You are disarmed. | Thus may she perish who once wore that Vict. I will not kill you. I will not murder you. Take up your sword. (FRANCISCO hands the COUNT his sword, and HYPOLITO interposes.) Hyp. Enough! Let it end here ! Has shown himself a brave man, and A generous one, as ever. Now be friends. ring! Thus do I spurn her from me; do thus trample Her memory in the dust! O Count of Lara, We both have been abused, been much abused! I thank you for your courtesy and frank ness. Though, like the surgeon's hand, yours gave me pain, Put up your swords; for, to speak frank-Yet it has cured my blindness, and I ly to you, Your cause of quarrel is too slight a thing To move you to extremes. Lara. I am content. I sought no quarrel. A few hasty words, Spoken in the heat of blood, have led to this. Vict. Nay, something more than that. Lara. I understand you. Therein I did not mean to cross your path. To me the door stood open, as to others. But, had I known the girl belonged to you, Never would I have sought to win her thank you. I now can see the folly I have done, Though 't is, alas! too late. So fare you well! To-night I leave this hateful town forever. Regard me as your friend. Once more farewell! Hyp. Farewell, Sir Count. [Exeunt VICTORIAN and HYPOLITO. Lara. Farewell! farewell! farewell! Thus have I cleared the field of my worst I foe! have none else to fear; the fight is done, The citadel is stormed, the victory won! [Exit with FRANCISCO. SCENE VII. A lane in the suburbs. Night. Enter CRUZADO and BARTOLOMÉ. Cruz. And so, Bartolomé, the expedition failed. But where wast thou for the most part? Bart. In the Guadarrama mountains, near San Ildefonso. Cruz. And thou bringest nothing back with thee? Didst thou rob no one Bart. There was no one to rob, save a party of students from Segovia, who looked as if they would rob us; and a jolly little friar, who had nothing in his pockets but a missal and a loaf of bread. Cruz. Pray, then, what brings thee back to Madrid? Bart. First tell me what keeps thee here? (Throws it upon the ground, and tramples yet. Wait patiently. The girl shall be upon it. thine. Bart. I hear she has a Busné lover. Bart. I do not like it. I hate him, the son of a Busné harlot. He goes in and out, and speaks with her alone, and I must stand aside, and wait his pleasure. Cruz. Be patient, I say. Thou shalt have thy revenge. When the time comes, thou shalt waylay him. Bart. Meanwhile, show me her house. Cruz. Come this way. But thou wilt not find her. She dances at the play to-night. Bart. No matter. Show me the house. [Exeunt. SCENE VIII. The Theatre. The orchestra plays the cachucha. Sound of castanets behind the scenes. The curtain rises, and discovers PRECIOSA in the attitude of commencing the dance. The cachucha. Tumult; hisses; cries of "Brava !" and "Afuera!" She falters and pauses. The music stops. General confusion. PRECIOSA faints. A mortal name be whispered in thine ear, Go! keep my secret! (Drinks and dashes the goblet down.) Don J. Ite! missa est! (Scene closes.) SCENE X.-Street and garden wall. Night. Enter CRUZADO and BARTOLOMÉ. Cruz. This is the garden wall, and above it, yonder, is her house. The window in which thou seest the light is her window. But we will not go in now. Bart. Why not? But Cruz. Because she is not at home. Bart. No matter; we can wait. how is this? The gate is bolted. (Sound of guitars and voices in a neigh boring street.) Hark! There comes her lover with his infernal serenade! Hark! SONG. Good night! Good night, beloved! Thine eyes are stars of morning, Cruz. They are not coming this way. Prec. Go tell them that I cannot dance to-night; I am too ill! Look at me! See the fever That burns upon my cheek! I must go hence. I am too weak to dance. (Signal from the garden.) Dol. (from the window). Who's there? Voice (from below). A friend. Dol. I will undo the door. Wait till I come. Prec. I must go hence. I pray you do not harm me! Shame shame! to treat a feeble woman thus ! Be you but kind, I will do all things for nets. Bart. Follow that! follow that! Where is Victorian? Oh, those hateful Come with me. Puss! puss! (Exeunt. On the opposite side enter the COUNT OF LARA and gentlemen, with FRANCISCO.) Lara. The gate is fast. Over the wall, Francisco, And draw the bolt. There, so, and so, and over. Now, gentlemen, come in, and help me scale Yon balcony. How now? Her light still burns. lamps ! They glare upon me like an evil eye. cannot stay. Hark! how they mock I at me ! They hiss at me like serpents! Save me! save me ! (She wakes.) How late is it, Dolores? Dol. It is midnight. Prec. We must be patient. Smooth this pillow for me. Move warily. Make fast the gate, Fran- (She sleeps again. Noise from the garden, cisco. and voices.) SONG (continued). Thy deceits Give us clearly to comprehend, All thy pleasures, all thy sweets! Thorns below and flowers above. Perjured, false, treacherous Love! Vict. A very pretty song. I thank thee for it. Hyp. It suits thy case. Vict. Indeed, I think it does. What wise man wrote it? Hyp. Lopez Maldonado. Vict. In truth, a pretty song. Hyp. With much truth in it. I hope thou wilt profit by it; and in earnest Try to forget this lady of thy love. Vict. I will forget her! All dear recollections Pressed in my heart, like flowers within a book, Shall be torn out, and scattered to the winds! I will forget her! But perhaps hereafter, All this the dead feel not, the dead When she shall learn how heartless is the alone! Would I were with them! weary Of the bewildering masquerade of Life, Where strangers walk as friends, and friends as strangers; Where whispers overheard betray false hearts; And through the mazes of the crowd we chase Some form of loveliness, that smiles, and | And, like an idle mariner on the main, Whistles the quail. Come, let us hasten [Exeunt. beckons, And cheats us with fair words, only to on. SCENE II. Public square in the village of Guadarrama. The Ave Maria still tolling. A crowd of villagers, with their hats in their hands, as if in prayer. In front, a group of Gypsies." The bell rings a merrier peal. A Gypsy dance. Enter PANCHO, followed by PEDRO CRES PO. Pancho. Make room, ye vagabonds Make room for the Alcalde and for me ! and Gypsy thieves ! Pedro C. Keep silence all! I have an edict here From our most gracious lord, the King of Spain, Jerusalem, and the Canary Islands, Which I shall publish in the marketplace. Open your ears and listen! (Enter the PADRE CURA at the door of his cottage.) Padre Cura, Good day! and, pray you, hear this edict read. Padre C. Good day, and God be with you! Pray, what is it? Pedro C. An act of banishment against the Gypsies! (Agitation and murmurs in the crowd.) Pancho. Silence ! Pedro C. (reads). "I hereby order and command, That the Egyptian and Chaldean strangers, Known by the name of Gypsies, shall henceforth Be banished from the realm, as vagabonds And beggars; and if, after seventy days, Any be found within our kingdom's bounds, They shall receive a hundred lashes each; The second time, shall have their ears cut off; The third, be slaves for life to him who takes them, Or burnt as heretics. Signed, I, the King." Vile miscreants and creatures unbaptized! You hear the law! Obey and disappear! |