>>>  YOU ARE VIEWING A 200 LINE SAMPLE OF EBOOK# E02932  <<<

TITLE: THE LAMP AND THE BELL
AUTHOR: EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY
EBOOK: E02932 (O'Briens Book Cellar)

The Lamp And The Bell

A Drama In Five Acts

By Edna St. Vincent Millay

Written on the occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Founding
of the Vassar College Alumnae Association

Dedicated to '1917'

Lorenzo, King of Fiori           Julia Lovejoy Cuniberti '11
Mario, King of Lagoverde         Valerie Knapp '20
Guido, Duke of Versilia,
Illegitimate nephew to Lorenzo   Louisa Brook Jones '07

Giovanni                         Katherine Jones '20
Luigi                            Muriel Izard '17
Anselmo                          Lucia Cole Waram '01
Raffaele                         Eleanor Kissan '20
Gentlemen at the court of Lorenzo

Fidelio                          Geneva Harrison '20
Jester at the court of Lorenzo

Giuseppe                         Eleanor Fatman Morgenthau '13
Agent for the Duke's estates

Cesco                            Gertrude Taylow Watkins '07
Horatio                          Lucille Stimson Harbey '09
Townsmen of Fiori

Beppo                            Marcell Furman Newburg '19
A little boy, son to Guiliana

Rigo                             Ruth Delepenha '17
Louis                            Emily Gallagher '21
Little boys, sons to Leonora

Clerk                            Lucy Madeira Wing '96

Messenger                        Esther Saville Davis '06

Octavia, Lorenzo's second wife   Montgomery Cooper '09

Beatrice, "Rose-Red,"            Clifford Sellers '21
Daughter to Lorenzo by a former marriage

Bianca, "Snow-White,"            Lois Duffie '20
Daughter to Octavia by a former marriage

Laura                           Frances Stout Kellman '17
Carlotta                        Kathleen Millay Young ex-'21
Francesca                       Dorothy Comstock '19
Viola                           Lillian White '18
Lilina                          Caroline Goodrich '16
Lela                            Sylvia Brockway '20
Arianna                         Margaret Hughes '18
Claudia                         Janet Lane '18
Clara                           Jeanette Baker '18
Lucia                           Ellen Hasbrouck '15
Ladies at the Court of Lorenzo

Grazia                          Eleanor Ray Broeniman '99
Nurse to Beatrice and Bianca

Giulietta, servant to Bianca    Virginia Archibold '17
"Little Snow-White"             Gretchen Tonks
"Little Rose-Red"               Joy Macracken '36

Leonora                         Catherine Barr '20
Giuliana                        Mabel Hastings Humpstone '94
Clara                           Olive Remington '19
Giovanitta                      Caroline Curtis Johnson '83
Anna                            Frances Haldeman Sidwell '84
Eugenia                         Helen Hoy Greeley '99
Townsmen of Fiori

Eleanora
A little girl, daughter to Leonora

Gilda                           Ruth Benedict '20
A little girl, sister to Beppo

Adelina, another little girl    Maiserie MacCracken '31
Nurse                           Edith Ward

Pierrot
Harlequin
Pant Aloon
Polichinello
Colombine
Strolling players

Courtiers, Ladies-in-Waiting, Soldiers, Pages, Musicians,
Towns-people, Children

PROLOGUE

    [Anselmo and Luigi]

ANSELMO. What think you,--lies there any truth in the tale
The King will wed again?

LUIGI. Why not, Anselmo?
A king is no less lonely than a collier
When his wife dies, And his young daughter there,
For all her being a princess, is no less
A motherless child, and cries herself to sleep
Night after night, as noisily as any,
You may be sure.

ANSELMO. A motherless child loves not,
They say, the second mother. Though the King
May find him comfort in another face,--
As it is well he should--the child, I fancy,
Is not so lonely as she is distraught
With grief for the dead Queen, and will not lightly
Be parted from her tears.

LUIGI. If tales be true,
The woman hath a daughter, near the age
Of his, will be a playmate for the Princess.

CURTAIN

ACT I

Scene 1

    [Scene: A garden of the palace at Fiori; four years later.]

    [Discovered seated Laura, Francesca and Fidelio, Laura embroidering,
    Fidelio strumming his flute, Francesca lost in thought.]

LAURA. You,--Fool! If there be two chords to your lute,
Give us the other for a time!

FRANCESCA. And yet, Laura,
I somewhat fancied that soft sound he made.
'Twas all on the same tone,--but 'twas a sweet tone.

LAURA. 'Tis like you. As for myself, let music change
From time to time, or have done altogether.
Sing us the song, Fidelio, that you made
Last night,--a song of flowers, and fair skies,
And nightingales, and love.

FIDELIO. I know the song.
It is a song of winter.

LAURA. How is that?

FIDELIO. Because it is a song of summer set
To a sad tune.

FRANCESCA. [Sadly] Ah, well,--so that it be not
A song of autumn, I can bear to hear it.

LAURA. In any case, music. I am in a mood for music.
I am in a mood where if something be not done
To startle me, I shall confess my sins.

    [Enter Carlotta.]

CARLOTTA. Ha! I will have that woman yet by the hair!

LAURA. What woman, pray, Carlotta?

CAR. Ho! What woman!
Who but that scullery-wench, that onion-monger,
That slatternly, pale bakress, that foul witch,
The coroneted Fish-Wife of Fiori,
Her Majesty, the Queen!

FRA. Hush--hush--Carlotta!
You could be put to death for less than that!

CAR. Not I, my duck. When I am put to death
'Twill be for more! Oh, I will have her yet
By the hair! [For the first time noticing Fidelio.]
Fidelio, if you breathe one word
Of this, I will scratch the Princess into ribbons,
Whom you love better than your wit.

FID. I' faith,
I did but hear you say you are a fish-wife,
And all the world knows that.

LAU. Fear not, Carlotta,
He is as dumb as a prophet. Every second word
He utters, eats the one before it. Speak,
But softly.

CAR. Nay,'tis nothing.--Nay, by my head,
It is a townful! 'Tis the way she has
Of saying "that should be done like this, and this

<<<  END OF SAMPLE... (THE FULL EBOOK HAS 88485 TOTAL CHARACTERS)  >>>