Act IV

SCENE I.

The Outskirts of the Bower.

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GEOFFREY (coming out of the wood). Light again! light again! Margery? no, that's a finer thing there. How it glitters!

ELEANOR (entering). Come to me, little one. How camest thou hither?

GEOFFREY: On my legs.

ELEANOR: And mighty pretty legs too. Thou art the prettiest child I ever saw. Wilt thou love me?

GEOFFREY: No; I only love mother.

ELEANOR: Ay; and who is thy mother?

GEOFFREY: They call her--But she lives secret, you see.

ELEANOR: Why?

GEOFFREY: Don't know why.

ELEANOR: Ay, but some one comes to see her now and then. Who is he?

GEOFFREY: Can't tell.

ELEANOR: What does she call him?

GEOFFREY: My liege.

ELEANOR: Pretty one, how camest thou?

GEOFFREY: There was a bit of yellow silk here and there, and it looked pretty like a glowworm, and I thought if I followed it I should find the fairies.

ELEANOR: I am the fairy, pretty one, a good fairy to thy mother. Take me to her.

GEOFFREY: There are good fairies and bad fairies, and sometimes she cries, and can't sleep sound o' nights because of the bad fairies.

ELEANOR: She shall cry no more; she shall sleep sound enough if thou wilt take me to her. I am her good fairy.

GEOFFREY: But you don't look like a good fairy. Mother does. You are not pretty, like mother.

ELEANOR: We can't all of us be as pretty as thou art--(aside) little bastard. Come, here is a golden chain I will give thee if thou wilt lead me to thy mother.

GEOFFREY: No--no gold. Mother says gold spoils all. Love is the only gold.

ELEANOR: I love thy mother, my pretty boy. Show me where thou camest out of the wood.

GEOFFREY: By this tree; but I don't know if I can find the way back again.

ELEANOR: Where's the warder?

GEOFFREY: Very bad. Somebody struck him.

ELEANOR: Ay? who was that?

GEOFFREY: Can't tell. But I heard say he had had a stroke, or you'd have heard his horn before now. Come along, then; we shall see the silk here and there, and I want my supper.

[Exeunt.

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SCENE II.

ROSAMUND'S Bower.

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ROSAMUND: The boy so late; pray God, he be not lost. I sent this Margery, and she comes not back; I sent another, and she comes not back. I go myself--so many alleys, crossings, Paths, avenues--nay, if I lost him, now The folds have fallen from the mystery, And left all naked, I were lost indeed.

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Enter GEOFFREY and ELEANOR:

Geoffrey, the pain thou hast put me to!

[Seeing ELEANOR:

Ha, you! How came you hither?

ELEANOR: Your own child brought me hither!

GEOFFREY: You said you couldn't trust Margery, and I watched her and followed her into the