Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Made room for these unnumbered ——

Valdez. O mere madness!

[TERESA moves hastily forwards, and places herself

directly before ORDONIO.

Ordonio. Teresa? or the phantom of Teresa? 115

Teresa. Alas! the phantom only, if in truth

The substance of her being, her life’s life,

Have ta’en its flight through Alvar’s death-wound —

[A pause.

Where —

(Even coward murder grants the dead a grave)

O tell me, Valdez! — answer me, Ordonio! 120

Where lies the corse of my betrothéd husband?

Ordonio. There, where Ordonio likewise would fain lie!

In the sleep-compelling earth, in unpierc’d darkness!

For while we live —

An inward day that never, never sets, 125

Glares round the soul, and mocks the closing eyelids!

Over his rocky grave the fir-grove sighs

A lulling ceaseless dirge! ‘Tis well with him.

[Strides off towards the altar, but returns as VALDEZ

is speaking.

Teresa. The rock! the fir-grove! [To VALDEZ.

Did’st thou hear him say it?

Hush! I will ask him!

Valdez. Urge him not — not now! 130

This we beheld. Nor he nor I know more,

Than what the magic imagery revealed.

The assassin, who pressed foremost of the three ——

Ordonio. A tender-hearted, scrupulous, grateful villain,

Whom I will strangle!

Valdez. While his two companions —— 135

Ordonio. Dead! dead already! what care we for the dead?

Valdez (to Teresa). Pity him! soothe him! disenchant his spirit!

These supernatural shews, this strange disclosure,

And this too fond affection, which still broods

O’er Alvar’s fate, and still burns to avenge it — 140

These, struggling with his hopeless love for you,

Distemper him, and give reality

To the creatures of his fancy.

Ordonio. Is it so?

Yes! yes! even like a child, that too abruptly

Roused by a glare of light from deepest sleep 145

Starts up bewildered and talks idly.

Father!

What if the Moors that made my brother’s grave,

Even now were digging ours? What if the bolt,

Though aim’d, I doubt not, at the son of Valdez,

Yet miss’d its true aim when it fell on Alvar? 150

Valdez. Alvar ne’er fought against the Moors, — say rather,

He was their advocate; but you had march’d

With fire and desolation through their villages. —

Yet he by chance was captured.

Ordonio. Unknown, perhaps,

Captured, yet as the son of Valdez, murdered. 155

Leave all to me. Nay, whither, gentle lady?

Valdez. What seek you now?

Teresa. A better, surer light

To guide me ——

Both Valdez and Ordonio. Whither?

Teresa. To the only place

Where life yet dwells for me, and ease of heart.

These walls seem threatening to fall in upon me! 160

Detain me not! a dim power drives me hence,

And that will be my guide.

Valdez. To find a lover!

Suits that a high-born maiden’s modesty?

O folly and shame! Tempt not my rage, Teresa!

Teresa. Hopeless, I fear no human being’s rage. 165

And am I hastening to the arms —— O Heaven!

I haste but to the grave of my belov’d!

[Exit, VALDEZ following after her.

Ordonio. This, then, is my reward! and I must love her?

Scorn’d! shudder’d at! yet love her still? yes! yes!

By the deep feelings of revenge and hate 170

I will still love her — woo her — win her too! [A pause.

Isidore safe and silent, and the portrait

Found on the wizard — he, belike, self-poison’d

To escape the crueller flames —— My soul shouts triumph!

The mine is undermined! blood! blood! blood! 175

They thirst for thy blood! thy blood, Ordonio! [A pause.

The hunt is up! and in the midnight wood

With lights to dazzle and with nets they seek

A timid prey: and lo! the tiger’s eye

Glares in the red flame of his hunter’s torch! 180

To Isidore I will dispatch a message,

And lure him to the cavern! aye, that cavern!

He cannot fail to find it. Thither I’ll lure him,

Whence he shall never, never more return!

[Looks through the side window.

A rim of the sun lies yet upon the sea, 185

And now ‘tis gone! All shall be done to-night. [Exit.

SCENE II] SCENE III. Interior of a Chapel. Edition 1.

countenance). Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Was Alvar lost to thee — [Turning off, aloud, but yet as to

himself.

Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

3, 1829.

[After 55] Stage-direction om. Edition 1.

[After 83] [Turns off abruptly; then to himself. Editions 1, 2, 3,

1829.

2, 3, 1829.

[After 105] [Averting himself. Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

just after the speech has commenced, Teresa, &c. Editions 1, 2, 3,

1829.

[After 110] [TERESA starts and stops listening. Editions 1, 2, 3,

1829.

[Before 115] Ordonio (checking the feeling of surprise, and forcing his

tones into an expression of playful courtesy). Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[After 128] [Strides off in agitation towards the altar, &c. Editions

1, 2, 3, 1829.

passion). Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829. thou] thou Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

to proceed with his description). Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Starts up bewildered and talks idly. [Then mysteriously.

Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[After 186] end of the Third Act. Editions 1, 2, 3.

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A cavern, dark, except where a gleam of moonlight is seen on one side

at the further end of it; supposed to be cast on it from a crevice in a

part of the cavern out of sight. ISIDORE alone, an extinguished torch in

his hand.

Isidore. Faith ‘twas a moving letter — very moving!

‘His life in danger, no place safe but this!

‘Twas his turn now to talk of gratitude.’

And yet — but no! there can’t be such a villain.

It can not be!

Thanks to that little crevice, 5

Which lets the moonlight in! I’ll go and sit by it.

To peep at a tree, or see a he-goat’s beard,

Or hear a cow or two breathe loud in their sleep —

Any thing but this crash of water drops!

These dull abortive sounds that fret the silence 10

With puny thwartings and mock opposition!

So beats the death-watch to a sick man’s ear.

[He goes out of sight, opposite to the patch of

moonlight: and returns.

A hellish pit! The very same I dreamt of!

I was just in — and those damn’d fingers of ice

Which clutch’d my hair up! Ha! — what’s that — it mov’d. 15

[ISIDORE stands staring at another recess in the

cavern. In the mean time ORDONIO enters with

a torch, and halloes to ISIDORE.

Isidore. I swear that I saw something moving there!

The moonshine came and went like a flash of lightning ——

I swear, I saw it move.

Ordonio (goes into the recess, then returns).

A jutting clay stone

Drops on the long lank weed, that grows beneath:

And the weed nods and drips.

Isidore. A jest to laugh at! 20

It was not that which scar’d me, good my lord.

Ordonio. What scar’d you, then?

Isidore. You see that little rift?

But first permit me!

[Lights his torch at ORDONIO’S, and while lighting it.

(A lighted torch in the hand

Is no unpleasant object here — one’s breath

Floats round the flame, and makes as many colours 25

As the thin clouds that travel near the moon.)

You see that crevice there?

My torch extinguished by these water-drops,

And marking that the moonlight came from thence,