“ He told you that if I ever should be in trouble this ring must be presented to the Queen. She will recognize it and will send me aid at once. Now is the hour which my father foresaw—O, unhappy day! Now is the hour to redeem the pledge he left with us, the pledge of his honor and mine. (Turns to Lady H. and gazes at her longingly.) As for you, how shall I bear the memory of your treachery? (Sings.)
No. 18. Finale.
Lio. Heav'n forgive this cruel scorning,
All my anguish pardon you,
You, my life's one best beloved,
Teach me hearts can prove untrue. ”

“ Tris. John? O, im-pos-si-ble! O, pre-pos-ter-ous! I don't like this one bit. It is most unseemly. Yet—where beauty leads, love fain must follow.
Lady H. How gay they all seem! They at least are happy.
Tris. I know I am not! I never felt less jolly before (plaintively) in all my life. (Aside.) I feel as if I were going to cry. (Face works.)
(Plunket and Lionel approach the three and stand at a short distance, gazing at Lady H. and Nancy.)
Plun. Jove! There's a brace of darlings!
Lio. Yes, they are very pretty girls. ”

“ Plun. (to Lionel) . What are you afraid of? Go speak to them.
Lio. I'm afraid to.
Plun. Silly noodle! Just watch me. (Advances boldly as if to speak to the ladies, stops suddenly and goes back.)
Nan. The big one is dumb, too; aren't they stupid! Let's go.
Lady H. (turns to follow Tristan) . I suppose we'd better—
(Hesitates and looks back at the two men.)
Plun. We must not let such a chance slip. Servant girls like those are not found every day. I have taken a fancy to that big one and I don't mean to let her get away. Courage, Plunket! ”

“ How unfortunate—for the girls!
Plun. None of them suit me. You see, I had a maid once—a little serving maid—the gayest, prettiest creature—but she ran away from me—
Nan. Perhaps you were not kind to her?
Plun. Kind, I? I was kindness itself! I was too kind! I killed her with kindness!
Nan. Well, that's the trouble, then. A girl needs a good firm upstanding sort of a way, to keep her in her place. Don't be too easy,—take my advice. But tell me about your servant. ”

“ Martha, Martha, must I lose thee,
Life has naught can peace restore!
Thou, my comfort, peace and pleasure,
Reft of thy sweet looks I die!
(At the close of his song Lionel goes to the back of stage and stands alone. Sir Tristan and Lady Harriet enter.)
Tris. The ladies are all out of sight. Why did you leave their company, fair cousin?
Lady H. (pointedly) . Because I wished to be alone!
Tristan. To remain alone—with me? [32]
Lady H. With you?— (laughs a little) Alone or with you—it's quite the same thing!—-I am low-spirited, that is what I mean. I don't want to see anybody. ”

“ They are jewels, pretty, kind and cheerful,
Faith, I'll tell them so, and lose no time.
[16]
(At close of quartette Tristan comes back to stage, evidently exhausted and much dishevelled; the servants follow him and again surround him.)
Tris. Oh, I thought I had eluded them! Leave off! Here's money! (Throws a purse.) Plague on your crazy pack! (The girls run to divide the money.) Ho! what is this? (He advances toward Plunket, who has hold of Nancy's arm.) You forget yourself! Forbear!
Plun. Who are you? What do you want? (A tussel threatens between the two men. Tristan backs down, afraid.) ”

“ MARTHA ACT ONE.
(Lady Harriet, maid of honor to the queen, has grown listless and pale, refusing to join in the court revels. Sir Tristan, an old knight, makes love to her; she will have nothing to say to him, and only asks to be let alone. She is tired of her conventional life, and longs for some new and strange adventure. The curtain rises on her richly furnished boudoir. Lady Harriet is lying listlessly on a couch or arm chair, before her dressing table. Nancy is putting finishing touches on her mistress' toilet. The ladies in attendance are grouped near the door in center.) ”

“ Nan (sees that Plunket and Lionel are watching her) . Those lads have an eye for a good thing, though. (To Tristan.) We'll take all the blame. No one shall say that you led us into mischief, poor dear!
Lady H. Yes, cousin, you are exonerated. Whatever happens, be it upon my own rash head. But I will not go! (Emphatically.)
Plun. (overhears last words) . You hear, sir? She will not go with you. Don't annoy the girls any further. (To girls.) Call on us if he bothers you. (To Tris., who looks daggers.) But cheer up! There are plenty more maids yonder. Hi, girls (turns to the servants) . ”

“ Now our journey's o'er and here we rest with you at last,
After many a mile so long and lone is over past.
(Servants scatter about stage, some lying down as if to rest, as Lionel and Plunket enter. They come on talking. Plunket is dressed as a peasant farmer and carries a whip. Lionel is dressed as a gentleman, but plainly.)
Plunket. Here is a jolly howdoyoudo. What a clatter they make! The farmers are all going to engage servants for the coming year out of this crowd of chattering hussies. ”

“ To wound the heart that loves you well?
My wild grief, my deep despairing,
Must my love and madness tell.
Cho. Just rebuke of his offences,
Shall not cause so much dismay.
Off to prison let's despatch him,
So our sport no longer delay.
Lady H. Ah, I wound a heart that loves me well.
(Curtain falls as Lionel is led off under arrest, and Lady H. steps into a sedan chair which has been brought on. Tableau.) [36]
ACT FIVE.
(Curtain rises on Richmond fair scene, set as before. The courtiers, all dressed as farmers and maid servants, are standing about.) ”

