Laid her claws upon my master,
She will leave the man alone.

[He stumbles against DON MANUEL.

Nay, in faith, she wants us both!
Who goes there? who is it?

D. Man.

Peace,

Peace, I say, whoe'er you are,
Or my dagger shall enforce it!

Cosm. Mute as any poor relation

In a rich man's house, I'll be.

D. Man. Doubtless this must be some servant

Who has enter'd here by chance.
Well, from him I may discover
Where I am: - What house is this?
Speak; and tell me who's its owner?

Cosm. Señor, both the house and owner
Are the devil's, or let him take me ;-
For a lady here resides
Who is call'd the Lady Goblin :
'Tis the devil in the likeness
Of a woman.

D. Man. Who are you?

Cosm. Who am I? a drudge, a servant,

A poor knave a luckless devil-
Who, without or rhyme or reason,

Is the victim of enchantment.

D. Man. And your master-Who is he?

Cosm. Why he is a fool, a madman,

Idiot, simpleton, and ninny,

Since he dotes upon the devil.

D. Man. And his name?

Cosm.

Hénriquez.

His name's Don Manuel

D. Man. Now, Heaven be with me!
Cosm. And Cosme Catiboratos

Mine.

D. Man. You Cosme! You too here!

But how found you entrance? I
Am your master. Tell me, did you
Follow close upon the litter?
Did you enter to this chamber,
Seeking too, like me, concealment ?

Cosm. Pleasant jesting, on my honour;
Rather say, How came you here?
Did you not, alone and boldly,
Follow where they waited for you?
How have you return'd so quickly?
Last of all, how have you enter'd
Here, since I have never parted
With the key of this apartment?

D. Man. Whose apartment then is this?

Cosm. Why, your own, or else the devil's.

D. Man. Now, by Heaven! a shameless falsehood.

Far removed from my apartment

And within another mansion

Was I but a moment past.

Cosm. Sleights like these are of the devil's

Own devising: I have told you

But the simple truth.

D. Man.

You'd have me

Through the door, into the passage,
Look around you, and let that
Undeceive you.

D. Man. It is well,

I will search and see in person.

Cosm. When, my master, shall we 'scape

From this region of delusion ?

[Exit.

[ISABEL enters gently through the secret door in the dark.

Isab. Now, Don Juan has departed

That our captive guest Don Manuel

Mayn't discover where he is,

I must let him out. Hist, señor,

Hist!

Cosm. (aside.) Why, this is worse and worse.

For my master is already

Gone.

Isab. (aside.) Your master-who is he?

D. Man. (re-entering) "Tis indeed my own apartment.

Isab. (to Cosme.) Is it you?

Cosm.

Isab.

Come with me.

'Tis I.

Then quick.

Don Man. Come, you were right.

Isab. Stay not there is nought to fear.

[She takes hold of COSME by the hand, and draws him
out by the secret door.

Cosm. Master! help! the Goblin takes me! [Exit with ISABEL.
D. Man. Shall we not at length discover

How this mummery takes its rises ?

What, no answer? Cease this fooling.
Cosme! Cosme! Nay, by Heaven!
I encounter but the walls-

Did I not converse with Cosme?
How could he so suddenly
Vanish? Was he not beside me?
I, in sober sadness, shall
Lose my senses. Yet since some one,
By some strange conveyance, enters,
How they come I must discover;

So in the alcove I'll hide me.

Mean time Isabel, under the impression that Don Manuel is her companion, introduces Cosme into the apartment of Dona Angela. Though confused at the mistake, the ladies are resolved to keep up the mystification of the servant; who is directed to refresh himself with a glass of wine, as he has a journey of more than two hundred miles to perform through the air the same night. In the midst of their merriment, however, Don Luis knocks, demanding admittance. Isabel precipitately retreats with Cosme through the door on the left. Beatrice conceals herself behind the curtain. Don Luis who, in consequence of overhearing the conversation between Angela and Beatrice in the Second Act, expects to surprise Beatrice and her brother together, enters, sees the traces of the entertainment, and, observing the

[Goes into the recess.

apparent confusion of Angela, insists on searching her apartments. A noise is at the same time heard in the apartment to the left, and Don Luis hurries out in pursuit, leaving Angela, who in terror and anxiety resolves to seek protection with the father of Beatrice, till an opportunity for explanation with her brothers arrive.

The scene again changes to the apartment of Don Manuel. Itisdark; Isabel and Cosme enter hastily through the secret door: almost at the same moment, Don Manuel, hearing the sound of persons in the apartment, enters from the recess. Isabel, after depositing Cosme in the room, hurries out by the centre door, forgetting, in her agitation, to wheel the cabinet back into its place. A light is seen behind, and Don Luis enters by the secret door.

