# Dramas (Baillie)/Romiero/Act 5

ACT V.
Scene I. The Scene dark; the Forest.
Enter Jerome and another Domestic, by opposite sides of the Stage.
JEROME.
DOMESTIC.
Far to the left.
JEROME.
[Exit Domestic.
Here come my Lord and Guzman, slow and silent.
Surely they have not seen it; and, perhaps, My comrade is deceived.
Enter Romiero and Guzman.
ROMIERO.
JEROME.
ROMIERO.
JEROME.
ROMIERO.
Revisit every path; let naught escape thee.
JEROME.
Intently; nothing shall unnoted be.
An owlet shall not turn him in his nest
But I shall be aware of it, nor hare
Scud 'cross the path without my observation.
ROMIERO.
[Exit Jerome.
GUZMAN.
The livelong night, nor meet with any thing
But such small denizens as Jerome mention'd, Or these benighted trees that skirt our path,
So black and motionless.
ROMIERO.
Naught being found to justify my fears,
I'll hail it as the wretch whose op'ning dungeon
Receives the light, as through its portal passes
Some glad friend, bearing his reprieve. Oh, Guzman!
The felon, chain'd to meet his shameful doom,
Hath not more agony of thought, nor starteth
With greater horror from the brink of death,
Than I do from that moment of despair
Which shall make manifest the thing I dread.
GUZMAN.
ROMIERO.
I bless thee for that noble confidence:
Would I could feel it too! Repeat thy words.
GUZMAN.
ROMIERO.
Thy tone of voice is changed; thoughts of recoil
Pass o'er thy mind, and turn their force to weakness.
Thou dost not trust,—no, nor believe it neither.
GUZMAN.
ROMIERO.
Provoking it the more! If she is guilty,
I am prepared with dreadful preparation.
If she is innocent,——tears choke my voice:
To say, "if she is innocent!"—— Her look, her smile, her easy lightsome gait,—
She was th' embodied form of innocence;
The simple sweetness of a cottage child,
Join'd to a lady's grace.
GUZMAN.
ROMIERO.
So look, so smile, so step; for if she could,
I should defy all proof of circumstance
To move me to suspicion.
GUZMAN.
A circumstance as trivial as the glance
Or meaning smile of some young varlet page
Would tempt thee to suspect a saint of heaven.
But cease debate; your scout returns in haste.
Enter Domestic.
DOMESTIC
ROMIERO.
DOMESTIC
Donna Zorada stole like one afraid.
ROMIERO (seizing him by the throat).
Thou darest not say 't was she.
DOMESTIC.
ROMIERO.
DOMESTIC
ROMIERO (casting him away from him with violence).
All that my darkest fancy had conceived!
Uncover'd shame, degrading infamy!—
Come quick, unstinted, terrible revenge!
If the base wantons live another hour,
I am as base as they.
GUZMAN.
Before thou do what cannot be undone.
ROMIERO.
Had'st thou not better say, "Good Sir, be patient.
Thy wife is faithless, and her minion bless'd;
But pray, good Sir, be patient."—Oh, my heart!
The seat of life will burst ere it be done:
DOMESTIC.
To which we did suspect their steps were bent,
Taking, no doubt, that further winding path
The better to avoid detection.—See,
There's light now faintly peering from its window.
GUZMAN.
And vanishes again, and all is dark.
ROMIERO.
That flame of guilt, those glow-worms of the night,
That bright deceitful sheen of foul corruption,
Shall be extinct, trod out, earth bray'd with earth.
Which of these paths leads to th' accursed spot?
GUZMAN.
To keep his unrein'd ire from desp'rate acts.
[Exeunt.
Enter, by the opposite side, Beatrice and her Woman.
BEATRICE.
I am afraid in these dark forest paths.
Each crooked leafless stump or dwarfish bush
Seem beast or man prepared to pounce upon us;
And then to make a vain and short amends,
Each slender, graceful sapling is my Maurice.
I dare not venture further.
WOMAN.
Let us turn back, and try some other alley.
BEATRICE.
WOMAN.
BEATRICE.
That which doth quicken mine.—It is his footstep;
I know it well!
WOMAN.
BEATRICE.
MAURICE.
I waited for thee, and became impatient.
BEATRICE.
MAURICE.
Since thou would'st take that office on thyself,
I trust thy parley with him was successful.
BEATRICE.
He'll be our friend, and keep Romiero so;
And will, besides, to my stern uncle speak,
Who, as thou know'st——But here comes one in haste.
Enter Jerome.
JEROME.
And Guzman with him, wanders through the wood:
You may encounter him in any path.
MAURICE.
JEROME.
And I will lead you to a safer spot,
Free from intrusion, near the ruin'd chapel.
[Exeunt.
SCENE II.
The Inner Porch of a ruined Chapel.
Enter Nurse and a Sea Captain, meeting.
NURSE.
CAPTAIN.
But it is fair; my seamen are on board;
We shall weigh anchor by the early dawn,
And bear us out to sea. Go, tell my passenger
To join us presently upon the beach.
NURSE.
Who trows the very winds should wait his bidding;
He will be punctual. He hath seen good days,
Although I may not tell thee who he is.
CAPTAIN.
NURSE.
And evil too, and hath been buffeted
By wayward fate.
CAPTAIN.
But what of that? The foul, the fair will blow,
And we must weather it even as we may.
Speak not in such a lamentable tone;
I will be kind to him.
NURSE.
Heaven will reward thee, and Saint Jago too.
CAPTAIN.
About some kindness to a fellow sinner?
I shall expect him ere the morning break;
And give him notice, for the time is near.[Exit.
NURSE (alone).
But in the outer porch remain on watch.
