University of Virginia Library

SCENE I.

The great hall of the castle. Enter Rudigere, Cathrina, and Attendants, by different doors.
Rud.
(to attend.)
Return'd again! Is any thing discover'd?
Or door or passage, garment dropt in haste,
Or footstep's track, or any mark of flight?

1st att.
No, by my faith! though we have search'd the castle
From its high turret to its deepest vault.

Cath.
'Tis vain to trace the marks of trackless feet.
If that in truth it hath convey'd her hence,
The yawning earth has yielded them a passage,
Or else, through rifted roofs, the buoyant air.

Rud.
Fools! search again. I'll raze the very walls
From their foundations, but I will discover
If door or pass there be to us unknown.
Ho! Gomez, there!
[Calling off the stage.
He keeps himself aloof:
Nor aids the search with true and hearty will.
I am betray'd—Ho! Gomez, there, I say!
He shrinks away: go, drag the villain hither,
And let the torture wring confession from him.
[A loud knocking heard at the gate.
Ha! who seeks entrance at this early hour
In such a desert place?

Cath.
Some hind, perhaps,
Who brings intelligence. Heaven grant it be!

Enter an armed Vassal.
Rud.
Ha! one from Aldenberg! what brings thee hither?

Vass.
(seizing Rud.)
Thou art my prisoner. (To attendants.)
Upon you peril,
Assist me to secure him.

Rud.
Audacious hind! by what authority
Speakst thou such bold commands? Produce thy warrant.

Vass.
'Tis at the gate, and such as thou must yield to:
Count Hughobert himself, with armed men,
A goodly band, his pleasure to enforce.

[Secures him.
Rud.
What sudden freak is this? am I suspected
Of aught but true and honourable faith?

Vass.
Ay, by our holy saints! more than suspected.
Thy creature Maurice, whom thou thought'st to bribe
With things of seeming value, hath discover'd
The cunning fraud; on which his tender conscience,
Good soul! did o' the sudden so upbraid him,
That to his lord forthwith he made confession
Of all the plots against the Lady Orra,
In which thy wicked arts had tempted him
To take a wicked part. All is discover'd.

Cath.
(aside).
All is discover'd! Where then shall I hide me?
(Aloud to vass.)
What is discover'd?

Vass.
Ha! most virtuous lady!
Art thou alarm'd? Fear not: the world well knows
How good thou art; and to the countess shortly,
Who with her lord is near, thou wilt no doubt
Give good account of all that thou hast done.

Cath.
(aside, as she retires in agitation).
O heaven forbid! What hole o' th' earth will hide me!

[Exit.
Enter by the opposite side, Hughobert, Eleanora, Alice, Glottenbal, Urston, Maurice, and Attendants.
Hugh.
(speaking as he enters).
Is he secured?

Vass.
He is, my lord; behold!

[Pointing to Rud.
Hugh.
(to Rud.)
Black, artful traitor! Of a sacred trust,
Blindly reposed in thee, the base betrayer
For wicked ends; full well upon the ground
Mayst thou decline those darkly frowning eyes,
And gnaw thy lip in shame.

Rud.
And rests no shame with him, whose easy faith
Entrusts a man unproved; or, having proved him,
Lets a poor hireling's unsupported testimony
Shake the firm confidence of many years?

Hugh.
Here the accuser stands; confront him boldly,
And spare him not.

[Bringing forward Maurice.
Maur.
(to Rud.)
Deny it if thou canst. Thy brazen front,
All brazen as it is, denies it not.

Rud.
(to Maur.)
Fool! that of prying curiosity
And av'rice art compounded! I in truth
Did give to thee a counterfeited treasure
To bribe thee to a counterfeited trust;
Meet recompense! Ha, ha! Maintain thy tale,
For I deny it not.

[With careless derision.
Maur.
O, subtle traitor!
Dost thou so varnish it with seeming mirth?

Hugh.
Sir Rudigere, thou dost, I must confess,
Outface him well. But call the Lady Orra;
If towards her thou hast thyself comported
In honesty, she will declare it freely.
(To attendant.)
Bring Orra hither.

1st att.
Would that we could; last night i' the midnight watch
She disappear'd; but whether man or devil
Hath borne her hence, in truth we cannot tell.

Hugh.
O both! Both man and devil together join'd.
(To Rud. furiously.)
Fiend, villain, murderer! Produce her instantly.
Dead or alive, produce thy hapless charge.

Rud.
Restrain your rage, my lord; I would right gladly
Obey you, were it possible: the place,
And the mysterious means of her retreat,
Are both to me unknown.

Hugh.
Thou liest! thou liest!

Glot.
(coming forward).
Thou liest, beast, villain, traitor! thinkst thou still
To fool us thus? Thou shalt be forced to speak.
(To Hugh.)
Why lose we time in words when other means
Will quickly work? Straight to those pillars bind him,
And let each sturdy varlet of your train
Inflict correction on him.

Maur.
Ay, this alone will move him.

Hugh.
Thou sayst well:
By heaven it shall be done!

Rud.
And will Count Hughobert degrade in me
The blood of Aldenberg to shame himself?

Hugh.
That plea avails thee not; thy spurious birth
Gives us full warrant, as thy conduct varies,
To reckon thee or noble or debased.
(To att.)
Straight bind the traitor to the place of shame.

