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Detailed Contents
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Section 1. Foundation
Chapter 1. Understanding Communication
Propositions
Proposition 1: Communication Can Best Be Described
in Terms of Probabilities
Proposition 2: Context Shapes the Probabilities by
Creating Default Assumptions
Proposition 3: Context Building Is a Dynamic Process
Proposition 4: The Context May Act Like a Black
Hole
Proposition 5: Context Construction Is Uniquely
Sensitive to Time Sequencing
Proposition 6: There Are Multiple Messages in Each
Communication Event
Proposition 7: Content and Context Interact to Produce
Meaning
Implications of the Propositions
Explore the Employees’ Context
Carefully Manage Employee Expectations
Carefully Frame Messages
Sculpt the Proper Context
Anticipate Possible Interpretations (and
Misinterpretations) of Messages, Events, and Symbols
Be Aware of the “Law of Large Numbers”
Use the “Blackout” Tactic to Clarify Potentially
Ambiguous Messages
Pay Attention to Secondary Messages
Recognize the Utility of Credible Sources
Conclusion
Key Concepts
“Drill Down” Exercises
Chapter 2. Examining Communication Approaches
The Arrow Approach
Judging Effectiveness

8
 Explaining Communication Breakdowns
Origins
Evaluation
The Circuit Approach
Judging Effectiveness
Explaining Communication Breakdowns
Origins
Evaluation
Communication as Dance
Communication Is Used for Multiple Purposes
Communication Involves the Coordination of
Meanings
Communication Involves Co-orientation
Communication Is Rule Governed
Communicators Develop a Repertoire of Unconscious
Skills
Communication Can Be Viewed as a Patterned
Activity
Conclusion
Key Concepts
“Drill Down” Exercises
Chapter 3. Scrutinizing Ethical Issues
Fundamental Assumptions
Every Communication Decision Has an Ethical
Dimension
Communication Ethics Involves Both Motives and
Outcomes
Fundamental Ethical Principles Should Guide
Decision-Making
Ethical Dilemmas
Secrecy
Dissent
Leaks
Rumors and Gossip
Lies
Euphemisms
Ambiguity
Apologies
A Strategic Approach to Corporate Ethics
Corporate Culture
Organizational Policies

9
 Personal Commitments
Conclusion
Key Concepts
“Drill Down” Exercises
Chapter 4. Imparting the Organizational Culture
What Is Culture?
Does Culture Matter?
Culture Affects the Bottom Line
Culture Influences How an Organization Analyzes and
Solves Problems
Culture Influences How the Company Will Respond to
Change
Culture Affects Employee Motivation and Customer
Satisfaction
How Can We Discover Culture?
Examine the Corporate Slogans, Philosophies, and
Value Statements
Reflect on the Type of People in the Organization
Study Symbols and Heroes
How Can We Evaluate Culture?
Does the Organization Seek to Close the Gap between
the Stated Culture and Actual Culture?
Is the Actual Culture Suited for the Organizational
Challenges?
Does the Actual Culture Fit the Employees’ Beliefs
and Values?
How Can Leaders Effectively Impart the Culture?
Craft Actionable Cultural Statements
Appropriately Socialize Employees
Develop Symbolic Reminders of the Core Values
Link Values with Specific Behaviors
Filter Information through the Values
Tell the Right Stories, and Create Opportunities to
Originate Stories
Use Rewards as Powerful Reminders
Manage Conflict through the Values, Not the
Hierarchy
Routinely Evaluate Progress on the Core Values
Assist in the Evolution of the Meaning of the Values
Conclusion
Key Concepts

10
 “Drill Down” Exercises
Section 2. Communication Challenges
Chapter 5. Selecting and Using Communication Technologies
The B − C Model: A Deeper Look
Attributes
Benefits
Costs
Value
How Perspective Affects Value
User Perspective
Time Perspective
Micro/Macro Perspectives
What to Do?
Promote a Robust Mind-Set of the Benefits and Costs
of Communication Channels and Technologies
Decide on the Appropriate Cost–Benefit Trade-offs
Detect and Respond to Patterns That Develop with
Technology Usage
Embrace the Promise of Social Media while Managing
Its Risks
Conclusion
Key Concepts
“Drill Down” Exercises
Chapter 6. Managing Data, Information, Knowledge, and Action
The D-I-K-A Model
Data = Representations of Reality
Information = Data That Provide Relevant Clues or
News
Knowledge = The Framework or Schema for
Organizing the Relationships between Pieces of
Information
Action = The Deeds or Decisions Made Based on
Knowledge
Variations of the Model
The D-I-K Loop
The K-A Loop
The I-A Loop
Managing the Data–Information Relationship
Recognize the Inherent Flaws of All Data and
Information
Determine What Employees Really Need to Know

