They will all be there,
And at the given signal raise a whirlwind
Of such discordant noises, that the dance
Must cease for lack of music.

 

Lara.                    Bravely done.
Ah! little dost thou dream, sweet Preciosa,    990
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.  Oh shame! Oh shame! Why do I walk abroad
By daylight, when the very sunshine mocks me,
And voices, and familiar sights and sounds    995
Cry, “Hide thyself!” Oh, what a thin partition
Doth shut out from the curious world the knowledge
Of evil deeds that have been done in darkness!
Disgrace has many tongues. My fears are windows,
Through which all eyes seem gazing. Every face    1000
Expresses some suspicion of my shame.
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,    1005
We may be over-hasty in condemning!
The Count of Lara is a cursèd villain.

 

Hyp.  And therefore is she cursèd, loving him.

 

Vict.  She does not love him! ‘T is for gold! for gold!

 

Hyp.  Ay, but remember, in the public streets    1010
He shows a golden ring the Gypsy gave him,
A serpent with a ruby in its mouth.

 

Vict.  She had that ring from me! God! she is false;
But I will be revenged! The hour is passed.
Where stays the coward?

 

Hyp.            Nay, he is no coward;    1015
A villain, if thou wilt, but not a coward.
I ‘ve seen him play with swords; it is his pastime.
And therefore be not over-confident,
He ‘ll task thy skill anon. Look, here he comes.
(Enter LARA followed by FRANCISCO)

 

Lara.  Good evening, gentlemen.

 

Hyp.            Good evening, Count.    1020

 

Lara.  I trust I have not kept you long in waiting.

 

Vict.  Not long, and yet too long. Are you prepared?

 

Lara.  I am.

 

Hyp.    It grieves me much to see this quarrel
Between you, gentlemen. Is there no way
Left open to accord this difference,    1025
But you must make one with your swords?

 

Vict.                    No! none!
I do entreat thee, dear Hypolito,
Stand not between me and my foe. Too long
Our tongues have spoken. Let these tongues of steel
End our debate. Upon your guard, Sir Count.    1030
(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.    1035
(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,
Your cause of quarrel is too slight a thing    1040
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.    1045
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 from you.
The truth stands now revealed; she has been false
To both of us.

 

Vict.            Ay, false as hell itself!    1050

 

Lara.  In truth, I did not seek her; she sought me;
And told me how to win her, telling me
The hours when she was oftenest left alone.

 

Vict.  Say, can you prove this to me? Oh, pluck out
These awful doubts, that goad me into madness!    1055
Let me know all! all! all!

 

Lara.                You shall know all.
Here is my page, who was the messenger
Between us. Question him. Was it not so,
Francisco?

 

Fran.            Ay, my lord.

 

Lara.                    If further proof
Is needful, I have here a ring she gave me.    1060

 

Vict.  Pray let me see that ring! It is the same!
(Throws it upon the ground, and tramples upon it.)
Thus may she perish who once wore that 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!    1065
I thank you for your courtesy and frankness.
Though, like the surgeon’s hand, yours gave me pain,
Yet it has cured my blindness, and I thank you.
I now can see the folly I have done,
Though ‘t is, alas! too late. So fare you well!    1070
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 foe!
I have none else to fear; the fight is done,    1075
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.    1080

 

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.    1085

 

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.