Chapter XXI: Act THE SECOND: ――assignation!

SCENE.――CAPULET’S _Garden_.

_Enter ROMEO._

_Rom._――That board says “Trespassers will be prosecuted.” I am a
trespasser; but what matters prosecution so that I can stand
beneath the window of the girl I love? What is love? Men live
for it, die for it, and lose caste for it; but――

_JULIET appears on balcony, with watering-pot._

_Jul._――I have been thinking so much about that young man I met at
the ball that I nearly forgot my poor flowers. There’s somebody
in the garden. Who can it be?

_Rom._――Have you forgotten me so soon, then?

_Jul._――I have not forgotten you. But you have done wrong to come
here; if my father saw you he would give you in charge.

_Rom._――I have been thinking of you for the last two hours.

_Jul._――And I have been thinking of you. How strange that we should
think of one another!

_Rom._――We must be in love.

_Jul._――What is love?

_Rom._――The very question I asked myself five minutes ago.

_Jul._――What a lovely night! And look at the stars! Are they far off?

_Rom._――Ah! hundreds and thousands of million miles.

_Jul._――They seem about a mile-and-a-half from the earth.

_Rom._――But they are not so far from the earth as you are from me.

_Jul._ (_leaning over_)――We are nearer now.

_Rom._ (_holding spout of water-pot_)――And the waterpot join us.
For how long?

_Jul._――Until I am tired of holding it, I suppose.

_Rom._――Will you be out to-morrow morning?

_Jul._――I always go to the village to get an egg for papa’s breakfast.

_Rom._――Meet me at the Friar’s.

_Jul._――What for?

_Rom._――To be married, of course.

_Jul._――How nice! And I can take back the egg as if nothing had
happened.

_Rom._――Then you think more of the egg than you do of me! Good
night!

_Jul._――Good night! Be careful of the wall. And beware of the dog.

_Rom._――After all, what is a wall?

_Jul._――And what is a dog?

[_JULIET waters flowers. ROMEO retreats a few steps and watches her.
Curtain falls――should it be raised JULIET has dropped the
water-pot, and is lost in reverie; ROMEO is halfway over the
wall._]
――――:o:――――

ROMEO AND HIS JULIET.

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND T. MADDISON MORTON.

SCENE.――_A garden._

_ROMEO discovered on wall._

_Rom._――If there’s one thing damps a fellow’s ardour it’s
broken bottles. Now then for a jump.

(_ROMEO slides off wall, and falls into cucumber frame._)

I always disliked cucumbers, and now they have had their
revenge. Now then to reach my charmer’s window.

_Climbs up water-butt and falls in. JULIET appears on balcony._

_Jul._――I heard something. It must have been the cats.

_ROMEO’S head appears from water-butt._

O, Romeo, Romeo, what a cold you will get!

_Rom._――Suppose you help us out, and pity us afterwards. (_She
pulls him out._) My lovely Julio――I mean Romlet――bother it,
Capulo――no, no, Montaget. I shall forget my own name next.

_Jul._――What’s in a name?

_Rom._――A great deal――especially when you can’t remember it. Will
you quit the domicile of your paternal parent, and slope off
with your’s truly?

_Jul._――But how can we marry? I haven’t a copper of my own.

_Rom._――And seven-and-sixpence is all I possess. Have you no jewels?

_Jul._――Only a coral necklace, and a silver spoon given to me by my
godfather and godmothers at my baptism.

_Rom._――With such treasures and our love kings might envy us.

_Dog enters._

I’m off. Down, Ponto! Good night, Jupulet. Good dog?

_Jul._――Come here, Ponto!

[_Dog chases ROMEO; he climbs the wall; dog seizes his coat tails,
tears them off, and runs about with them in his mouth_.]

――――――――

ROW ME O TO JULIA YET!

OR,

THE COVE! THE LOVE!! AND THE TURTLE DOVE!!!

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND H. J. BYRON.

SCENE.――_CAPULET’S Back Garden._

[_Music, “Come into the Garden, Maud.”――Enter ROMEO, dressed as
a young man of the day, smoking cigar._]

_Rom._――For walls and gates I do not care a farden,
And so I make my way into the garden;
My conduct may seem like that of a rash’un,
But on this _plot_ I’ll give vent to my passion.
I met her at the ball. We danced together,
’Tis true we only talked about the weather;
But then our _idle eyes_ spoke volumes nearly;
And now I know I _idolize_ her dearly,
And come what will I never can forget
Earth’s brightest _jewel_, lovely _Jewelet_.

_Enter JULIET on balcony._

_Jul._――Bother the cats! They quite disturb my rest.

_Rom._――Now is my time.

_Jul._―― They are getting quite a pest.

_Rom._――The creature basking in your beauty’s glow
Is not a Thomas Cat, but Romeo.

_Jul._――A Montague!

_Rom._―― Who’s _aim’s_ your hand to claim;
But as no doubt you’ll say, “What’s in an _aim_?”

_Jul._――_Aimey_-vous me?

_Rom._―― My very little game. I
Adore you more than Leicester did his _Aimey_.
Wilt fly with me? My love you cannot doubt it.

_Jul._――Well, _Romeo_, I must _romeonate_ about it.
What is to-day?

_Rom._―― Days, months, I quite forget,
It may be _June_――I know but _Julyet_.
I’ll take you to the _Friar_.

_Jul._―― Let me see――

_Rom._――Why, surely you are not _afraid_ of me?

_Jul._――I’ll meet you at the cell.

_Rom._―― And _cell_ I bring
A marriage license.

_Jul._―― Yes; also a ring.

DUET,――_Air_, “_Burlesque Galop_.”

_Both._――The Montagues and Capulets will be in such a way,
When they hear that Romeo and Juliet one fine day,
Ran off and got married both together on the sly,
Regardless of the hatred of each other’s family.
O toodlee um, te oodleum, &c.

(_JULIET plays tambourine――ROMEO dances a breakdown._)

――――――――

JULIET AND ROMEO.

(An Original Drama)

BY DION BOUCICAULT.