Still prompts thee wisely. Let the pangs of guilt
Surprise the guilty: thou art innocent!

Exeunt Teresa and Attendants.

(Music as before).

The spell is mutter'd-Come, thou wandering Shape,
Who own'st no Master in a human eye,

Whate'er be this man's doom, fair be it, or foul;
If he be dead, O come! and bring with thee
That which he grasp'd in death! but if he live,
Some token of his obscure perilous life.

[The whole Music clashes into a Chorus.

CHORUS.

Wandering Demons, hear the spell!
Lest a blacker charm compel-

[The incense on the altar takes fire suddenly, and an illuminated picture of Alvar's assassination is discovered, and having remained a few seconds is then hidden by ascending flames. Ord. (starting in great agitation). Duped! duped! duped!-the traitor Isidore!

[At this instant the doors are forced open, Monviedro and the Familiars of the Inquisition, Servants etc. enter and fill the stage.

Monv. First sieze the sorcerer! suffer him not to speak!

The holy judges of the Inquisition

Shall hear his first words.-Look you pale, Lord Valdez? Plain evidence have we here of most foul sorcery.

There is a dungeon underneath this castle,

And as you hope for mild interpretation,

Surrender instantly the keys and charge of it.

Ord. (recovering himself as from stupor, to his Ser

vants).

Why haste you not? Off with him to the dungeon!

[All rush out in tumult.

G

SCRNE II.-Interior of a Chapel with paintea Win

dows.

Enter TERESA.

Ter. When first I enter'd this pure spot, forebodings Press'd heavy on my heart: but as I knelt,

Such calm unwonted bliss possess'd my spirit,

A trance so cloudless, that those sounds, hard by,
Of trampling uproar fell upon mine ear

As alien and unnoticed as the rain-storm
Beats on the roof of some fair banquet-room,
While sweetest melodies are warbling—

Enter VALDEZ.

Val. Ye pitying saints, forgive a father's blindness, And extricate us from this net of peril!

Ter. Who wakes anew my fears, and speaks of peril? Val. O best Teresa, wisely wert thou prompted! This was no feat of mortal agency!

That picture-Oh, that picture tells me all!

With a flash of light it came, in flames it vanish'd,
Self-kindled, self-consumed: bright as thy Life,
Sudden and unexpected as thy Fate,

Alvar! My son! My son!-The Inquisitor

Ter. Torture me not! But Alvar-Oh of Alvar? Val. How often would he plead for these Morescoes? The brood accurst! remorseless, coward murderers ! Ter. (wildly). So? so?-I comprehend you-He

is

Val. (with averted countenance). He is no more! Ter. O sorrow! that a father's voice should say this, A father's heart believe it!

Val.
A worse sorrow
Are Fancy's wild hopes to a heart despairing!

Ter. These rays that slant in through those gorgeous windows,

From yon bright orb-though colour'd as they pass,

Are they not Light?-Even so that voice, Lord Valdez!
Which whispers to my soul, though haply varied
By many a fancy, many a wistful hope,
Speaks yet the truth: and Alvar lives for me!

Val. Yes, for three wasting years, thus and no other,
He has lived for thee-a spirit for thy spirit!
My child, we must not give religious faith
To every voice which makes the heart a listener
To its own wish.

Ter.

I breathed to the Unerring

Permitted prayers. Must those remain unanswer'd, Yet impious sorcery, that holds no commune

Save with the lying Spirit, claim belief?

Val. O not to-day, not now for the first time Was Alvar lost to thee

[Turning off, aloud, but yet as to himself.
Accurst assassins !

Disarmed, o'erpower'd, despairing of defence,
At his bared breast he seem'd to grasp some relict
More dear than was his life-

Ter. (with a faint shriek). O Heavens ! my portrait! And he did grasp it in his death-pang!

Off, false Demon, That beat'st thy black wings close above my head! [Ordonio, enters with the keys of the dungeon in his hand.

Hush! who comes here? The wizard Moor's em

ployer !

Moors were his murderers, you say? Saints shield us From wicked thoughts

[Valdez moves towards the back of the stage to meet Ordonio, and during the concluding lines of Teresa's speech appears as eagerly conversing with him.

Is Alvar dead? what then?

The nuptial rites and funeral shall be one!
Here's no abiding-place for thee, Teresa-
Away! they see me not-Thou seest me, Alvar!
To thee I bend my course.-But first one question,
One question to Ordonio.—My limbs tremble-
There I may sit unmark'd—a moment will restore me.
[Retires out of sight.

Ord. (as he advances with Valdez). These are the dungeon keys. Monviedro knew not

That I too had received the wizard message.
"He that can bring the dead to life again."
But now he is satisfied, I plann'd this scheme
To work a full conviction on the culprit,
And he intrusts him wholly to my keeping.

Val. 'Tis well, my son! But have you yet discover'd

Where is Teresa? what those speeches meant-
Pride, and Hypocrisy, and Guilt, and Cunning?
Then when the wizard fix'd his eye on you,
And you, I know not why, look'd pale and trembled—
Why-why, what ails you now?—

Ord. (confused). Me? what ails me?

A pricking of the blood-It might have happen'd

At any other time.-Why scan you me?

Val. His speech about the corse, and stabs and murderers

Bore reference to the assassins

Ord. Duped! duped! duped!

The traitor, Isidore !

I am most glad of this.

[A pause; then wilały.

I tell thee, my dear father!

Val. (confused). 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 recognize.

Ord. Yes! yes! we recognize them

I was benumb'd, and stagger'd 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 't is sun

shine,

And the blood dances freely through its channels!

[Turns off abruptly; then to himself

This is my virtuous, grateful Isidore !

[Then mimicking Isidore's manner and voice.

“A common trick of gratitude, my lord!"

Oh Gratitude! a dagger would dissect

His "

Own full heart"-'t were 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. (in a slow voice, as reasoniug to himself). 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-'t is like a dream!