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Dialogue following No. 5
| Selene. (reflectively). | ||
| There is some truth in this. | ||
| Zayda. | Some truth indeed! | |
| Oh, terrible, dear sister, to reflect That to our cold and culpable neglect All mortal follies may be chargeable! |
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| Selene. (surprised). | ||
| To our neglect? | ||
| Darine. | It may in truth be so! | |
| Fleta. | In very truth I'm sure that it is so! | |
| Selene. (after a pause). | ||
| It shall be so no more! Their sin is ours! But there — 'tis easy still to make amends. A mortal shall behold our sinless state, And learn the beauties of our blameless life. Come, let us summon mortal Ethais! |
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| [All delighted. | ||
| Darine. | But — | |
| Selene. | Not a word — I am resolved to this! | |
| Darine. | But, sister — | |
| Selene. | Well? | ||
| Darine. (timidly). | Why summon only one? | ||
| Selene. | Why summon more? | ||
| Darine. | The world's incredulous; | ||
| Let two be summoned to our
sinless home; Then should their wondrous story be received With ridicule or incredulity, One could corroborate the other. |
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| Zayda. | Yes. | ||
| Phyllon has gone with Ethais - let
us call The mortal counterpart of Phyllon too! |
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| Selene. | Two mortals! Two unhappy men of sin In this untainted spot! |
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| Locrine. | Well, sister dear, | ||
| Two Heralds of the Truth will spread the Truth At the least twice as rapidly as one! |
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| Selene. | Two miserable men! Why, one alone Will bring enough pollution in his wake To taint our happy land from end to end! |
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| Zayda. | Then, sister, two won't make the matter worse! | ||
| Selene. | There's truth in that! | [After a pause. | |
| The two shall come to us! | |||
| [All the Fairies are
delighted. SELENE looks reprovingly at them, and they at once become demure. |
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| (severely). | We have deserved this fearful punishment! | [All the Fairies sigh. |
| Our power, I think, is limited to two? | ||
| Locrine. | Unfortunately! | |
| Selene. | Yes. More might be done | |
| Had each of us a pupil to herself. | ||
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Page modified 13 August 2011