“ So long as they do their work, the more they laugh, the better.
Lady H. and Nan. Work! We!
Plun. (to Nan.) . I'll give you the care of the geese and pigs and chickens. (To Lady H.) You shall have charge of the garden—weed it, and gather potatoes and corn.
Lio. O come! that's too hard for her. Let her do housework—
Plun. And darn our socks and mend our shirts? Very well. We'll pay you fifty crowns a year. For extras there'll be a pint of ale on Sundays and plum pudding on New Years. ”

“ Thy darts are swifter far than wind.
(At end of chorus Plunket re-enters from the inn.)
Plunket. Halloo! There seems to be good game afoot here. I'll see if I have any luck at the chase myself! (Walks towards the ladies.)
Nan. (looking around) . Where can Lady Harriet be? She seems to avoid society more than ever. She is very unhappy, and has been so ever since— (addresses Plunket) My good man, can you tell me— (stops in agitation)
Plun. What, Betsy Ann! You? In these togs!
Nan. (distantly) . Well, my good man, what is it?
Plun. I am not your good man! But you are my bad maid! ”

“ My hand I turn and never shirk, etc. (as before) .
(Lady Harriet, Nancy and Plunket enter and come down front while chorus sings. Lionel enters from the other side and wanders about among the booths, not looking at anything or anyone, wrapped in a deep reverie. He is plainly distraught, utterly unbalanced by the sad experience he has had. Lady H. and Nan. are in their hunting costumes.)
Plun. Poor Lionel! He seems quite lost to me! He avoids me, seeks solitude, or if he does approach his fellow men he utterly ignores their presence, as now. ”

“ Looks scornfully at them while music begins. A girl laughingly sticks out her tongue at him. He glares at her. She does it again. He looks hastily away and then back. She throws him a kiss, and all the rest follow suit. He scowls, but his face gradually softens into a smirk. The farmers drag the girls back into a line. ”

“ Here is game for you, girls. Let's see how he will like your spears!
(Ladies surround Plunket and threaten him.)
Chorus (speaking all together) . We'll give him a taste of our spear points! He won't bother her long! At him, now! There's safety in numbers! (Repeating.)
Plun. Gently, gently—Hold on! This is turning the tables in good earnest. Ouch!!! Those remarks are a little too pointed for me. (Dodges.) I never expected to see myself run from a woman, but here goes! (He runs off, the ladies after him, shouting incoherently, as above.Nancy enters inn.) ”

“ Farmers. We are ready to choose, but one at a time, please.
(Girls drop back into line; farmers move about among them, Lionel and Plunket also, as if bargaining with them. Enter Lady Harriet, Nancy and Tristan in peasant costume.)
Lady H. Come on, John! Courage man! Nobody's going to hurt you! ”

“ If you had been her own child she could not have tended you more anxiously. You were a mere baby when your father died and left you in our care. No one could help trying to make up your loss to you, somehow. ”

“ One of Men. Yes, with all her ladies. No doubt the men-folk will follow, too!
Plun. Start along, you, then. I'll go in and pay the score.
(Men leave stage, Plunket enters the inn.)
(As music begins again the court ladies run on in hunting costume. They wear short walking skirts, caps and high boots, perhaps, and all carry long spears. Nancy is with them. She carries a whip instead of a spear, and wears a long riding habit draped up over high boots.)
[29]
No. 14.
Chorus. All we ladies of the court
Are lovers of sport of every sort ”

“ Plun. It is the voice of love.
(Lady H. returns in peasant costume. She goes up to the groups of farmers and begins to arrange them in the old order. Speaks.)
Lady H. Arrange everything just as it was before. Bring the big chair for the sheriff. Don't look at Lionel. Pretend to be all occupied with the business of the day.
Nan. (looking off) . Here he comes, with his sad and gentle look. Sing to him, my lady.
(Music begins with Nancy's speech. Lady H. sings.) No. 20.
Lady H. Now the April day returning
Girds the earth with living green ”

“ There, there, old gentleman, don't feel so bad over a bit of our fun!
(Sheriff ducks to avoid kiss and leaves wig in her hands. He runs wildly about stage, clutching alternately at his bald head, and at the wig, which the girls toss back and forth, while he tries to snatch it. Finally one of the farmers catches it and restores it to sheriff. He puts it on and some one brings him his hat.)
Farmer (speaks) . Young hussies, you must do better than this when you get to working for us. Behave yourselves, now! ”

“ Another door is on the left. There are several chairs. A flight of stairs goes up from the right side, back corner. Two spinning wheels stand at rear, and farm tools hang about the walls.
During the instrumental prelude the outside door opens and the two men, Lionel and Plunket, enter, inviting the girls, Lady H. and Nancy, who are behind, to come in. They come in slowly, hesitatingly, half afraid.) No. 8.
Plun. and Lio. (sing) .
Come in, my pretty maidens,
We've reached our home, you see. ”

“ Girls go out and close door, before orchestral ending. Then the men retire after locking the outer door. Girls open their door again, peep out, run back, and shut door, etc.; then come out again, watching with finger on lips for interruptions. ”

“ It is a truly beautiful work and I am prepared to believe that, as you said, it was written under inspiration. It is Chadwick in a new vein, a little grand opera, and, so far as I am aware, the first of its kind in the country. Please congratulate Mr. Chadwick on the truly inspirational quality of the work. ”

“ What I?
(All run off stage dancing, Tristan between the two ladies, who drag him.)
Curtain.
[7]
ACT TWO.
(Curtain rises on Richmond market place. Stall around sides of stage and back. In foreground, tables and benches; side show of some funny sort. Tents at one side. Country folk walking about, farmers and wives.)
No. 4.
Cho. Come, O maidens fair,
Yes, come, but come with cheerful looks!
Handsome is as handsome does,
The rule that suits our books. ”