The traitor Isidore!

I am most glad of this..

Val.

[a pause, then wildly.

I tell thee, my dear father!

True-sorcery

Merits its doom; and this perchance may guide us
To the discovery of the murderers.

I have their statures and their several faces
So present to me, that but once to meet them
Would be to recognise.

Ord.

Yes! yes! we recognise them. I was benumb'd, and staggered up and down Through darkness without light-dark-dark

dark!

My flesh crept chill, my limbs felt manacled,
As had a snake coil'd round them!-Now 'tis sun-

shine,

And the blood dances freely through its channels! [then to himself.

This is my virtuous, grateful Isidore!

[then mimicing Isidore's manner and voice.

“A common trick of gratitude, my lord!”

Old Gratitude! a dagger would dissect

His "own full heart"-'twere good to see its colour. Val. These magic sights! O that I ne'er had yielded

To your entreaties! Neither had I yielded,
But that in spite of your own seeming faith
I held it for some innocent stratagem,
Which love had prompted, to remove the doubts
Of wild Teresa-by fancies quelling fancies!

Ord. Love! love! and then we hate! and what?

and wherefore?

Hatred and love! fancies opposed by fancies!
What, if one reptile sting another reptile?
Where is the crime? The goodly face of nature
Hath one disfeaturing stain the less upon it.
Are we not all predestined transiency,
And cold dishonour! Grant it, that this hand
Had given a morsel to the hungry worms
Somewhat too early-Where's the crime of this?
That this must needs bring on the idiocy
Of moist-eyed penitence-'tis like a dream!

Val. Wild talk, my son! But thy excess of feelAlmost 1 fear it hath unhinged his brain.

[ing Ord. (Teresa re-appears and advances slowly.) Say, I had laid a body in the sun!

Well! in a month there swarm forth from the corse
A thousand, nay, ten thousand sentient beings
In place of that one man.-
1.—Say, I had kill'd him!
[Teresa stops listening.

Yet who shall tell me, that each one and all
Of these ten thousand lives is not as happy,
As that one life, which being push'd aside,
Made room for these unnumbered-

Val.

O mere madness! [Teresa moves hastily forwards, and places herself directly before Ordonio.

Ord. Teresa? or the phantom of Teresa? Ter. Alas! the phantom only, if in truth The substance of her being, her life's life,

Have ta'en its flight through Alvar's death-wound

(a pause.)

Where

(Even coward murder grants the dead a grave) O tell me, Valdez!-Answer me, Ordonio! Where lies the corse of my betrothed husband?

Ord. There, where Ordonio likewise would fain lie!

In the sleep-compelling earth, in unpierc'd darkness! For while we live

An inward day that never, never sets,

Glares round the soul, and mocks the closing eyelids!

Over his rocky grave the fir-grove sighs

A lulling ceaseless dirge! "Tis well with him. [Strides off towards the altar, but returns as Val

This we beheld. Nor he nor I know more,

Than what the magic imagery revealed.

The assassin, who pressed foremost of the threeOrd. A tender-hearted, scrupulous, grateful vilWhom I will strangle!

Val.

[lain,

While his two companionsOrd. Dead! dead already! what care we for the

dead? [chant his spirit! Val. (To Teresa.) Pity him! soothe him! disenThese supernatural shows, this strange disclosure, And this too fond affection, which still broods

O'er Alvar's fate, and still burns to avenge it— These, struggling with his hopeless love for you, Distemper him, and give reality

To the creatures of his fancy.

Ord.

Is it so ?

Yes! yes! even like a child, that too abruptly
Roused by a glare of light from deepest sleep,
Starts up bewildered and talks idly.

Father!

What if the Moors that made my brother's grave, Even now were digging ours? What if the bolt, Though aim'd, I doubt not, at the son of Valdez, Yet miss'd its true aim when it fell on Alvar?

Val. Alvar ne'er fought against the Moors,-say rather,

He was their advocate; but you had march'd With fire and desolation through their villages.Yet he by chance was captured.

Ord. Unknown, perhaps, Captured, yet as the son of Valdez, murdered. Leave all to me. Nay, whither, gentle lady? Val. What seek you now?

Ter.

To guide me

A better, surer light

Both Val. and Ord. Whither?

Ter. To the only place Where life yet dwells for me, and ease of heart. These walls seem threatening to fall in upon me! Detain me not! a dim power drives me hence, And that will be my guide.

Val.

To find a lover!

Suits that a high born maiden's modesty ?

O folly and shame! Tempt not my rage, Teresa! Ter. Hopeless, I fear no human being's rage. -O heaven!

And am I hastening to the arms

I haste but to the grave of my beloved!

[Exit Valdez, following after her. Ord. This, then, is my reward! and I must love

her?

Scorn'd! shudder'd at! yet love her still? yes! yes! By the deep feelings of revenge and hate

I will still love her-woo her-win her too!
(a pause.) Isidore safe and silent, and the portrait
Found on the wizard—he, belike, self-poison'd
To escape the crueller flames- -My soul shouts tri-
umph!

The mine is undermined! blood! blood! blood!
They thirst for thy blood! thy blood, Ordonio!
[a pause.
The hunt is up! and in the midnight wood
With lights to dazzle, and with nets they seek
A timid prey and lo! the tiger's eye
Glares in the red flame of his hunter's torch!

To Isidore I will despatch a message,

And lure him to the cavern! aye, that cavern!
He cannot fail to find it. Thither I'll lure him,
Whence he shall never, never more return!

[Looks through the side window.

A rim of the sun lies yet upon the sea,

And now 'tis gone! All shall be done to-night.

[Exit.