The Rover

Stephano leads Florinda and Callis to the Molo, where the duel will take place. He leaves to avoid being caught, and Florinda frets about what is about to happen. When her brother enters, she is surprised to hear Don Pedro mention Don Antonio. Florinda is relieved when Belvile arrives, thinking from his clothing that he is Don Antonio. Belvile is perplexed when Don Pedro announces that they are dueling for Angellica. Everyone is confused when Florinda rushes out to stop the duel. Belvile thinks Florinda is intervening for Don Antonio. The two men fight, and Belvile disarms Don Pedro. Florinda begs Belvile-dressed-as-Don Antonio to spare her brother. Belvile relents, lays down his sword, and declares his love for Florinda. Don Pedro decides that “Don Antonio” has proven his devotion to Florinda. Still unaware that his opponent is Don Pedro and not a third rival for Florinda’s affections, Belvile takes his sword up to fight for her. Don Pedro takes off his mask, and Belvile stops, shocked.

Belvile asks Don Pedro to let him marry Florinda immediately, before they run out of time and her father returns. Don Pedro agrees to meet them at the church to marry them. Florinda is incensed that (as she thinks) Don Antonio is about to force her into marriage. Secretly, Belvile reveals himself, and Florinda is ecstatic.

Frederick and Willmore, well-dressed, enter. Willmore is worrying about Belvile and embraces him happily when he spots him. Don Pedro sees Belvile and tries to lead Florinda away. Belvile announces that he won her from him with his sword, by conquest, and Willmore immediately adds that he will help Belvile keep her by sword, but Belvile rejects his help. Belvile decides that although he should have a right to claim her, he does not want to hurt the brother Florinda loves. Don Pedro is impressed with Belvile’s honor, but leads Florinda out, telling her that he will stop whatever plot she has created with Belvile. Willmore wants to go after them, but Belvile tells him to stop speaking to him and leave. Willmore refuses, and Belvile draws his sword and chases him out.

Angellica enters with Moretta and Sebastian, sending Sebastian to bring Willmore back. Frederick decides to go after them, not knowing what Belvile might do in his agitated state. Alone with Moretta, Angellica expresses her anger at how quickly Willmore went from dying for her attention to breaking his word. She knows that the gypsy girl is Hellena, Don Pedro’s sister, and is certain that Willmore is in love with her because she is a person of “quality” (77). Willmore returns with Sebastian. Angellica spurns Willmore’s attentions, accusing him of loving a “more virtuous mistress” (78). Willmore asserts that he has no interest in virtuous women, “ill-natured creatures, that take a pride to torment a lover” (78). Angellica insists that she saw Willmore pursuing a woman who is worth two hundred thousand crowns. Willmore is shocked, realizing that Angellica is referring to the Hellena. He yearns for her, and wonders if he can make Angellica angry enough to end the relationship herself.

Hellena enters, disguised as a page boy, identifying Willmore and Angellica. Moretta, aside, hopes that Hellena is a page sent from Don Antonio. Moretta presents Hellena to Angellica, who claims that she came on behalf of a relative, a young noblewoman, who was meant to marry a charming English gentleman. Both Angellica and Willmore realize that the story might be about him, so Angellica dismisses him, not wanting to feed his ego. But Willmore wants to hear and refuses to go. Hellena goes on to describe her heartbroken relative who was left at the altar by a man who had gone to Angellica instead. Willmore is confused but excited, which hurts Angellica’s feelings. Hellena offers to stop, but Angellica tells her to keep going and hopefully help her to fall out of love with Willmore. Hellena entreats Angellica to stay away from this man, because he may seem like a god, but he is unfaithful.

Upon identifying Willmore as the man in question, Angellica and Hellena berate him in tandem. Then Willmore, still not recognizing Hellena, asks her for the name and address of the woman. Hellena presumes that he is interested in yet another new conquest. Angellica calls Hellena over to look closely at Willmore’s face. Hellena affirms that it is either him or someone else with “just such another lying lover’s look” (84). When he looks directly at her, Willmore realizes that the page boy is Hellena. Hellena sees him recognize her and he announces that he understands the ploy now. Hellena fears that Willmore will reveal her identity and quietly begs him to keep the secret. Willmore says that the page is not from a “person of quality” (85), but a gypsy, who he compares to an animal and unworthy of concern. Hellena knows he is lying but is still annoyed. Willmore insists that he never promised to marry her.

