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Fair Em (Modern)
877.1[Scene 11]
I tell you, sir, it is no little grief to me 880you should so hardily conceit of my daughter, 881whose honest report, though I say it, 882was never blotted with any title of defamation.
Father Miller, the repair of those gentlemen to your house 884hath given me great occasion to mislike.
11.3Goddard
885As for those gentlemen, I never saw in them 886any evil entreaty. But should they have proffered it, 887her chaste mind hath proof enough to prevent it.
Those gentlemen are as honest as ever I saw, 889for i始faith, one of them gave me sixpence 890to fetch a quart of sack. See, master, here they come.
Trotter, call Em; now they are here together, 893I始ll have this matter throughly debated.
11.5.1Exit Trotter.
Father, well met. We are come to confer with you.
11.7Manville
895[Aside] Nay, with his daughter, rather.
Thus it is, father, we are come to crave your friendship in a matter.
Gentlemen, as you are strangers to me, 898yet by the way of courtesy you shall demand 899any reasonable thing at my hands.
11.10Manville
It is given us to understand that your daughter 903is suddenly become both blind and deaf.
Marry, God forbid! I have sent for her. Indeed, 905she hath kept her chamber this three days. 906It were no little grief to me if it should be so!
[Aside] This is God始s judgment for her treachery.
Gentlemen, I fear your words are too true: 910see where Trotter comes leading of her. 911What ails my Em, not blind, I hope?
[Aside] Mountney and Valingford both together? 913And Manville, to whom I have faithfully vowed my love? 914Now, Em, suddenly help thyself.
11.16Mountney
915This is no dissembling, Valingford.
If it be, it is cunningly contrived of all sides.
Trotter, lend me thy hand. 918[Aside to Trotter] And, as thou lov始st me, keep my counsel 919and justify whatsoever I say, and I始ll largely requite thee.
11.19Trotter
920[Aside to Em] Ah, that始s as much as to say you would tell a monstrous, 921terrible, horrible, outrageous lie, 922and I shall sooth it. No, berlady!
[Aside] My present extremity wills me. [Aside to Trotter] If thou love me, Trotter—
[Aside] That same word ‘love始 makes me to do anything.
11.22Em
925Trotter, where始s my father?
Why, what a blind dunce are you! Can you not see? 928He standeth right before you.
Is this my father? 930Good father, give me leave to sit 931where I may not be disturbed, 932sith God hath visited me both of my sight and hearing.
Tell me, sweet Em, how came this blindness? 934Thy eyes are lovely to look on, 935and yet have they lost the benefit of their sight. 936What a grief is this to thy poor father!
Good father, let me not stand as an open gazing-stock to every one, 938but in a place alone as fits a creature so miserable.
Trotter, lead her in, the utter overthrow 940of poor Goddard始s joy and only solace.
[Aside] Both blind and deaf? Then is she no wife for me,
11.31.1Exit Manville.
Since fortune hath thus spitefully crossed our hope,
11.34.1Exit Mountney.
949Valingford
Go, my lord, I始ll follow you. 950Well, now Mountney is gone, 951I始ll stay behind to solicit my love, 952for I imagine that I shall find this but a feigned invention 953thereby to have us leave off our suits.
11.30.1[Exit Valingford.]