11
 Analyze Both Quantitative and Qualitative Data
Harness the Power of Product-Embedded Information
and Just-in-Time Information
Use Imagery to Dramatize Information and Summarize
Complex Data Sets
Reduce the Number of Links in the Communication
Chain
Managing the Information–Knowledge Relationship
Evaluate the Credibility of the Evidence
Organize the Same Information in Different Ways
Identify What You Don’t Know
Discern the Underlying Patterns
Test Facts, Models, and Theories
Managing the Knowledge–Action Relationship
Create Strategic Knowledge-Sharing Communities
Focus Reports on Actionable Issues
Speed Up the D-I-K-A Cycle, Even at the Expense of
Accuracy
Conclusion
Key Concepts
“Drill Down” Exercises
Chapter 7. Providing Performance Feedback
Performance Feedback Principles
Everyone, Whether They Acknowledge It or Not, Has
Performance Standards
High Performance Standards Foster Employee
Development and Organizational Viability
All Employees “Receive” Feedback about Their
Performance
The Ideal Feedback System Drives Employees to
Identify, Perform, and Commit to the Evolving
Performance Standards
Implementing a Successful Feedback System
Do the Employees Know Their Job Responsibilities?
Do the Employees Know the Standards by Which
They Are Being Evaluated?
Do the Employees Receive Useful Informal Feedback?
Do the Employees Receive Useful Feedback from
Performance Appraisals?
Communicating Performance Feedback
The Method

12
 The Message
Conclusion
Key Concepts
“Drill Down” Exercises
Chapter 8. Communicating across Organizational Boundaries
The Nature of Boundaries
Potential Problems of Boundaries
Investment Losses
Customer Service Failures
Unmotivated Employees
Contributing Factors
Language Differences
Culture
Use of Space
Structure of Rewards and Punishments
The Arithmetic/Geometric Factor
What to Do?
Select and Train the Right People
Implement Error Correction Processes
Encourage Activities That Promote Shared
Experiences and Common Goals
Integrate Boundary Spanning into the Structure of the
Organization
Promote Collaborative Communication
Conclusion
Key Concepts
“Drill Down” Exercises
Chapter 9. Structuring and Using Robust Decision-Making
Practices
Decision-Making Tensions
Debating versus Deciding
Exploring versus Refining
Including versus Excluding
Pre-Decision-Making Checklist
Identify the Major Types of Meetings in the
Organization
Select the Smallest Team Possible with Diverse, but
Compatible Perspectives, Insights, and Styles
Craft a Set of Meeting Management Rules That Will
Guide the Discussion
Routinize Positive Sharing and Improvement Practices

13
 Measure the Quality of the Decision-Making Process
against the Organization’s Values
The Robust Decision-Making Model
Identification Phase
Resolution Phase
Strategies for Optimizing the Decision-Making Process
Adapt to the Demands of the Organization’s
Environment, Values of the Corporate Culture, and
Proclivities of Employees
Encourage Iterative Thinking Rather Than Linear
Thinking
Downplay the Status and Roles of Decision-Makers
Generously Pepper the Process with Thoughtful
Questions
Conclusion
Key Concepts
“Drill Down” Exercises
Chapter 10. Communicating about Change
Approaches to Change
Top-down
Bottom-up
Integrative Approach
Selecting the Degree of Communication
Undercommunicating
Overcommunicating
“Goldilocks” Zones
Reactions to Change
The “Iceberg” Model
Contextual Analysis
Audience Analysis
Strategic Design
Tactical Preparation
Conclusion
Key Concepts
“Drill Down” Exercises
Chapter 11. Cultivating the Innovative Spirit
Misconceptions
Myth 1: Innovation Is Risky
Myth 2: All Innovations Spring from Revolutionary
“Big” Ideas, “Paradigm Shifts,” or Grand Schemes
Myth 3: Innovation Is Product Focused

