Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-03-15

said the count. Bind her till the cords
cut deep into her flesh. Alb. scream
there is no help i
Help, Mancrice; help. my son. cried
the gipsy.
ming to her, he raised his hand, AS though
he would strike her. But he had not yet
fallen SO low as that.
She looked at him fearlessly.
Il dety thee Th .u-the base son OF
a base father. Frown. hope, hate. thou
monster Vengeance shall be mine.
List to that. say vengeance shall be
mine.'
The count turned from her CONTEMPT
tuously. She talk of vengeance. She.
a miserable, bound gypsy. He to his
splendid tent-she to Imprisonment ;and
vet she had cried, Vengeance shall be
| mine 4
Now we turn to Castellor. where are
Manrico and Leonora. As they stood
near the balcony all in all to each other.
she heard the distant clash OF arms, ana
inquired: 'Prythee. wherefore that
sound?' .
Thou art SO brave that tear not to
tell thee all. The Count di Luna is en-
campcd but mile away. Before the
night is gone be will have besieged this
castle Nay. tremble not; your courage
and our swords will be victorious. 1t is,
l know, weary prelude to our mar
riage. Or victory am sure, yet should
1 ia |, my last thought will be OF thee,
only of thee. Hdrk, they await US in
the chapel
AS he spoke the chanting in the neigh
boring chapel reached their ears, and
they knew that the priest was waiting to
join their hands. They were moving to-
ward the holy place. when soldier ran
quickly in, saying he had woful news;
the gipsy, Azucena. was taken
| ManrIco exclaimed: 'Azucenav
hey say she will be burnt
.Ah. the air grows hot and dark about
me-
Lady Leonora put her hand to the
troubadour's brow. but he put 1t aside.
and cried, My mother-they would slay
my mother
Leonora exclaimed Thy mother!
Then she bade him take arms. No tear
had she now. Victory must surely be
with him who fought to save mother.
Onward she cried. She buckled on
his sword. and was the first to cry Fare
well' Her last words were love and
victory
ACT ".
This act is usually styled, and very
appropriately, 'Vengeance.' me-.
Manrico was conquered and the castle
fell into the hands OF his enemy, Count
di Luna. the minstrel languished in
prison, with but one consolation in this
life-the presence OF his mother. They
were imprisoned together, that to their
mseries might be added the pain OF q
last separation.
Upon the fall of the castle Lady Leo
nora took fight. hoping against hope.
But when she heard that Manrico was
condemned to death she came weeping
} to the base OF the castle and leant her
lace against its wall. With her came
the faithful soldier. who had ever been
at Manrico's right hand-who had told
him of his mothers capture. and who
; had escaped from the battle at the last
3 moment when he saw his master taken
1 prisoner and all hope had fed. She
babe her faithful escort leave her, and
then hope whispered that perchance she
could save him. And when she trem
: bled, she looked at ring she wore and
y found new courage. Swelling on tht
night air came the dirge of the monk:
. within the castle, singing the 'Miserere
2 for Manrico.
Miserrre Tor him whose death ls nigh;
Who from life and its joys must be quickl!
It hurled;
- Niserere for one who in moment more,
Il Must bid farewell to this dreary world.
), The solemn words made her trembl'
u and look for moment with fear upol
the ring she wore but the next instan
y she started forward with horror, fer sh
- heard Manrico's voice:
Ah! death itself is slow
3 When death itself wooel-
It Wuen death itself ls peace,
~ LeOnora, fare-thee-wel.
!. She exclaims, Great Heaven! can
a believe my senses?' but is interrupte
nj by the solemn strains OF the monk
,e which arose, again chanting the Mis-
f. erere.
\. Once more his voice was heard, hi
+ last words tor her, 'Leonera. Leonors
#. last FAREWELL Then she looked ut he
re- ring and declared that her love was a
great as his. Suddenly she heard iool
,e steps, and she shrank into the shade,
ed of the trowning tower, while the couI
IN passed over the very spot she had jus
co left. Then he turned and said to som
ed person unseen by, Leonera, Tho
m markest my will when the day break.
I. the scatfold for the son, the pile for til
to mother
w. Cruel and implacable as he was b
IN even blushed in the dark night as col
science whispered to him that this sea
fold and this pile were but poor retur
for his lite, twice given him by Manric'
he But he had gone too far to recede. an,
Iul with curse, he cried Twas fatal,
ur and Leonora.' Then he asked himse
where she was; where she had hidde
CIV herself, and, in an agony of hot, unrs
ma strained passion. he cried out. 'Leon0r
he Leonora, where art thOu?'
re- She is here!' exclaimed the lady ,
,at she came forward, pale and tremblin,
oy from the shadow. He started. aud aske
de himself how she could have reached IL
OF terrace; but after an effort he aske
I'M What wouldst thouP'
lin 'Canst thou ask meP His life.'
MS HIS life! Ask me Tor mine own
". WELL
,ir See. kneel to thee
as Thou art mad
At. Nay. see how humble am; look {
he me, at thy very ieet.'
iz- Look in my face dost thou see pl
81 there?'
,et i cannot look upon thy face. Pity
ID, can say no more-pity! Hath he n
th twice saved thy liee Wilt thou not re-
he der back half thy debt? Kill me if tho
Sc wilt, Tor | heard thee say twas by n
by thou art what thou art. Kill me, y
he spare him.
re- AS thou speakest. thou dost but Il
vii sure his fate. l would could make hi
ed suffer u hundred deaths. AS ardent
i'm as thou lovest,so tiercely do l hate. l.
hy go your hold. Nothing can purcha
y his liie'
No prlce?'
he No price
ST. Yes, there is one, and do offer it
thee myself
What has thou said?
,r what do mean-myself.'
nj i dream
,st Nay, open his prison door, and l a
thlne.'
on Wilt thou swear it?'
10. BY my dead mothers name"
H., 'EnOuyh-he is tree'