Act 3 — SCENE XIII

Doña Ángela, Inés, Duchess, and Edward.

The three women in the middle of the stage, Edward

listening at the closet door.

Inés. Oh, pity, Heaven, and save him.

Doña Ángela. [Embracing her.] You are right. Let us only think of him, pray for him alone.

Duchess. It is a sacred duty for you to place poor Don Lorenzo's welfare before your own happiness; but in any case, it is no less a sacred obligation to conform to a higher will than ours. [Pause.]

Inés. [To Edward.] What are they saying? Tell us, Edward, what they are saying.

Edward. He is talking; his words are cold and severe, but not in the least uncertain or troubled. [Edward returns to the door.]

Doña Ángela. What anguish! What anxiety! Death were preferable to this torture.

Inés. What can it matter what my father says since he is already judged beforehand?

Doña Ángela. Don't say such a thing, child.

Inés. I say it because I feel it to be true, and I see it in the faces of those who are now his judges.

Doña Ángela. But what—what is it you see?

Inés. In those persons the monomania of specialists.

Doña Ángela. In Tomás?

Inés. Yes—his scientific opinions—whatever they may be—his own special follies——

Doña Ángela. But in me, Inés?

192Inés. [Embracing her.] Your love of me.

Doña Ángela. Hush, child, hush!

Inés. They are all against my father, every one. Poor father!

Duchess. You are raving, Inés.

Inés. Yes, I am raving, and so are you, and so are all of us—all excepting him, excepting him—my heart tells me so. You yourself, madam, what is it you desire but Edward's happiness; and Edward wants my love, and I his. My father, with his virtue and his honour, is our mutual obstacle, while in us something obscure twists itself about us till conscience is enveloped in shadows. Oh, my father, my dearest father!

Doña Ángela. For pity's sake, Inés! What ideas!

Inés. What is he saying—tell me what he is saying! I hear his voice.

Edward. [Approaching.] He is speaking of conclusive evidence.

Inés. Would to God there were. [To Edward.] And now?

Edward. They are demanding to see the evidence in order to draw up the act and present it to the judge.

Doña Ángela. And he?

Edward. He is smiling triumphantly. He is pale, fearfully pale, but composed and dignified. Here they are coming. [Edward comes down the stage and says aside.] That man terrifies me.

Inés. [Aside.] God grant it may be true—though my love should perish.

Doña Ángela. [To the Duchess.] Can it be true?

Duchess. [To Doña Ángela.] Can it be true?

Edward. [Aside, seeing Don Lorenzo enter.] Ah, is it I who am mad?

193

LAST SCENE

Doña Ángela, Inés, the Duchess, Edward, Don Lorenzo,

Bermúdez, and Dr. Tomás.

The position of the persons is as follows. The three women form a group at sofa; Edward behind the sofa looking at Don Lorenzo in terror, dominated by him. Don Lorenzo advances to the middle of the stage, with a proud, calm bearing. Behind him come Dr. Tomás and Bermúdez, who remain standing near door C.

Don Lorenzo. [Approaches table, and triumphantly places one hand on desk.] Here is the proof. Here lies the truth! [Pause. Opens desk and takes out envelope with blank sheet. Comes down stage. On one side Dr. Tomás and Bermúdez. Edward approaches him on the other.] Woe to them who think to sacrifice me to their own interests and passions! Bitter will be their deception and most cruel their punishment! Would to God my forgiveness could mitigate it for them. [Deeply moved.]

Doña Ángela. [Coming nearer.] Lorenzo!

Inés. Father——

Don Lorenzo. Here is the proof, Tomás; here is the proof, Ángela, here, my child, is the proof. Listen. [Pause. Don Lorenzo opens envelope. All gather round him.] This is—what is this? [Holds paper away from his eyes, over which he rubs his hand.] What shade is this that dims my eyes? Can it be that there are tears in them which impede clear vision? No,—I cried before—but now I am not weeping. [Looks at paper again with horrible anxiety, opens it altogether, and seeks for writing on all sides.] Where are the words that woman wrote? I have read them a thousand times—and now I can't——[To Dr. Tomás, holding out paper to him.] What does it say?—read, read—quickly—only tell me what it says.

194Dr. Tomás. Nothing, my poor friend.

Don Lorenzo. Nothing! [Again looks at paper.] You are deceiving me. Dr. Bermúdez, that fellow is deceiving me. He is one of the scoundrels who have plotted this wretched treason. Read it you—read it.

Bermúdez. There is nothing written on the paper.

Don Lorenzo. Nothing written on it! You say there is nothing written upon it! It is not true—no, it is not true. Inés, my daughter, my best beloved, come and save your father.—What does it say?

Inés. Oh, father, I see nothing.

Don Lorenzo. Nothing!—she also!—But is this not the proof?

Dr. Tomás. Yes, my unhappy friend—the proof—but a far too cruel one.

