QUEEN.  But thou, thyself, dost wear about thy neck—­

KING.  Oh yes!  Her picture?  So you knew that, too?

[He takes the picture with the chain from his neck, and lays it on the table in the foreground to the right.]

So then I lay it down, and may it lie—­
A bolt not harmful, now the thunder’s past. 
The girl herself—­let her be ta’en away! 
She then may have a man from out her race—­

[Walking fitfully back and forth from the rear to the front of the stage, and stopping short now and then.]

But no, not that!—­The women of this race
Are passable, good even, but the men
With dirty hands and narrow greed of gain—­
This girl shall not be touched by such a one. 
Indeed, she has to better ones belonged. 
But then, what’s that to me?—­If thus or thus,
If near or far—­they may look after that!

QUEEN.  Wilt thou, then, Don Alfonso, stay thus strong?

KING (standing still).

Forsooth, thou ne’er hast known or seen this girl! 
Take all the faults that on this broad earth dwell,
Folly and vanity, and weakness, too,
Cunning and boldness, coquetry and greed—­
Put them together and thou hast this woman;
And if, enigma thou, not magic art,
Shouldst call her power to charm me, I’ll agree,
And were ashamed, were’t not but natural, too!

QUEEN (walks up and down).

Believe me, husband, ’twas not natural!

KING (standing still).

Magic there is, in truth.  Its name is custom,
Which first not potent, later holds us fast;
So that which at the outset shocked, appalled,
Sloughs off the first impression of disgust,
And grows, a thing continued, to a need—­
Is this not of our very bodies true? 
This chain I wore—­which now here idly lies,
Ta’en off forever—­breast and neck alike,
To this impression have become so used—­

(Shaking himself.)

The empty spaces make me shake with cold. 
I’ll choose myself another chain forthwith;
The body jests not when it warning sends. 
And now enough of this! 
But that you could
Avenge yourselves in blood on this poor fool—­
That was not well!

(Stepping to the table.)

                   For do but see these eyes—­

Yes, see the eyes, the body, neck, and form! 
God made them verily with master hand;
’Twas she herself the image did distort. 
Let us revere in her, then, God’s own work,
And not destroy what he so wisely built.

QUEEN.  Oh, touch it not!

KING.  This nonsense now again! 
             And if I really take it in my hand,

(He has taken the picture in his hand)