Sebastian enters and announces Don Antonio’s arrival, so Hellena, afraid of being recognized, slips out. Willmore asks for permission to leave so she can have fun with his enemy. Angellica dismisses him, adding that she never wants to see his face again, or she might decide to kill him. Willmore is bitter at the dismissal but happy to have the freedom to seek out Hellena. Alone, Angellica is hit with grief at how quickly he dashed away when given the chance. She tried using all of her tactics to get him to love her, and none of it worked, leading her to conclude that she is “not fit to be beloved” (87). Therefore, she decides to focus on revenge against “him that soothed me thus to my undoing” (87).

Valeria and Florinda escape from her brother’s house, in disguise. Florinda is scared, but Valeria encourages her to let love make her brave, noting that she is half in love with someone herself. They wish Hellena were with them, but she left earlier under the pretense of visiting the St. Augustine convent. Valeria explains that she got them past Callis by surprising her and locking her in the wardrobe. Valeria also delivered Florinda’s note to Belvile by pretending to go to mass. Belvile was distraught over having lost Florinda, but Valeria informed him that Florinda would escape marrying Don Antonio or die trying. She told him that Florinda is trapped in her room and making her way out while Don Pedro is at mass, so Belvile has gone to every church he can find to try and stall him and give Florinda ample time.

Don Pedro, Belvile, and Willmore approach on the street, so Florinda and Valeria quickly mask. Willmore ogles Valeria as they pass. Valeria tosses a welcoming look, and Willmore immediately tuns and follows her. Belvile sighs, “’Tis a mad fellow for a wench” (89).

Frederick enters, eager to tell everyone about what befell Blunt. He mirthfully announces that the sex worker robbed him of everything, even his clothes, and then turned him out in the street in his undergarments. Frederick warns that Blunt is beating anyone who laughs at him or asks him any questions. Belvile suggests that Don Pedro ought to see the hilarious sight of Blunt to keep him busy longer while Florinda gets away.

As they exit, Belvile explains how funny it will be to see Blunt, who has always been rich and spoiled, with nothing. Belvile, Don Pedro, and Frederick exit. Florinda enters, and certain that Don Pedro is after her, she hides. Willmore reenters, followed from afar by Valeria. He exits and Valeria goes after him. Hellena enters with a page and sees Willmore chasing another woman. She tells the page to follow them and report back. Belvile, Willmore, and Don Pedro walk across the stage, and Hellena exits quickly.

Florinda, desperate to hide from her brother, ducks into an open door, more afraid of Don Pedro than whatever might be on the other side. Valeria enters, as does the page, who notes that Florinda went into the house. Valeria muses that it is Belvile’s house, and Florinda must have known where he lives. Willmore enters, and Valeria decides to hide from him. Willmore determines that he has lost the trail and exits to seek elsewhere.

In Belvile’s house, Blunt is in his undergarments with a rusted sword, bitter and vowing revenge on everyone, especially the woman who robbed him without even having sex with him. Blunt decides that he will never trust women again and will take every opportunity to use them, wishing he had a woman right now to exact his revenge. Florinda enters, certain that she has found a haunted, abandoned house, and is shocked to see Blunt there in his state of undress. Florinda entreats him to help her. Blunt is thrilled to have his wish granted, and quickly turns aggressive and cruel to Florinda, groping her and forcing her toward the bedroom. She pleads with him to “pity a harmless virgin, that takes your house for sanctuary” (93), but Blunt is determined to “be revenged on one whore for the sins of another” (94). Frederick enters, and Blunt explains that he is taking revenge, by both raping and beating her. Frederick agrees that women will steal everything from a man and deserve punishment. Florinda swears that she is not that kind of woman, but Frederick insists, “we are fellows not to be caught twice in the same trap” (95), indicating the way Blunt has been stripped of everything.

Frantic, Florinda recognizes them as Belvile’s friends and asks them to treat her with kindness for Belvile’s sake. Blunt allows that after they devour her like a meal, they will leave the bones for Belvile to pick. Florinda gives them a diamond ring to stop, and Frederick becomes concerned that they might be about to rape “a maid of quality” (96), which could get them into real trouble. Dismissively, Blunt reminds Frederick that Lucetta gave him a piece of jewelry too, and it was as fake as she was. Frederick suggests that they wait until they have checked with Belvile. Reluctantly, Blunt agrees. A servant announces that Belvile has arrived with a Spanish man of quality, and they want the two men to eat dinner with them. Blunt does not want to be seen and makes up an excuse. Frederick takes Florinda and locks her in his room before going to meet them.