[As they are struggling to bind Rud. he gets one of his hands free, and, pulling out a dagger from under his clothes, stabs himself.
Rud.
Now, take your will of me, and drag my corse
Through mire and dust; your shameless fury now
Can do me no disgrace.

Urston
(advancing).
Rash, daring, thoughtless wretch! dost thou so close
A wicked life in hardy desperation?

Rud.
Priest, spare thy words: I add not to my sins
That of presumption, in pretending now
To offer up to heaven the forced repentance
Of some short moments for a life of crimes.

Urst.
My son, thou dost mistake me: let thy heart
Confession make—

Glot.
(interrupting Urst.)
Yes, dog! Confession make
Of what thou'st done with Orra; else I'll spurn thee,
And cast thy hateful carcass to the kites.

Hugh.
(pulling back Glot. as he is going to spurn Rud. with his foot, who is now fallen upon the ground).
Nay, nay, forbear; such outrage is unmanly.

[Eleanora, who with Alice had retired from the shocking sight of Rudigere, new comes forward to him.
El.
Oh, Rudigere! thou art a dying man,
And we will speak to thee without upbraiding.
Confess, I do entreat thee, ere thou goest
To thy most awful change, and leave us not
In this our horrible uncertainty.
Is Orra here conceal'd?

Al.
Thou hast not slain her?
Confession make, and heaven have mercy on thee!

Rud.
Yes, ladies; with these words of gentle meekness
My heart is changed; and that you may perceive
How greatly changed, let Glottenbal approach me;
Spent am I now, and can but faintly speak—
E'en unto him in token of forgiveness
I'll tell what ye desire.

El.
Thank heaven, thou art so changed!

Hugh.
(to Glot.)
Go to him, boy.

[Glottenbal goes to Rudigere, and stooping over him to hear what he has to say, Rudigere, taking a small dagger from his bosom, strikes Glottenbal on the neck.
Glot.
Oh, he has wounded me!—Detested traitor!
Take that and that; would thou hadst still a life
For every thrust.

[Killing him.
Hugh.
(alarmed).
Ha! has he wounded thee. my son?

Glot.
A scratch;
'Tis nothing more. He aim'd it at my throat,
But had not strength to thrust.

Hugh.
Thank God, he had not!
[A trumpet sounds without.
Hark! martial notice of some high approach!
(To attendants.)
Go to the gate.

[Exeunt attendants.
El.
Who may it be? This castle is remote
From every route which armed leaders take.

Enter a Servant.
Serv.
The Banneret of Basle is at the gate.

Hugh.
Is he in force?

Serv.
Yes, through the trees his distant bands are seen
Some hundreds strong, I guess; though with himself
Two followers only come.

Enter Hartman attended.
Hugh.
Forgive me, banneret, if I receive thee
With more surprise than courtesy. How is it?
Com'st thou in peace?

Hart.
To you, my lord, I frankly will declare
The purpose of my coming: having heard it,
It is for you to say if I am come,
As much I wish, in peace.
(To El.)
Countess, your presence much emboldens me
To think it so shall be.

Hugh.
(impatiently).
Proceed, I beg.
When burghers gentle courtesy affect,
It chafes me more than all their sturdy boasting.

Hart.
Then with a burgher's plainness, Hughobert,
I'll try my tale to tell,—nice task I fear!
So that it may not gall a baron's pride.
Brave Theobald, the lord of Falkenstein,
Co-burgher also of our ancient city,
Whose cause of course is ours, declares himself
The suitor of thy ward, the Lady Orra;
And learning that within these walls she is,
By thine authority, in durance kept,
In his behalf I come to set her free;
As an oppressed dame, such service claiming
From ev'ry gen'rous knight. What is thy answer?
Say, am I come in peace? Wilt thou release her?

Hugh.
Ah, would I could! In faith thou gall'st me shrewdly.

Hart.
I've been inform'd of all that now disturbs you,
By one who held me waiting at the gate.
Until the maid be found, if 'tis your pleasure,
Cease enmity.

Hugh.
Then let it cease. A traitor has deceived me,
And there he lies.

[Pointing to the body of Rud.
Hart.
(looking at the body).
A ghastly smile of fell malignity
On his distorted face death has arrested.
[Turning again to Hugh.
And has he died, and no confession made?
All means that may discover Orra's fate
Shut from us?

Hugh.
Ah! the fiend hath utter'd nothing
That could betray his secret. If she lives—

El.
Alas, alas! think you he murder'd her?

Al.
Merciful heaven forefend!

Enter a Soldier in haste.
Sold.
O, I have heard a voice, a dismal voice!

Omnes.
What hast thou heard?

El.
What voice?

Sold.
The Lady Orra's.

El.
Where? Lead us to the place.

Hugh.
Where didst thou heart it, soldier?

Sold.
In a deep-tangled thicket of the wood,
Close to a ruin'd wall, o'ergrown with ivy,
That marks the ancient outworks of the castle.

Hugh.
Haste; lead the way.

[Exeunt all eagerly, without order, following the soldier, Glottenbal and one attendant excepted.
Att.
You do not go, my lord?

Glot.
I'm sick, and strangely dizzy grows my head,
And pains shoot from my wound. It is a scratch,
But from a devil's fang.—There's mischief in it.
Give me thine arm, and lead me to a couch:
I'm very faint.

Att.
This way, my lord; there is a chamber near.

[Exit Glottenbal, Supported by the attendant.