14
 What Is Innovation?
Idea Generation
Feasibility Analysis
Viability Assessment
Implementation
Implications
A Perspective on Success and Failure
Potential Success
Failure
Temporary Success
Enduring Success
Implications
Strategic Traffic Signals
Cultivate an Innovative Culture
Develop Company Programs, Policies, and Practices
That Foster Innovation
Properly Reject “Bad Ideas”
Conclusion
Key Concepts
“Drill Down” Exercises
Chapter 12. Building a World-Class Communication System
Assess
Communication Audits
Pulse Process
Strategize
What Is a Communication Strategy?
How Do You Craft a Communication Strategy?
What Makes a Communication Strategy Effective?
Implement
The Assess–Strategize–Implement Cycle in Action
Conclusion
Key Concepts
“Drill Down” Exercises
Glossary
Notes
Index
About the Author

15
Foreword

The communication that takes place in an organization is an important

influence in the success of that organization. Therefore, a good book on
organizational communication can be a valuable resource for all kinds of
students—managers who want to be effective communicators as well as
academic students who want to understand how organizations work. Phil
Clampitt has written such a book.

Over the years, I have evaluated a number of manuscripts offered to

various publishers, and many of them have good coverage of rather
standard materials on organizational communication. What Phil Clampitt
has done, however, is to write a book that is original and interesting.

What strikes me most about his work is its freshness. The quotations that
begin each chapter are not typical organizational literature; they
demonstrate how well-read Phil Clampitt is and how this breadth of
resources has led him to think about organizational life in some innovative
ways. He also demonstrates great originality in the way he uses metaphor
to explain how communication works. For example, although I love to
dance, I would never have thought of using dance as a metaphor for the
way organizational communication works. Yet Clampitt does so in a
convincing way. Furthermore, he is able to coin new phrases that are rich
in explanatory power.

I also like the way Clampitt makes this book a statement of his theory
about organizational communication. It is not merely a report on the
research about a topic. He includes basic propositions and clarifies some of
his basic assumptions. He also makes a major addition by describing some
common problem areas and then suggesting a strategic approach for
resolving them. Finally, he adds some important areas that are often
overlooked. His work with communication audits has prompted him to add
chapters on facilitating boundary spanning and cultivating an innovative
spirit.

One of the great rewards of being a university professor is being able to

watch exceptional graduate students become major contributors to one’s
discipline. Phil Clampitt is doing this with his book. There are many gems
in these chapters, and I am delighted to recommend it.

16
—Cal Downs

University of Kansas

17
Preface

Providing SAGE Publications with frequent editions of this book has been
an unexpected pleasure of my life. A new edition provides me an
opportunity to update material, fine-tune critical ideas, and expand the
orientation in meaningful ways. Specifically, I sought to make this edition
more inspirational, actionable, and consequential.

Inspirational. I believe that managers and leaders who communicate

effectively have an extraordinary ability to inspire the very best in others.
Too often, the word inspirational becomes associated with the rah-rah’s of
the cheerleader class of motivational speakers. That’s fine, but I hope this
edition takes readers to deeper levels of introspection, awareness, and
accomplishment. I’ve found that the life stories of great men and women
have a peculiar power to inspire others in a more realistic and enduring
way. As the delightful philosopher Sir Isaiah Berlin put it,

No one can understand ideas unless he sees them as the expression of

the passions, desires, longings, and frustrations of human beings; and
the word “life” itself has no meaning unless it calls to mind men and
women—past, present and to come.1

That’s why I’ve updated the Historical Hyperlinks and stories sprinkled
throughout the book. The idea was to provide a short biography of some
inspirational figure who illustrates key points in the chapter. My hope is
that this might inspire some readers to take the next step and read more
about these extraordinary individuals’ lives. I made one other tweak to the
sixth edition to underscore the inspirational nature of the book. We
changed the subtitle from “Problems, Strategies, and Solutions” to
“Challenges | Strategies | Solutions.” To be sure, inspiring people solve
problems, but they are often more motivated to address challenges. And
communicating effectively is one of the greatest challenges faced by
managers and leaders.

