University of Virginia Library

Scene III.

—The Chapel of the Convent of San Paolo.—The Abbess, Silisco, and Ruggiero.
Ruggiero.
A welcome day! And is her mind then given
To heavenly thoughts and totally discharged
Of that unhappy passion which so seized
Her spirit for the King?

Abbess.
With but one moon
Of her noviciate, it had drifted by
Like the soft tumult of a summer storm.
But, cousin, of yourself? say whither next?
May I in this deliverance rejoice?
Will you live safely now beyond the seas?

Ruggiero.
Not so; it was but for Lisana's sake
That I was fain to skulk; her lot secured,
I feel my freedom; I am free thenceforth
To enter on captivity.

Silisco.
He scorns
To hide his head upon his own behalf
When charges lie against him that assault
His unstain'd honour. Would that I could wend
With him to Court; for thither, as I learn,
Resorts Count Ugo's widow, whom I seek.
But in Palermo is a villainous tribe
Of Jews that set their faces like a flint
Against me, and with rights my folly gave
To back them formerly, should they find my slot,
Would hunt me to the death, although my skin
Were all my death could give them. Madam, here
I fain would hide my head.

Abbess.
Ruggiero's friend
Is more than welcome; and for you, my Lord,
You're opportune; there's here a hapless girl
Upon her deathbed who craves constantly
To see you, harbouring in her breast, it seems
Some secret that concerns you.

Silisco.
And her name?

Abbess.
Silvestra, but the name she went by once
Was Aretina.

Silisco.
Ha! I knew her well;
How came she hither?

Abbess.
Brought some six months since
Upon a litter by a turbulent troop
Of wild and shaggy men, who seem'd her friends,
And craved our care to cure her of a wound
Whereof she languish'd, given her in a brawl.
We made her welcome to the hospital,
And there Lisana nursed her night and day,
And though her body might no more be heal'd,
Breathed health upon her soul; and now her hour
Approaching, there remains upon her mind,
She says, this only burthen. Rest you here,
Good cousin; here Lisana comes anon,
And ere the rite proceeds you'll take your leave.
My Lord, I'll bring you to this girl at once,
Lest Death precede us, for he comes with wings.

[Exeunt Abbess and Silisco.
Ruggiero
(alone).
Time was when with a sorrowful regard
I had beheld the clustering tresses clipp'd,
The black veil dropp'd upon a face that beam'd
With youthful beauty. It is so no more.
The fairest flower that e'er was born of earth
Were better cropp'd than canker'd.

Enter Lisana.
Lisana.
Oh! my Lord,
In this a crowning kindness you confer;
I pray'd for this, and faithless as I was,
Now that the day had come that was the last,
I thought my prayer denied. Oh! friend beloved,
Who propp'd this weak heart in its weakest hour,
Rejoice with me, and evermore rejoice!
Your work is done, your recompense achieved,
A thankful soul is saved.

Ruggiero.
Lisana, yes;
I will rejoice; I do; though mortal eyes
Must still have lookings backwards. Yet 'tis best;
The holiest verily are the sweetest thoughts,
And sweetest thoughts were ever of your heart
The native growth.

Lisana.
No more of that, my Lord;
It savours of the blandishments of earth.
Look onward only—up the eminent path
To which you led me—which my feet have trodden
With gladness, issuing daily to the light,
Till, meeting now the radiance face to face,
Earth melts, Heaven opens, Angels stretch their hands
To take me in amongst them, glory breaks
Upon me, and I feel through all my soul
That there is joy, joy over me in Heaven.

Ruggiero.
Then joy too shall be over you on earth.
Mine eyes shall never more behold your face
Till, looking through the grave and gate of death,
I see it glorified and like to His
Who raised it; but I will not waste a sigh
On what, if seeing, I should see to fade.

Lisana.
Farewell! my Master calls me.

Ruggiero.
Fare you well.
I pace a lower terrace; but some flowers
From yours fling down to me, at least in prayer.

Lisana.
Oh beautiful on the mountains are the feet
Of those who bring what you have brought to me!
And joy and beauty shall bestrew your path
If prayers of mine may prosper. Fare you well.

[She retires within the rail of the altar in the backscene. Sacred music is heard. Processions of monks and nuns pass in. She kneels; her hair is shorn; a blessing is pronounced upon her by a Bishop; she retires; and the monks and nuns follow.
Ruggiero.
There passes from the sight of man a face
More fit for angels than for men to see;
A face that I shall think of in my prayers
To nourish my devotion. Now for earth
And earth-encumber'd ways. Oh wilderness,
Whose undergrowths and overgrowths conspire
To darken and entangle—here a mesh
Of petty prickly hindrance, there the wreck
Of some high purpose stricken by the storm—
What wary walking shall suffice to thrid
Thy thickets? Happy they who walk by faith
And in the dark by things unseen upheld,
Knowing that clouds and darkness lead to light
Else haply not attained, and knowing too
That in this mortal journeying, wasted shade
Is worse than wasted sunshine.
Enter Silisco.
How is this?
A tear upon your cheek?

Silisco.
Is that so strange?
Dear soul! Her death was worthy to be wept
With showers of tears.

Ruggiero.
Is Aretina dead?

Silisco.
Died in my arms but now, meek penitent!
With love and joy upon her lips—so sweet
'Twas as the dying of a summer's day;
And blessed was the chance which brought me here
In time to make her happier in her death.

Ruggiero.
What was it you could do?

Silisco.
Her mind, poor girl,
Was burden'd with two secrets—one the love
She bare me in her earlier jocund days
Which 'twas a solace to disclose in death—
The other of strange import—on her tongue
To tell me when we jostled in the cave
And base Spadone stabbed her from behind.
'Twas this,—that that same treasure which was brought
From Rhodes on board the luckless Maddalena,—
That treasure which we deem'd Calabrian Seas
Had swallow'd with the Boatswain and the Mate
What time you chased them riding on the storm
And saw them wrecked,—yes,—that that treasure still
Is extant upon earth, lodged in that cave.

Ruggiero.
Why then your fortunes are retrieved!

Silisco.
Much more
The fortunes of those three rapacious Jews
Whose claim to my late foundered fortunes clung
And now will choke them as they come to the top.
Still am I fortunate that I can face
All claimants, be they Christians, Jews, or Turks;
And fortunate beyond my hope in this,—
Than I can instantaneously repair
In person to Palermo, to fulfil
My mission to Rosalba.

Ruggiero.
Speed you well!
I'll follow you to-morrow. For this night
In courtesy I needs must sojourn here.