第32章

JOS.Sir, this audacity! (Aside.) Oh, my heart, my beating heart!

(Aloud.) This unwarrantable presumption on the part of a common sailor!

(Aside.) Common! oh, the irony of the word! (Crossing, aloud.)Oh, sir, you forget the disparity in our ranks.

RALPH.I forget nothing, haughty lady.I love you desperately, my life is in your hand--I lay it at your feet! Give me hope, and what Ilack in education and polite accomplishments, that I will endeavour to acquire.

Drive me to despair, and in death alone I shall look for consolation.Iam proud and cannot stoop to implore.I have spoken and I wait your word.

JOS.You shall not wait long.Your proffered love I haughtily reject.

Go, sir, and learn to cast your eyes on some village maiden in your own poor rank--they should be lowered before your captain's daughter.

DUET--JOSEPHINE and RALPH

JOS.Refrain, audacious tar, Your suit from pressing, Remember what you are, And whom addressing!

(Aside.) I'd laugh my rank to scorn In union holy, Were he more highly born Or I more lowly!

RALPH.Proud lady, have your way, Unfeeling beauty!

You speak and I obey, It is my duty!

I am the lowliest tar That sails the water, And you, proud maiden, are My captain's daughter!

(Aside.) My heart with anguish torn Bows down before her, She laughs my love to scorn, Yet I adore her!

[Repeat refrain, ensemble, then exit JOSEPHINE into cabin.

RALPH.(Recit.) Can I survive this overbearing Or live a life of mad despairing, My proffered love despised, rejected?

No, no, it's not to be expected!

(Calling off.)

Messmates, ahoy!

Come here! Come here!

Enter SAILORS, HEBE, and RELATIVES

ALL.Aye, aye, my boy, What cheer, what cheer?

Now tell us, pray, Without delay, What does she say--What cheer, what cheer?

RALPH (to COUSIN HEBE).The maiden treats my suit with scorn, Rejects my humble gift, my lady;She says I am ignobly born, And cuts my hopes adrift, my lady.

ALL.Oh, cruel one.

DICK.She spurns your suit? Oho! Oho!

I told you so, I told you so.

SAILORS and RELATIVES.

Shall { we } submit? Are { we } but slaves?

they they Love comes alike to high and low--Britannia's sailors rule the waves, And shall they stoop to insult? No!

DICK.You must submit, you are but slaves;A lady she! Oho! Oho!

You lowly toilers of the waves, She spurns you all--I told you so!

RALPH.My friends, my leave of life I'm taking, For oh, my heart, my heart is breaking.

When I am gone, oh, prithee tell The maid that, as I died, I loved her well!

ALL (turning away, weeping).Of life, alas! his leave he's taking, For ah! his faithful heart is breaking;When he is gone we'll surely tell The maid that, as he died, he loved her well.

[During Chorus BOATSWAIN has loaded pistol, which he hands to RALPH.

RALPH.Be warned, my messmates all Who love in rank above you--For Josephine I fall!

[Puts pistol to his head.All the sailors stop their ears.

Enter JOSEPHINE on deckJOS.Ah! stay your hand--I love you!

ALL.Ah! stay your hand--she loves you!

RALPH.(incredulously).Loves me?

JOS.Loves you!

ALL.Yes, yes--ah, yes,--she loves you!

ENSEMBLE

SAILORS and RELATIVES and JOSEPHINE

Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen, For now the sky is all serene;The god of day--the orb of love--Has hung his ensign high above, The sky is all ablaze.

With wooing words and loving song, We'll chase the lagging hours along, And if {I find } the maiden coy, we find I'll } murmur forth decorous joy We'll In dreamy roundelays!

DICK DEADEYE

He thinks he's won his Josephine, But though the sky is now serene, A frowning thunderbolt above May end their ill-assorted love Which now is all ablaze.

Our captain, ere the day is gone, Will be extremely down upon The wicked men who art employ To make his Josephine less coy In many various ways.[Exit DICK.

JOS.This very night, HEBE.With bated breath RALPH.And muffled oar--JOS.Without a light, HEBE.As still as death, RALPH.We'll steal ashore JOS.A clergyman RALPH.Shall make us one BOAT, At half-past ten, JOS.And then we can RALPH Return, for none BOAT.Can part them then!

ALL.This very night, etc.

(DICK appears at hatchway.)

DICK.Forbear, nor carry out the scheme you've planned;She is a lady--you a foremast hand!

Remember, she's your gallant captain's daughter, And you the meanest slave that crawls the water!

ALL.Back, vermin, back, Nor mock us!

Back, vermin, back, You shock us!

[Exit DICK

Let's give three cheers for the sailor's bride Who casts all thought of rank aside--Who gives up home and fortune too For the honest love of a sailor true!

For a British tar is a soaring soul As free as a mountain bird!

His energetic fist should be ready to resist A dictatorial word!

His foot should stamp and his throat should growl, His hair should twirl and his face should scowl, His eyes should flash and his breast protrude, And this should be his customary attitude--(pose).

GENERAL DANCE

END OF ACT I

ACT II

Same Scene.Night.Awning removed.Moonlight.CAPTAINdiscovered singing on poop deck, and accompanying himself on a mandolin.LITTLEBUTTERCUP seated on quarterdeck, gazing sentimentally at him.

SONG--CAPTAIN

Fair moon, to thee I sing, Bright regent of the heavens, Say, why is everything Either at sixes or at sevens?

I have lived hitherto Free from breath of slander, Beloved by all my crew--A really popular commander.

But now my kindly crew rebel, My daughter to a tar is partial, Sir Joseph storms, and, sad to tell, He threatens a court martial!

Fair moon, to thee I sing, Bright regent of the heavens, Say, why is everything Either at sixes or at sevens?

BUT.How sweetly he carols forth his melody to the unconscious moon! Of whom is he thinking? Of some high-born beauty? It may be! Who is poor Little Buttercup that she should expect his glance to fall on one so lowly! And yet if he knew--if he only knew!

CAPT.(coming down).Ah! Little Buttercup, still on board?

That is not quite right, little one.It would have been more respectable to have gone on shore at dusk.