Actionable. I’ve used this book to teach my Organizational

Communication class for many years. Other professors use it in their
leadership and MBA courses. I’ve had the privilege to speak to professors

18
and students all around the world about the book. I love answering
questions about the ideas, principles, and models in the book. More often
than not, though, the questions turn to how to actually implement the ideas
or principles in the workplace. In the previous editions, I was a bit
reluctant to share too many of those actionable ideas because each
situation has unique dynamics that might modify how we approach it. But
what I discovered in these dynamic question-and-answer sessions are two
things: (1) readers can easily adjust for those situational nuances and (2)
they want something more specific and actionable as a starting point.
Consequently, I’ve responded to that feedback in the sixth edition.

Consequential. These question-and-answer sessions also helped me

identify a gap in the book that was not on my radar screen. Namely,
managers and leaders make decisions all day long, but the previous
editions did not directly address this issue. The addition of a new chapter,
“Structuring and Using Robust Decision-Making Practices,” bridges that
gap. My hope is that the new chapter, along with the other tweaks, will
make this edition more consequential in the day-to-day working world of
managers and leaders.

A book may enrich our lives in a variety of ways. For some people,
Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness, sixth edition, will provide a
new personal or professional perspective on a baffling problem. Others
will find a catchy phrase that resonates as well as illuminates. A few might
find an illustration or Historical Hyperlink profoundly moving in a
personal way. My hope is that the book will deepen your life in one of
these ways. In short, I hope the book provides the wisdom, insight, and
counsel necessary to enhance your communication effectiveness.

Reading Tips
Visit the book’s website, www.mycme6.com, for further
exercises, quizzes, and case studies.
Check out key terms that are in bold that are defined in the
Glossary.
Deepen your understanding of the core idea by completing the
“Drill Down Exercises” at the end of each chapter.
Sign up for complimentary communication tips at
www.drsowhat.com (or Twitter, @drsowhat).

19
Acknowledgments
C. S. Lewis once said, “Two heads are better than one, not because either
is infallible, but because they are unlikely to go wrong in the same
direction.” Many wise minds steered me in the right direction. I’m
profoundly grateful for the guidance of many friends and colleagues. First,
I must thank my Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness, sixth
edition, team, headed by Laurey Clampitt and complemented by dedicated
research assistants, including Elizabeth Hintz, Katelyn Staaben, Karli
Peterson, and Taylor Thomson from the University of Wisconsin–Green
Bay. Matthew Byrnie at SAGE Publications provided wonderful guidance
on the project and selected a number of insightful anonymous reviewers,
who provided wonderful continuous-improvement suggestions. Those
reviewers are Jason D. Baker, Regent University; Joseph T DeRanieri,
University of Delaware; Carol Howard, Robert Morris University; Teresa
Raehpour, Newman University; and Robert J. Trosky Jr., Robert Morris
University. Two of my former professors, Lee Williams and Cal Downs,
provided provocative and illuminating comments on many of the core
ideas in this edition. Professor James Barker of Dalhousie University
asked particularly insightful questions about the ideas in the manuscript
and has allowed me the wonderful opportunity to share these insights with
his students. I also had a “real-world” team of advisers, including Bob
DeKoch, Rick Fantini, Terri Pawer, Dave Withbroe, and Todd Herbert,
who actually manage business communication on a daily basis. The SAGE
editorial, production, and marketing teams have been wonderful to work
with. Special thanks to Karen Omer, Sarah Dillard, Tracy Buyan, Krishna
Pradeep Joghee, Shamila Swamy, and Georgia Mclaughlin. Also, thanks to
Zoie, our “Little Sister” from the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program for
helping select the cover art. Finally, there is the unlisted coauthor of this
book. She refuses to let her name appear on the cover, despite the fact that
she read countless drafts, reworked major sections, and clarified my
sometimes garbled thoughts. While listening to Mozart’s concerti in
beautiful Door County, we reshaped the manuscript into a work that we
hope resonates with many people. I cannot imagine anyone having a better
partner. In fact, she is mine—for life.

Note
1. N. Annan, “Introduction,” in I. Berlin, Personal Impressions, ed. H.
Hardy. New York: Viking Press, 1980, xii–xxx; see especially p. xxx.

20
Introduction

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself . . . and you are the
easiest person to fool,” wrote Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman. Physicists
are not the only ones who must guard against self-delusion—managers
must as well. And the temptation of self-deception proves almost
irresistible when it comes to the elusive business of communication. Most
people overestimate their ability to communicate and underestimate the
difficulty of the challenge. Therefore, the purpose of Communicating for
Managerial Effectiveness is to enable managers to strategically resolve
typical organizational communication problems.

