a traitor, 140Betrayed the mystery to a brother-traitor,
And they between them hatch’d a damnéd plot
To hunt him down to infamy and death.
What did the Valdez? I am proud of the name
Since he dared do it. —
[ORDONIO grasps his sword, and turns off from ISIDORE,
then after a pause returns.
Our links burn dimly. 145
Isidore. A dark tale darkly finished! Nay, my lord!
Tell what he did.
Ordonio. That which his wisdom prompted —
He made the traitor meet him in this cavern,
And here he kill’d the traitor.
Isidore. No! the fool! 150
He had not wit enough to be a traitor.
Poor thick-eyed beetle! not to have foreseen
That he who gulled thee with a whimpered lie
To murder his own brother, would not scruple
To murder thee, if e’er his guilt grew jealous, 155
And he could steal upon thee in the dark!
Ordonio. Thou would’st not then have come, if —
Isidore. Oh yes, my lord!
I would have met him arm’d, and scar’d the coward.
[ISIDORE throws off his robe; shews himself armed, and
draws his sword.
Ordonio. Now this is excellent and warms the blood! 160
My heart was drawing back, drawing me back
With weak and womanish scruples. Now my vengeance
Beckons me onwards with a warrior’s mien,
And claims that life, my pity robb’d her of —
Now will I kill thee, thankless slave, and count it 165
Among my comfortable thoughts hereafter.
Isidore. And all my little ones fatherless —
Die thou first.
[They fight, ORDONIO disarms ISIDORE, and in disarming
him throws his sword up that recess opposite to
which they were standing. ISIDORE hurries into the
recess with his torch, ORDONIO follows him; a loud
cry of ‘Traitor! Monster!’ is heard from the
cavern, and in a moment ORDONIO returns alone.
Ordonio. I have hurl’d him down the chasm! treason for treason.
He dreamt of it: henceforward let him sleep,
A dreamless sleep, from which no wife can wake him. 170
His dream too is made out — Now for his friend.
[Exit ORDONIO.
SCENE II
The interior Court of a Saracenic or Gothic Castle, with the Iron Gate
of a Dungeon visible.
Teresa. Heart-chilling superstition! thou canst glaze
Ev’n pity’s eye with her own frozen tear.
In vain I urge the tortures that await him;
Even Selma, reverend guardian of my childhood,
My second mother, shuts her heart against me! 5
Well, I have won from her what most imports
The present need, this secret of the dungeon
Known only to herself. — A Moor! a Sorcerer!
No, I have faith, that Nature ne’er permitted
Baseness to wear a form so noble. True, 10
I doubt not that Ordonio had suborned him
To act some part in some unholy fraud;
As little doubt, that for some unknown purpose
He hath baffled his suborner, terror-struck him,
And that Ordonio meditates revenge! 15
But my resolve is fixed! myself will rescue him,
And learn if haply he knew aught of Alvar.
Enter VALDEZ.
Valdez. Still sad? — and gazing at the massive door
Of that fell dungeon which thou ne’er had’st sight of,
Save what, perchance, thy infant fancy shap’d it 20
When the nurse still’d thy cries with unmeant threats.
Now by my faith, girl! this same wizard haunts thee!
A stately man, and eloquent and tender —
Who then need wonder if a lady sighs
Even at the thought of what these stern Dominicans — 25
Teresa. The horror of their ghastly punishments
Doth so o’ertop the height of all compassion,
That I should feel too little for mine enemy,
If it were possible I could feel more,
Even though the dearest inmates of our household 30
Were doom’d to suffer them. That such things are —
Valdez. Hush, thoughtless woman!
Teresa. Nay, it wakes within me
More than a woman’s spirit.
Valdez. No more of this —
What if Monviedro or his creatures hear us!
I dare not listen to you.
Teresa.