Don Lorenzo. [Striking his forehead.] Ah, I understand. [Looks at Dr. Tomás and Doña Ángela.] I heard them once before talking of a proof. You! [to Dr. Tomás] and you! [To Doña Ángela.] You have taken it away. God in Heaven! [Recoils from them in horror. The rest move away from him, and he stands alone in the middle of the stage. Pause.] Be it so,—be it so!—I am defeated—most miserably defeated! How they rejoice in their triumph! See how they gaze at me in their hypocritical distress! And they feign to weep, too. They are all feigning. [Pause.] Alas! my heart—alas! for my life's illusion—alas! for love, and oh, alas! alas! my child—phantoms that whirl about and fly from me—for ever fly away!—I who believed in all things good—in the blue above, in the purity of my daughter's brow—what is there now left me to believe in? You see for yourselves. I make no resistance. I yield myself up. Yours the victory. Why have you brought those men here when I do not seek to oppose your will? I will go wherever you bid me. Adieu. Don't touch me. [To Dr. 195Tomás, who approaches and takes his hand.] When human flesh comes in contact with mine, it seems to me that vipers crawl along my skin. Alone—alone will I ascend my Calvary bearing my cross of sorrows without an infamous Cyrenean to assist me. Farewell, loyal friend [still addresses Dr. Tomás], who have saved the fortune of this disconsolate family from the hands of a madman. Farewell, Ángela, my tender-hearted wife. Twenty years ago, mad with love of you, I gave you my first kiss. To-day, no less a madman, I send you the last. [Kisses his hand to her with cry and expression of desperate grief.]

Doña Ángela. Lorenzo!

Don Lorenzo. Don't come near me. I might strangle you in my arms. [Ángela recoils.] Farewell, Inés, my only child. Be happy—if you can. To you I say nothing. I could not speak to you unkindly. [Walks a few steps feebly, then stops. Repulses roughly those who rush to his assistance.] Let me be. I require no one. My brow is damp with sweat, and thirst is upon my dry lips, and a fiery heat seems to swell my eyelids. [Stops again.] Listen to me, Inés, my child.—If you still retain any love for me,—if by chance your heart is touched with pity for your father,—if you feel regret for what you have done against me along with the rest of them—come once to my arms. Let me carry away into the hell of suffering that awaits me one tear of your eyes upon my cheek, one kiss of your dear lips upon mine.

Inés. Father! [All endeavour to restrain her, but she breaks from them and runs to Don Lorenzo, who catches her in his arms and holds her closely clasped to his breast.]

Don Lorenzo. My child! [The rest advance to them, but make no effort to separate them.]

Inés. No—they must not take you away—I love you dearly,—every one lies but you.

196Don Lorenzo. You would not have those men carry me off?

Inés. No, no; I will defend you—and you defend me.

Don Lorenzo. Yes! I will defend you—Let them drag you from my arms if they can. [Makes a movement to carry her away.]

Doña Ángela. My child, my child! Help! [Edward, Dr. Tomás and Bermúdez struggle to separate father and daughter.]

Don Lorenzo. I will not let her go—for ever in my arms!

Inés. Yes, yes, father. Defend me.

Bermúdez. It is imperative.

Edward. Don Lorenzo!

Dr. Tomás. Lorenzo!

Duchess. Merciful god, he will kill her as he killed Juana!

Doña Ángela. Inés! [These exclamations are simultaneous: the struggle is swift. Keepers enter. The men hold Don Lorenzo, and the women restrain Inés, keeping her by force from her father.]

Edward. At last!

Inés. Father! [Holds her arms out to Don Lorenzo.]

Don Lorenzo. I was not able, child.—I could do no more.—Here upon my cheek I feel your kisses and your tears.—She at least loved me—she was innocent—I see it now. God above, thou hast accepted my martyrdom in that night of agony and temptation in exchange for her happiness. I do not regret it. Make her happy—very happy! and let the cup of bitterness be mine alone—only mine!

Inés. Adieu, father—I will save you yet.

197Don Lorenzo. What can you do, child—when God himself has not seen fit to save me? [Remains near closet between keepers, guarded by Edward, Dr. Tomás and Bermúdez. Inés, held back by the other women, stands with arms strained towards him.]

Curtain

Printed by T. and A. Constable, Printers to Her Majesty

at the Edinburgh University Press

Transcriber’s Note

Small irregularities of punctuation in the stage directions have been corrected, with no further notice. This includes the placement of punctuation and any inconsistencies in diacritical marks.

The abbreviation of "Don" as "D." in the speaker's name is sometimes not used, and has not been added where that is the case.

Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original.

61.31 do not say that[.] Added.

88.23 and he staggers back[:/.] Replaced.

89.17 He holds Teodora more tightly clasped[:/.] Replaced.

122.23 be sure and not delay[,/.] Replaced.

158.12 Inés. Father[!] Added. Most likely.

165.10 And who were the two men that accompanied him[./?] Replaced.