Ah, woe the day! that they must thus, by stealth,
Take their last leave. I fear 't will be their last.
[Exit.
SCENE III.
An old Gothic Chapel: Sebastian and Zorada are discovered in earnest conversation.
SEBASTIAN.
ZORADA.
When I forget to think of thee, dear father!
And, when I think of thee, thy words of kindness,
And words of counsel too, shall be remember'd.
SEBASTIAN.
Ay; so she look'd. O! it is sweet in thee
To look so like thy mother, when mine eyes
Must take their last impression, as a treasure
But in some sad or pensive mood, assumed
The likeness of that countenance;—to me
Thy loveliest look; though, to all other eyes,
Thy mother's beauty never equall'd thine.
ZORADA.
That e'er I look'd upon. I oft recall it,
And strive to trace the features more distinctly.
SEBASTIAN.
Never again let myst'ry and concealment,
Tempting the weakness of thy husband's nature, Which but for this were noble, break the peace
And harmony of marriage.—For this oath—
This fatal oath—he was constrain'd to take it.
Then so consider it, nor let it rankle
Within thy gentle breast: that were perverse.
When I am gone, all will again be well,
And I will write to thee and comfort thee.
Our minds shall still hold intercourse, dear Zada,
And that should satisfy.
ZORADA.
When I shall read thy letters, my poor heart
Will but the more yearn after thee, dear father!
And pine to see thee. Suffer me to hope
That we shall meet again.—Call it not vain,
But suffer me to think——
Enter Nurse in alarm.
NURSE.
I heard his voice approaching through the trees.
I heard the hollow tread of many feet.
ZORADA (to Sebastian).
SEBASTIAN.
Heaven bless and guard thee ever! O farewell!
[Embraces her, and exit.
ZORADA.
NURSE.
He knows the nearest path, and on the beach
The Captain will receive him. Ere 'tis light,
He will be safely in the vessel lodged.
O all good saints of heav'n! he's here already.
Enter Romiero.
ROMIERO.
Thy shameful secret is discovered. Now,
Vice unveil'd and detestable must have
Its dreadful recompence. Where is thy minion?
ZORADA.
I have done thee no wrong.
ROMIERO.
Which I do know are false as his who fell
Apostate and accursed. Where is thy minion?
(In a still louder voice, and stamping on the ground.)
Tell me without delay: speak briefly, truly,
If thou hast hope to live another hour.
ZORADA.
Thou shalt be told the truth a few hours hence;
Then, to that time, detest me as thou wilt.
But spare my life.
Re-enter Sebastian, while Romiero has, in his rage, strode to the front of the stage. Zorada, uttering a shriek, runs to her father, and throws her veil over his face, endeavouring to push him back.
SEBASTIAN.
I heard his stormy voice, and could not leave thee.
(Romiero turns round, and, running furiously at them, stabs Zorada in aiming at Sebastian, Guzman, who enters in alarm, followed by Maurice and Beatrice, endeavouring, in vain, to prevent him.)
GUZMAN.
ZORADA (still clinging round her father).
I'll cling to him; within my dying grasp
I'll hold him safe: thou wilt not kill him there.
(Sinking to the ground, while the veil drops from the face of Sebastian.)
ROMIERO.
ZORADA.
Thou wilt not slay us both. Let one suffice.
Thou lovedst me once; I know thou lovest me now:
Shall blood so dear to thee be shed in vain?
Let it redeem my father!—I am faint,
Else I would kneel to thee.
(Endeavouring to kneel, but prevented and supported by Nurse and Beatrice.)
NURSE.
BEATRICE.
GUZMAN.
ROMIERO.
Confused and dismal. Words I comprehend not.
What have I done? Some dreadful thing, I fear.
It is delusion this! she is not slain:
Some horrible delusion.
ZORADA (aside to Sebastian).
He will not know and will not follow thee.
SEBASTIAN.
I'll now receive it thankfully. Romiero,
Thou wretched murd'rer of thy spotless wife—
Romiero de Cardona !
ROMIERO.
GUZMAN.
And speak to her while she is sensible,
And can receive thy words. She looks on thee,
And looks imploringly.
ROMIERO.
I loved thee far beyond all earthly things,
But demons have been dealing with my soul,
And I have been thy tyrant and thy butcher,
A wretch bereft of reason.
BEATRICE.
[Exit Maurice.
She strives again to speak.
ROMIERO (stooping over her).
ZORADA.
ROMIERO.
Hateful to God and man.
Re-enter Maurice with water, which she tastes.
ZORADA.
[Dies.
ROMIERO.
GUZMAN.
ROMIERO.
(Throws himself on the body, and moaning piteously; then starts up in despair, and looks furiously at Sebastian.)
Thy pride has work'd our ruin, been our bane;
The bane of love so bless'd! Draw, wretched man,
I've sworn an oath, which I will sacred hold, That when Sebastian and myself should meet,
He should to royal justice be deliver'd,
Or, failing that, one of the twain should die.
(Drawing his sword fiercely upon him).
GUZMAN (holding him back).
Outraging holy nature.
ROMIERO (breaking from him).
With petty strength like thine?—Proud rebel, draw.
I am thy daughter's murderer, and thou
Destroyer of us both.
SEBASTIAN.
And we will fight for that which cures despair.
ROMIERO.
Deliver thee a felon to the law.
Harsh words that were but meant to urge contention.
Thou'rt brave and noble; so my heart still deemed thee,
Though, by hard fate, compell'd to be thy foe.—
Come hither, Guzman: thou hast sworn no oath.
Give me thy hand; preserve Sebastian's life,
And lay me in the grave with my Zorada.
(The Curtain drops.)