This presents an unusual challenge for two reasons. First, our knowledge
of the communication process continues to grow and change. New and
exciting theories have recently appeared on the horizon that allow us to see
communication in a light never before possible. Only in the past few years
have we started to discern the implications of these ideas. For instance,
some scholars have challenged the traditional assertion that
“understanding” or “persuasion” should be the only goals of
communication. Sometimes managers are purposefully ambiguous. What
are the implications of this notion for managers? Can misunderstandings
be useful in an organization? These are the types of questions entertained
in these pages.

Second, there is what I call the “everybody/anybody phenomenon.”

Translation: Because everybody communicates, anyone can become an
expert on the subject. Hence, what often gets passed off as training for
“communication excellence” consists of nothing more than warmed-over
platitudes or rehashed pop psychology. That is unfortunate, not only
because it misrepresents a rich field of scholarship but also because
managers encounter a host of communication challenges that are not
addressed by the “everybody/anybody” speakers. They treat ideas like they
are cotton candy—something fluffy and sweet but not the staple of
organizational life. Nothing could be further from reality. Ideas have
consequences. Bad ideas have bad consequences. When the
communication system breaks down, tragedy is often the result. A case in
point: the space shuttle Columbia tragedy, discussed in the culture chapter
(Chapter 4).

21
The impetus for this book came from the research I conducted in more
than 100 organizations and from the concerns revealed in numerous
consulting engagements, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100
companies (see www.imetacomm.com). The methodology consisted of
administering surveys and conducting interviews with employees. As I
conducted communication assessments, often in conjunction with students,
I discovered a group of concerns that emerged as common themes in these
organizations. For instance, executives were often dismayed at the
seeming impossibility of getting departments to communicate effectively
with one another. Employees were often frustrated by the lack of useful
feedback from their managers. The book took shape around these
concerns. In subsequent years, I’ve had the privilege of advising
executives, managers, government officials, military leaders, and union
officials from a wide array of different organizations. These experiences
have reinforced my view of the importance of effective communication
and reaffirmed my commitment to finding actionable strategies to address
the major communication challenges that every leader faces. I’ve
integrated the insights gleaned from these experiences into the book.

The illustration on the next page provides the framework for the book. At
the hub of managerial effectiveness lie communication sensibilities,
corporate culture, and ethics. The first two chapters are devoted to
explaining the communication sensibilities necessary for success. Chapter
3 focuses on communication ethics. If managers are not deemed to be
ethical communicators, then their lack of credibility undermines any
attempt at effective communication. Chapter 4 concerns the core issue of
corporate culture, which has a pervasive impact on the communication
climate. The spokes of the wheel in the figure represent seven critical
communication challenges most managers face. In Chapters 5 through 11,
I begin by analyzing a particular challenge and close with practical
recommendations based on actual cases. These seven chapters discuss the
following:

Selecting and using communication technologies (Chapter 5)

Managing data, information, knowledge, and action (Chapter 6)
Providing performance feedback (Chapter 7)
Communicating across organizational boundaries (Chapter 8)
Structuring and using robust decision-making practices (Chapter 9)
Communicating about organizational changes (Chapter 10)
Cultivating the innovative spirit (Chapter 11)

22
The final chapter (Chapter 12) focuses on the complex issue of measuring
and judging communication effectiveness. It suggests a way to build a
world-class organizational communication system. It represents the rim of
the wheel because it provides the macrolevel viewpoint that holds the
entire book together. The wheel symbolizes wholeness as well as
movement. I hope this book will provide a more complete picture of
managerial communication effectiveness, while presenting an image of the
ever-changing nature of that quest.

I use examples from the business world—many from my consulting

experiences—as well as from a wide range of arenas, including politics,
history, science, and art. The rationale: Communication issues pervade
every arena of life. Unless otherwise noted, I have changed the names and
slightly altered the background to “protect the guilty.” When particularly
illuminating, I discuss the findings of key scholarly studies. However, I
focus on the practical implementation of the research. I hope that
executives, managers, potential managers, training personnel, and students
of organizational communication will find in these pages a way to abide by
Professor Feynman’s “first principle.”

23
24
To Laurey, who continues to dazzle me with her charm, intellect, and
spirit.

