What lies in wait for thee. Sleep shall not close Thine eyes this night! Give me my cloak and sword. [Exeunt. SCENE VI.-A retired spot beyond the city gates. Enter VICTORIAN and HYPOLITO. Vict. O shame! O shame! Why do I walk abroad Cry, "Hide thyself!" O what a thin partition And in derision seems to smile at me. Hyp. Did I not caution thee? Did I not tell thee I was but half-persuaded of her virtue? Vict. And yet, Hypolito, we may be wrong, We may be over-hasty in condemning! The Count of Lara is a cursed villain. Hyp. And therefore is she cursed, loving him. Vict. She does not love him! 'Tis for gold! for gold! Hyp. Ay, but remember, in the public streets He shows a golden ring the Gipsy gave him, A serpent with a ruby in its mouth. Vict. She had that ring from me! God! she is false! Hyp. Nay, he is no coward : A villain, if thou wilt, but not a coward. I've seen him play with swords: it is his pastime. He'll task thy skill anon. Look, here he comes. Lara. Good evening, gentlemen. Hyp. Lara. I trust I have not kept you Good evening, Count. Hyp. It grieves me much to see this quarrel But you must make one with your swords? I do entreat thee, dear Hypolito, No! none! Stand not between me and my foe. Too long (They fight. VICTORIAN disarms the COUNT.) Your life is mine; and what shall now withhold me From sending your vile soul to its account? Lara. Strike! strike! Vict. You are disarmed. 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! The Count of Lara Has shown himself a brave man, and Victorian A generous one, as ever. Now be friends. Put up your swords; for, to speak frankly to you, To move you to extremes. Lara. I am content. I sought no quarrel. A few hasty words, I understand you. Therein I did not mean to cross your path. To me the door stood open, as to others. Vict. Ay, false as hell itself! Lara. In truth I did not seek her; she sought me ; The hours when she was oftenest left alone. Vict. Say, can you prove this to me? Oh, pluck out Let me know all! all! all! If further proof Is needful, I have here a ring she gave me. Vict. Pray let me see that ring! It is the same! I now can see the folly I have done, Though 'tis, alas! too late. So fare you well! Lara. [Exeunt VICTORIAN and HYPOLITO. Thus have I cleared the field of my worst foe! The citadel is stormed, the victory won! [Exit with FRANCISCO. SCENE VII.-A lane in the suburbs. Night. Enter CRUZADO and BARTOLOME. 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? Cruz. Preciosa. Bart. And she brings me back. Hast thou forgotten thy promise? Cruz. The two years are not passed yet. Wait patiently. The girl shall be thine. Bart. I hear she has a Busné lover. Cruz. That is nothing. 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. SCENE IX.-The COUNT OF LARA'S chambers. LARA and his friends at supper. Lara. So, Caballeros, once more many thanks! You have stood by me bravely in this matter, Pray fill your glasses. Don Juan. Did you mark, Don Luis, How pale she looked, when first the noise began, Don Luis. I pitied her. Lara. Her pride is humbled; and this very night Yes, try Don Dinero; Lara. She now is in. Don J. Try golden cymbals. A mighty wooer is your Don Dinero. Lara. To tell the truth, then, I have bribed her maid. But, Caballeros, you dislike this wine. A bumper and away; for the night wears. A health to Preciosa! All.. (They rise and drink.) Preciosa! Lara (holding up his glass). Thou bright and flaming minister of Love! Thou wonderful magician! who hast stolen Don J. (Drinks and dashes the goblet down.) (Scene closes.) SCENE X.-Street and garden wall. Night. Enter CRUZADO and BARTOLOME. 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? Cruz. Because she is not at home. Bart. No matter; we can wait. But how is this? The gate is bolted. (Sound of guitars and voices in a neighbouring street.) Hark! There comes her lover with his infernal serenade! Hark! Good night! Good night, beloved! SONG.* Cruz. They are not coming this Thine eyes are stars of morning, SONG (coming nearer). Ah! thou moon that shinest All night long enlighten All night long enlighten! From the Spanish ; as are likewise the songs immediately following, and that which commences the first scene of Act III. Bart. Woe be to him, if he comes this way! SONG (dying away). The nuns in the cloister Sang to each other; For so many sisters Is there not one brother! Ay, for the partridge, mother! The cat has run away with the partridge! Puss! puss! puss! Bart. Follow that! follow that! 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, Now, gentlemen, come in, and help me scale Yon balcony. How now? Her light still burns. Move warily. Make fast the gate, Francisco. (Exeunt. Reenter CRUZADO and BARTOLOME.) Bart. They went in at the gate. Hark! I hear them in the garden. (Tries the gate.) Bolted again! Vive Cristo! Follow me over the wall. (They climb the wall.) SCENE XI.-PRECIOSA's bed-chamber. Midnight. She is sleeping in an arm-chair, in an undress. DOLORES watching her. Dol. She sleeps at last! (Opens the window and listens.) All silent in the street, 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. 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 you. I'm ready now,-give me my castanets. Where is Victorian? Oh, those hateful lamps! They glare upon me like an evil eye. I cannot stay. Hark! how they mock at me! They hiss at me like serpents! Save me! save me! How late is it, Dolores? Dol. It is midnight. Prec. We must be patient. Smooth this pillow for me. |