CAS.  Promise no more, and trouble me no more: 
The longer I stay here, he lives the longer. 
I must go to him now, and now I’ll do it. 
Go home and hasten supper ’gainst I come: 
We will carouse to his departing soul.

MAR.  I will, dear husband; but remember me: 
[Aside.] When thou hast poison’d him, I’ll poison thee.
                                          [Exit MARIAN.

CAS.  O wonderful, how women can dissemble! 
Now she can kiss me, hang about my neck,
And soothe me with smooth smiles and lewd entreaties. 
Well, I have promis’d her to kill the earl;
And yet, I hope ye will not think I’ll do it.[474]
Yet I will sound the depth of their device,
And see the issue of their bloody drift. 
I’ll give the earl, unknown to any man,
A sleepy potion, which shall make him seem
As if he were stark dead, for certain hours: 
But in my absence no man shall report
That for my dame’s sake I did any hurt.

[Exit.

ACT V., SCENE I.

Enter GRIM, with JOAN.

GRIM.  Nay, but, Joan, have a care! bear a brain[475] for all at once.  ’Tis not one hour’s pleasure that I suspect more than your mother’s good, countenance.  If she be asleep, we may be bold under correction; if she be awake, I may go my ways, and nobody ask me, Grim, whither goest thou?  Nay, I tell you, I am so well beloved in our town, that not the worst dog in the street will hurt my little finger.

JOAN.  Why speak you this?  You need not fear my mother,
For she was fast asleep four hours ago.

GRIM.  Is she, sure?  Did you hear her snort in her dead sleep?  Why then,
Joan, I have an hour’s mirth for thee.

JOAN.  And I a mess of cream for thee.

GRIM.  Why, there is one for another then:  fetch it, Joan; we will eat and kiss, and be as merry as your cricket. [Exit JOAN for the cream.] Art thou gone for it?  Well, go thy ways for the kindest lass that ever poor collier met withal?  I mean for to make short work with her, and marry her presently.  I’ll single her out, i’faith, till I make her bear double, and give the world to understand we will have a young Grim between us.

Enter JOAN with the cream.

JOAN.  Look here, my love, ’tis sweeten’d for thy mouth.

GRIM.  You have put none of your love-powder in it, to make me enamourable of you, have you, Joan?  I have a simple pate, to expect you! [One knocketh at the door.] Joan, hark, my brains beat, my head works, and my mind giveth me:  some lovers of yours come sneaking hither now; I like it not, ’tis suspectious.

[One knocketh again.

JOAN.  You need not fear it; for there is none alive
Shall bear the least part of my heart from thee.

GRIM.  Say’st thou so? hold there still, and whoe’er he be, open door to him.