25
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 [Going—returns.

Count (touching guitar).

Good! let it be but one.

Elisabetta.

Hath she return’d thy love?

Count.

Not yet!

Elisabetta.

And will she?

Count (looking at Lady Giovanna).

I scarce believe it!

Elisabetta.

Shame upon her then!

[Exit.

Count (sings).

“Dead mountain flowers”——

Ah well, my nurse has broken
The thread of my dead flowers, as she has broken
My china bowl. My memory is as dead.

[Goes and replaces guitar.

Strange that the words at home with me so long

Should fly like bosom friends when needed most.
So by your leave if you would hear the rest,
The writing.

Lady Giovanna (holding wreath toward him).

There! my lord, you are a poet,

And can you not imagine that the wreath,
Set, as you say, so lightly on her head,
Fell with her motion as she rose, and she,
A girl, a child, then but fifteen, however
Flutter’d or flatter’d by your notice of her,
Was yet too bashful to return for it?

Count.

Was it so indeed? was it so? was it so?

[Leans forward to take wreath, and

touches Lady Giovanna’s hand,
which she withdraws hastily; he
places wreath on corner of chair.

Lady Giovanna (with dignity).

I did not say, my lord, that it was so;

I said you might imagine it was so.

Enter Filippo with bowl of salad, which he places on table.

Filippo.

Here’s a fine salad for my lady, for tho’ we have been a

soldier, and ridden by his lordship’s side, and seen the red of the
battle-field, yet are we now drill-sergeant to his lordship’s
lettuces, and profess to be great in green things and in garden-
stuff.

Lady Giovanna.
 I thank you, good Filippo.

[Exit Filippo.

Enter Elisabetta with bird on a dish which she places on table.

Elisabetta (close to table).

Here’s a fine fowl for my lady; I had scant time to do him in. I
hope he be not underdone, for we be undone in the doing of
him.

Lady Giovanna.

I thank you, my good nurse.

Filippo (re-entering with plate of prunes).

And here are fine fruits for my lady—prunes, my lady, from the
tree that my lord himself planted here in the blossom of his
boyhood—and so I, Filippo, being, with your ladyship’s pardon,
and as your ladyship knows, his lordship’s own foster-brother,
would commend them to your ladyship’s most peculiar
appreciation.

[Puts plate on table.

Elisabetta.

Filippo!

Lady Giovanna (Count leads her to table).

Will you not eat with me, my lord?

Count.

I cannot,
Not a morsel, not one morsel. I have broken
My fast already. I will pledge you. Wine!
Filippo, wine!

[Sits near table; Filippo brings flask,

fills the Count’s goblet, then
Lady Giovanna’s; Elisabetta
stands at the back of Lady
Giovanna’s chair.

Count.

It is but thin and cold,

Not like the vintage blowing round your castle.
We lie too deep down in the shadow here.
Your ladyship lives higher in the sun.

[They pledge each other and drink.

Lady Giovanna.

If I might send you down a flask or two

Of that same vintage? There is iron in it.
It has been much commended as a medicine.
I give it my sick son, and if you be
Not quite recover’d of your wound, the wine
Might help you. None has ever told me yet
The story of your battle and your wound.

Filippo (coming forward).

I can tell you, my lady, I can tell you.

Elisabetta.

Filippo! will you take the word out of your master’s own
mouth?

Filippo.
 Was it there to take? Put it there, my lord.

Count.

Giovanna, my dear lady, in this same battle

We had been beaten—they were ten to one.
The trumpets of the fight had echo’d down,
I and Filippo here had done our best,
And, having passed unwounded from the field,
Were seated sadly at a fountain side,
Our horses grazing by us, when a troop,
Laden with booty and with a flag of ours
Ta’en in the fight——

Filippo.

Ay, but we fought for it back,

And kill’d——

Elisabetta.

Filippo!

Count.

A troop of horse——

Filippo.

Five
hundred!

Count.

Say fifty!

Filippo.

And we kill’d ’em by the score!

 Elisabetta.

Filippo!

Filippo.

Well, well, well! I bite my tongue.

Count.

We may have left their fifty less by five.

However, staying not to count how many,
But anger’d at their flaunting of our flag,
We mounted, and we dashed into the heart of ’em.
I wore the lady’s chaplet round my neck;
It served me for a blessed rosary.
I am sure that more than one brave fellow owed
His death to the charm in it.

