his friend.
[A pause.
Now that he gave it me
This lady knows not. You are a mighty wizard —
Can call this dead man up — he will not come — 290
He is in heaven then! — there you have no influence —
Still there are tokens; and your imps may bring you
Something he wore about him when he died.
And when the smoke of the incense on the altar
Is pass’d, your spirits will have left this picture. 295
What say you now?
Albert (after a long pause). Osorio, I will do it.
Osorio. Delays are dangerous. It shall be tomorrow
In the early evening. Ask for the Lord Velez.
I will prepare him. Music, too, and incense,
All shall be ready. Here is this same picture — 300
And here what you will value more, a purse.
Before the dusk ——
Albert. I will not fail to meet you.
Osorio. Till next we meet, farewell!
Albert (alone, gazes passionately at the portrait). And I did
curse thee?
At midnight? on my knees? And I believed
Thee perjured, thee polluted, thee a murderess? 305
O blind and credulous fool! O guilt of folly!
Should not thy inarticulate fondnesses,
Thy infant loves — should not thy maiden vows,
Have come upon my heart? And this sweet image
Tied round my neck with many a chaste endearment 310
And thrilling hands, that made me weep and tremble.
Ah, coward dupe! to yield it to the miscreant
Who spake pollutions of thee!
I am unworthy of thy love, Maria!
Of that unearthly smile upon those lips, 315
Which ever smil’d on me! Yet do not scorn me.
I lisp’d thy name ere I had learnt my mother’s!
Enter MAURICE.
Albert. Maurice! that picture, which I painted for thee,
Of my assassination.
Maurice. I’ll go fetch it.
Albert. Haste! for I yearn to tell thee what has pass’d. 320
[MAURICE goes out.
Albert (gazing at the portrait). Dear image! rescued from a
traitor’s keeping,
I will not now prophane thee, holy image!
To a dark trick! That worst bad man shall find
A picture which shall wake the hell within him,
And rouse a fiery whirlwind in his conscience! 325
END OF ACT THE SECOND.
[Before 1]
A wild and mountainous Country. ORDONIO and ISIDORE are discovered,
supposed at a little distance from Isidore’s house.
Ord. Here we may stop: your house distinct in view,
Yet we secured from listeners.
Isid. Now indeed
My house! and it looks cheerful as the clusters
Basking in sunshine on yon vine-clad rock
That overbrows it! Patron! Friend! Preserver!
Thrice have you sav’d my life.
Remorse.
[Between 24 and 26]
Why you can utter with a solemn gesture
Oracular sentences of deep no-meaning
Remorse.
in their place, as here, in MSS. II, III, and in Remorse.
And such do love the marvellous too well
Not to believe it. We will wind up her fancy
Remorse.
[Between 40 and 41]
Isid. Will that be a sure sign?
Ord. Beyond suspicion.
Fondly caressing him, her favour’d lover,
(By some base spell he had bewitched her senses.)
She whisper’d such dark fears of me forsooth,
As made this heart pour gall into my veins,
And as she coyly bound it round his neck,
She made him promise silence; and now holds
The secret of the existence of this portrait
Known only to her lover and herself.
But I had traced her, stolen unnotic’d on them,
And unsuspected saw and heard the whole.
Remorse.
[Between 50 and 53]
Return’d, yourself, and she, and the honour of both
Must perish. Now though with no tenderer scruples
Than those which being native to the heart,
Than those, my lord, which merely being a man —
Remorse.
Stage-direction before 53 om. Remorse.
These doubts, these fears, thy whine, thy stammering —
Pish, fool! thou blund’rest through the book of guilt
Remorse.
[After
