad. Is this how you discourse
at University?
Constantine. Umm, your Grace, I, umm. I wish to speak 85
a confidence that we have been contemplating.
Horatio. Yes.
Constantine. I, umm, I would be honored to be your son’s
best man.
Eduard. [to Praetoria.]
He faints. The authority of my father 90
intimidates our friend.
Constantine. [to Eduard and Praetoria.]
I’m sorry. I cannot speak contrary
to the will of the Duke.
Horatio. Fine. Fine. All is in order now.
A wedding feast for the entire Duchy 95
must be properly planned.
[Exeunt.]

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