Elisabetta.

Hear that, my lady!

Count.

I cannot tell how long we strove before

Our horses fell beneath us; down we went
Crush’d, hack’d at, trampled underfoot. The night,
As some cold-manner’d friend may strangely do us
The truest service, had a touch of frost
That help’d to check the flowing of the blood.
My last sight ere I swoon’d was one sweet face
Crown’d with the wreath. That seem’d to come and go.
They left us there for dead!

Elisabetta.

Hear that, my lady!

 Filippo.

Ay, and I left two fingers there for dead. See, my lady!
(Showing his hand).

Lady Giovanna.

I see, Filippo!

Filippo.

And I have small hope of the gentleman gout in my great toe.

Lady Giovanna.

And why, Filippo?

[Smiling absently.

Filippo.

I left him there for dead too!

Elisabetta.

She smiles at him—how hard the woman is!

My lady, if your ladyship were not
Too proud to look upon the garland, you
Would find it stain’d——

Count (rising).

Silence, Elisabetta!

Elisabetta.

Stain’d with the blood of the best heart that ever

Beat for one woman.
 [Points to wreath on chair.

Lady Giovanna (rising slowly).

I can eat no more!

Count.

You have but trifled with our homely salad,

But dallied with a single lettuce-leaf;
Not eaten anything.

Lady Giovanna.

Nay, nay, I cannot.

You know, my lord, I told you I was troubled.
My one child Florio lying still so sick,
I bound myself, and by a solemn vow,
That I would touch no flesh till he were well
Here, or else well in Heaven, where all is well.

[Elisabetta clears table of bird and

salad: Filippo snatches up the
plate of prunes and holds them to
Lady Giovanna.

Filippo.

But the prunes, my lady, from the tree that his lordship——

Lady Giovanna.

Not now, Filippo. My lord Federigo,

Can I not speak with you once more alone?

Count.

You hear, Filippo? My good fellow, go!

 Filippo.

But the prunes that your lordship——

Elisabetta.

Filippo!

Count.

Ay, prune our company of thine own and go!

Elisabetta.

Filippo!

Filippo (turning).

Well, well! the women!

[Exit.

Count.

And thou too leave us, my dear nurse, alone.

Elisabetta (folding up cloth and going).

And me too! Ay, the dear nurse will leave you alone; but, for
all that, she that has eaten the yolk is scarce like to swallow the
shell.

[Turns and curtseys stiffly to Lady

Giovanna, then exit. Lady
Giovanna takes out diamond
necklace from casket.

Lady Giovanna.
I have anger’d your good nurse; these old-world servants
Are all but flesh and blood with those they serve.
My lord, I have a present to return you,
And afterwards a boon to crave of you.

Count.

No, my most honour’d and long-worshipt lady,

Poor Federigo degli Alberighi
Takes nothing in return from you except
Return of his affection—can deny
Nothing to you that you require of him.

Lady Giovanna.

Then I require you to take back your diamonds—

[Offering necklace.

I doubt not they are yours. No other heart

Of such magnificence in courtesy
Beats—out of heaven. They seem’d too rich a prize
To trust with any messenger. I came
In person to return them.

[Count draws back.

If the phrase
“Return” displease you, we will say—exchange them
For your—for your——

Count (takes a step toward her and then back).

For mine—and what of mine?

Lady Giovanna.

Well, shall we say this wreath and your sweet rhymes?

 Count.

But have you ever worn my diamonds?

Lady Giovanna.

No!
For that would seem accepting of your love,
I cannot brave my brother—but be sure
That I shall never marry again, my lord!

Count.

Sure?

Lady Giovanna.

Yes!

Count.

Is this your brother’s order?

Lady Giovanna.

No!
For he would marry me to the richest man
In Florence; but I think you know the saying—
“Better a man without riches, than riches without a man.”

Count.

A noble saying—and acted on would yield

A nobler breed of men and women. Lady,
I find you a shrewd bargainer. The wreath
That once you wore outvalues twentyfold
The diamonds that you never deign’d to wear.
But lay them there for a moment!
 [Points to table. Lady Giovanna
places necklace on table.

And be you
Gracious enough to let me know the boon
By granting which, if aught be mine to grant,
I should be made more happy than I hoped
Ever to be again.

