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Elsewhere, give that to him; pretend the while

       You will tomorrow succumb to his wishes,

       Be what they may, and send him from the Castle

       On some fool’s errand; let his latest groan

       Frighten the wolves!

      Auranthe.

       Alas! he must not die!

      Conrad.

       Would you were both hears’d up in stifling lead!

       Detested

       Auranthe. Conrad, hold! I would not bear

       The little thunder of your fretful tongue,

       Tho; I alone were taken in these toils,

       And you could free me; but remember, sir,

       You live alone in my security:

       So keep your wits at work, for your own sake,

       Not mine, and be more mannerly.

      Conrad.

       Thou wasp!

       If my domains were emptied of these folk,

       And I had thee to starve

       Auranthe. O, marvellous!

       But Conrad, now be gone; the Host is look’d for;

       Cringe to the Emperor, entertain the Lords,

       And, do ye mind, above all things, proclaim

       My sickness, with a brother’s sadden’d eye,

       Condoling with Prince Ludolph. In fit time

       Return to me.

      Conrad.

       I leave you to your thoughts.

       [Exit.

       Auranthe (sola) Down, down, proud temper! down,

       Auranthe’s pride!

       Why do I anger him when I should kneel?

       Conrad! Albert! help! help! What can I do?

       wretched woman! lost, wreck’d, swallow’d up,

       Accursed, blasted ! O, thou golden Crown,

       Orbing along the serene firmament

       Of a wide empire, like a glowing moon;

       And thou, bright sceptre! lustrous in my eyes,

       There as the fabled fair Hesperian tree,

       Bearing a fruit more precious! graceful thing.

       Delicate, godlike, magic! must I leave

       Thee to melt in the visionary air,

       Ere, by one grasp, this common hand is made

       Imperial? I do not know the time

       When I have wept for sorrow; but methinks

       I could now sit upon the ground, and shed

       Tears, tears of misery. O, the heavy day!

       How shall I bear my life till Albert comes?

       Ludolph! Erminia! Proofs! O heavy day!

       Bring me some mourning weeds, that I may ‘tire

       Myself, as fits one wailing her own death:

       Cut off these curls, and brand this lilly hand,

       And throw these jewels from my loathing sight,

       Fetch me a missal, and a string of beads,

       A cup of bitter’d water, and a crust,

       I will confess, O holy Abbot How!

       What is this? Auranthe! thou fool, dolt,

       Whimpering idiot! up! up! act and quell!

       I am safe! Coward! why am I in fear?

       Albert! he cannot stickle, chew the cud

       In such a fine extreme, impossible!

       Who knocks? [Goes to the Door, listens, and opens it.

      Enter ALBERT.

       Albert, I have been waiting for you here

       With such an aching heart, such swooning throbs

       On my poor brain, such cruel cruel sorrow,

       That I should claim your pity! Art not well?

      Albert.

       Yes, lady, well.

      Auranthe.

       You look not so, alas!

       But pale, as if you brought some heavy news.

      Albert.

       You know full well what makes me look so pale.

      Auranthe.

       No! Do I? Surely I am still to learn

       Some horror; all I know, this present, is

       I am near hustled to a dangerous gulph,

       Which you can save me from, and therefore safe,

       So trusting in thy love; that should not make

       Thee pale, my Albert.

      Albert.

       It doth make me freeze.

      Auranthe.

       Why should it, love?

      Albert.

       You should not ask me that,

       But make your own heart monitor, and save

       Me the great pain of telling. You must know.

      Auranthe.

       Something has vexed you, Albert. There are times

       When simplest things put on a sombre cast;

       A melancholy mood will haunt a man,

       Until most easy matters take the shape

       Of unachievable tasks; small rivulets

       Then seem impassable.

      Albert.

       Do not cheat yourself

       With hope that gloss of words, or suppliant action,

       Or tears, or ravings, or self-threaten ‘d death,

       Can alter my resolve.

      Auranthe.

       You make me tremble;

       Not so much at your threats, as at your voice.

       Untun’d. and harsh, and barren of all love.

      Albert.

       You suffocate me! Stop this devil’s parley,

       And listen to me; know me once for all.

      Auranthe.

       I thought I did. Alas! I am deceiv’d.

      Albert.

       No, you are not deceiv’d. You took me for

       A man detesting all inhuman crime;

       And therefore kept from me your demon’s plot

       Against Erminia. Silent? Be so still;

       For ever! Speak no more; but hear my words,

       Thy fate. Your safety I have bought to-day

       By blazoning a lie, which in the dawn

       I expiate with truth.

      Auranthe.

       O cruel traitor!

      Albert.

       For I would not set eyes upon thy shame;

       I would not see thee dragg’d to death by the hair,

       Penanc’d, and taunted on a scaffolding!

       Tonight, upon the skirts of the blind wood

      

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