Act 5

Act V

Scene I.—A part of the Forest.

Enter Conrad and Auranthe

Auranthe. Go no further; not a step more. Thou art
A master-plague in the midst of miseries.
Go,—I fear thee! I tremble, every limb,
Who never shook before. There’s moody death
In thy resolvèd looks! Yes, I could kneel
To pray thee far away! Conrad, go! go!—
There! yonder, underneath the boughs I see
Our horses!

Conrad. Ay, and the man.

Auranthe. Yes, he is there!
Go, go,—no blood! no blood!—go, gentle Conrad!

Conrad. Farewell!

Auranthe. Farewell! For this Heaven pardon you!

[Exit Auranthe.

Conrad. If he survive one hour, then may I die
In unimagined tortures, or breathe through
A long life in the foulest sink o’ the world!
He dies! ’Tis well she do not advertise
The caitiff of the cold steel at his back.

[ExitConrad.

Enter Ludolphand Page

Ludolph. Missed the way, boy? Say not that on your
peril!

Page. Indeed, indeed, I cannot trace them further.

Ludolph. Must I stop here? Here solitary die
Stifled beneath the thick oppressive shade
Of these dull boughs—this even of dark thickets—
Silent,—without revenge?—pshaw! bitter end,—
A bitter death—a suffocating death,—
A gnawing—silent—deadly, quiet death!
Escaped?—fled?—vanished? melted into air?
She’s gone! I cannot clutch her! no revenge!
A muffled death, ensnared in horrid silence!
Sucked to my grave amid a dreamy calm!
O, where is that illustrious noise of war,
To smother up this sound of labouring breath,
This rustle of the trees!

[Aurantheshrieks at a distance.

Page. My lord, a noise!
This way—hark!

Ludolph. Yes, yes! A hope! A music!
A glorious clamour! How I live again!

[Exeunt.

Scene II.—Another part of the Forest.

Enter Albert (wounded)

Albert. Oh! for enough life to support me on
To Otho’s feet!

Enter Ludolph

Ludolph. Thrice villainous, stay there!
Tell me where that detested woman is,
Or this is through thee!