Lady Giovanna.

Then keep your wreath,

But you will find me a shrewd bargainer still.
I cannot keep your diamonds, for the gift
I ask for, to my mind and at this present
Outvalues all the jewels upon earth.

Count.

It should be love that thus outvalues all.

You speak like love, and yet you love me not.
I have nothing in this world but love for you.

Lady Giovanna.

Love? it is love, love for my dying boy,

Moves me to ask it of you.

Count.

What? my time?
Is it my time? Well, I can give my time
To him that is a part of you, your son.
Shall I return to the castle with you? Shall I
Sit by him, read to him, tell him my tales,
Sing him my songs? You know that I can touch
The ghittern to some purpose.
 Lady Giovanna.

No, not that!

I thank you heartily for that—and you,
I doubt not from your nobleness of nature,
Will pardon me for asking what I ask.

Count.

Giovanna, dear Giovanna, I that once

The wildest of the random youth of Florence
Before I saw you—all my nobleness
Of nature, as you deign to call it, draws
From you, and from my constancy to you.
No more, but speak.

Lady Giovanna.

I will. You know sick people,

More specially sick children, have strange fancies,
Strange longings; and to thwart them in their mood
May work them grievous harm at times, may even
Hasten their end. I would you had a son!
It might be easier then for you to make
Allowance for a mother—her—who comes
To rob you of your one delight on earth.
How often has my sick boy yearn’d for this!
I have put him off as often; but to-day
I dared not—so much weaker, so much worse
For last day’s journey. I was weeping for him;
He gave me his hand: “I should be well again
If the good Count would give me——”

Count.

Give me.

Lady Giovanna.
 His falcon.

Count (starts back).

My falcon!

Lady Giovanna.

Yes, your falcon, Federigo!

Count.

Alas, I cannot!

Lady Giovanna.

Cannot? Even so!

I fear’d as much. O this unhappy world!
How shall I break it to him? how shall I tell him?
The boy may die: more blessed were the rags
Of some pale beggar-woman seeking alms
For her sick son, if he were like to live,
Than all my childless wealth, if mine must die.
I was to blame—the love you said you bore me—
My lord, we thank you for your entertainment,

[With a stately curtsey.

And so return—Heaven help him!—to our son.

[Turns.

Count (rushes forward).

Stay, stay, I am most unlucky, most unhappy.

You never had look’d in on me before,
And when you came and dipt your sovereign head
Thro’ these low doors, you ask’d to eat with me.
I had but emptiness to set before you,
No not a draught of milk, no not an egg,
Nothing but my brave bird, my noble falcon,
My comrade of the house, and of the field.
She had to die for it—she died for you.
Perhaps I thought with those of old, the nobler
The victim was, the more acceptable
Might be the sacrifice. I fear you scarce
Will thank me for your entertainment now.

Lady Giovanna (returning).

I bear with him no longer.

Count.

No, Madonna!
And he will have to bear with it as he may.

Lady Giovanna.

I break with him for ever!

Count.

Yes, Giovanna,
But he will keep his love to you for ever!

Lady Giovanna.

You? you? not you! My brother! my hard brother!

O Federigo, Federigo, I love you!
Spite of ten thousand brothers, Federigo.

[Falls at his feet.

Count (impetuously).

Why then the dying of my noble bird

Hath served me better than her living—then
 [Takes diamonds from table.

These diamonds are both yours and mine—have won

Their value again—beyond all markets—there
I lay them for the first time round your neck.

[Lays necklace round her neck.

And then this chaplet—No more feuds, but peace,

Peace and conciliation! I will make
Your brother love me. See, I tear away
The leaves were darken’d by the battle——

[Pulls leaves off and throws them down.

—crown you
Again with the same crown my Queen of Beauty.

[Places wreath on her head.

Rise—I could almost think that the dead garland

Will break once more into the living blossom.
Nay, nay, I pray you rise.

[Raises her with both hands.

We two together
Will help to heal your son—your son and mine—
We shall do it—we shall do it.

[Embraces her.

The purpose of my being is accomplish’d,

And I am happy!

Lady Giovanna.

And I too, Federigo.

 THE END.
Printed by R. & R. Clark, Edinburgh.
Crown 8vo. Price 7s. 6d.

THE WORKS OF LORD TENNYSON

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