



Produced by David Garcia, Christine Aldridge and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Kentuckiana Digital Library)





Transcriber's Note:

1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_.

2. Other detailed notes appear at the end of this e-text.




YOLANDA OF CYPRUS




YOLANDA OF CYPRUS

BY
CALE YOUNG RICE

AUTHOR OF
CHARLES DI TOCA, A NIGHT IN AVIGNON,
DAVID, ETC., ETC.

[Illustration: Publisher Logo]

NEW YORK
THE McCLURE COMPANY
MCMVIII


_Copyright, 1908, by The McClure Company_

Published, March, 1908




                              ACT I


    CHARACTERS

    RENIER LUSIGNAN            _A Descendant of the Lusignan Kings
                                   of Cyprus_

    BERENGERE                  _His Wife_

    AMAURY                     _His Son, Commander of Famagouste
                                   under the Venetians_

    YOLANDA                    _The Ward of Berengere, betrothed
                                   to Amaury_

    CAMARIN                    _A Baron of Paphos, Guest in the
                                   Lusignan Castle_

    VITTIA PISANI              _A Venetian Lady, also a Guest_

    MORO                       _A Priest_

    HASSAN                     _Warden of the Castle_

    HALIL                      _His Son, a Boy_

    TREMITUS                   _A Physician_

    OLYMPIO                    _A Greek Boy, serving Amaury_

    ALESSA                   }
    MAGA                     } _Berengere's Women_
    CIVA                     }
    MAURIA                   }

    SMARDA                     _Slave To Vittia_

    PIETRO                     _In Vittia's pay_

    _Priests, Acolytes, etc._

              TIME--_The Sixteenth Century_
              PLACE--_The Island of Cyprus_




YOLANDA OF CYPRUS


    SCENE: _A dim Hall, of blended Gothic and Saracenic styles,
        in the Lusignan Castle, on the island of Cyprus near
        Famagouste. Around the walls, above faint frescoes
        portraying the deliverance of Jerusalem by the
        Crusaders, runs a frieze inlaid with the coats-of-arms
        of former Lusignan kings. On the left, and back, is a
        door hung with heavy damask, and in the wall opposite,
        another. Farther down on the right a few steps, whose
        railing supports a Greek vase with jasmine, lead
        through a chapel to the sleeping apartments. In the
        rear, on either side, are guled lattice windows, and in
        the centre an open grated door, looking upon a loggia,
        and, across the garden below, over the moonlit sea.
        Seats are placed about, and, forward, a divan with rich
        Turkish coverings. A table with a lighted cross-shaped
        candlestick is by the door, left; and a lectern with a
        book on it, to the front, right. As the curtain rises,
        the Women, except_ CIVA, _lean wearily on the divan,
        and_ HALIL _near is singing dreamily:_

            Ah, the balm, the balm,
            And ah, the blessing
            Of the deep fall of night
            And of confessing.
            Of the sick soul made white
            Of all distressing:
            Made white!...
            Ah, balm of night
            And, ah the blessing!

            [_The music falls and all seem yielding to sleep.
                Suddenly there are hoof-beats and sounds at the
                gates below._ HALIL _springs up._

    _Halil._ Alessa! Maga! Voices at the gates!

            [_All start up._

    Some one is come.

    _Alessa._         Boy, Halil, who?

    _Halil._                            Up, up!
    Perhaps lord Renier--No: I will learn.

            [_He runs to curtains and looks._

    It is Olympio! Olympio!
    From Famagouste and lord Amaury!

    _Mauria._                         Ah!
    And comes he here?

    _Halil._            As he were lord of skies!
    To lady Yolanda, by my lute!

    _Maga._                       Where is she?

    _Alessa._ I do not know; perhaps, her chamber.

    _Maur