D. Luis. Now, by Heaven, I saw a man!

Cosm. This goes ill.
D. Luis.

To displace this cabinet?

How have they managed

Cosm. (aside.) Ha! the light comes: let the table

I've encounter'd here conceal me.

[Creeps under the table.

D. Man. (advancing.) Let this mummery have an end.

D. Luis. Don Manuel!

D. Man.

Don Luis! who

Ever witness'd such confusion?

Cosm. So, 'twas thus the Goblin enter'd

Thousand times I've wish'd to say so.

D. Luis. Craven heart, dishonour'd knight,

Traitor comrade, perjured guest,
Who against a brother's honour,
That esteems, receives, and trusts thee,
Thus without remorse conspirest,
Thus without respect adventurest-
Draw at once thy shameless sword.

D. Man. Yes! but only to defend me
Will I draw it: so confused
Thus to hear thee--thus to see thee-
Thus to hear and see myself,
That although you strive to slay me,
'Twere in vain; a life like mine,
Put so oft by cruel fortune
To the proof, must be immortal.
Though you strive, you cannot give me
Death-since sorrow gives it not;
I will own your arm is strong,

But my grief is stronger still.

D. Luis. Not with reasons, but with deeds,

For before the word were utter'd,
Or imagined, or conceived,

Would your lifeblood stain my sword!
Nay, since destiny decrees it,

Self-protection must come first :
Let the laws of friendship pardon.
If 'tis fix'd that fight we must,
Let us combat as becomes us.
Part between us both the light,
That its beams may equal be;
Close that secret door behind you,
That we may the more securely
Combat: I shall close the other;
Cast the key upon the ground,
Let him lift it that survives.

Don Luis raises the table in order to barricade the secret passage, in doing which he discovers Cosme. "This, then, is the servant for whom you were waiting!" he exclaims, with a sneer, to Don Manuel. "Believe what you please," answers Don Manuel, "the time is past for explanations." The question now is how Cosme is

to be disposed of during the combat, so as to prevent his interfering on the side of his master; a precaution which the valet assures both parties is a very needless one. Don Manuel, however, locks him up in a kind of press within the alcove, and returns to meet his opponent.

D. Man. Now we are alone together.

D. Luis. Let our combat then commence.

[They fight.-DON LUIS loses the guard of his sword.

D. Man. Never saw I cooler fencing!

D. Luis. Never saw I stronger force!

I am left unarm'd. My weapon

Useless is without a guard.

D. Man. 'Tis not from defect of valour;

'Tis the accident of fortune.

Go, and seek another sword.

D. Luis. You are courteous, you are valiant.
(Aside.) O my fate! What course is left me,
In a moment so perplexing ;
Since he takes my honour from me,
Gives me life, and conquers me?
I must seek for some occasion,
Either real or apparent,
To retire till I decide

What amidst these doubts to do.

D. Man. Go you for a weapon?

D. Luis. Yes, if you will wait my coming,

I shall soon return with one.

D. Man. Soon or late, I wait you here.

D. Luis, Fare you well, then; God protect you.

[Exit by the principal door.

D. Man. Fare you well, too; God be with you, (locks the door.)

Thus I lock the door, withdrawing

Thence the key, that none discover

Any one remains within.

What confused imaginations

Combat in my thoughts, perplexing

With their changing shapes my reason!

Ah! how truly I predicted

That there was some secret entrance,
That she was Don Luis's mistress!

Every thing in fact has happen'd
Even as I at first foresaw,

Evil guesses seldom fail us.

Cosme. (from the recess.) Gentle master, I entreat you

If you are alone, for God's sake

Let me out again; I tremble

Lest the Goblin come to seek me,
With his questions and his answers,
In a doghole such as this,
Where the walls are scarce divided.

D. Man. I will open, for I feel
So bewilder'd with the conflict
Of opposing thoughts, that now
Nothing can torment me farther.

[He goes into the Alcove to let him out.
DON JUAN brings in ANGELA veiled.
ground.

Don Juan. Here you shall remain till I
Can investigate the reason,
Which, at such an hour, had drawn you
From your house. You shall not enter,
Thankless girl, your own apartment,
That I may without your presence
Sift the truth of this adventure.

(Aside.) I shall leave her in the apartment

Of Don Manuel. Lest he come

At the door, I'll place a servant

To instruct him not to enter.

The centre door opens.-
Both remain in the back.

D. Ang. (alone.) Ah! unhappy! woe is me!

One upon another follow

My misfortunes. I am dying.

Don Manuel and Cosme enter from the recess without seeing ANGELA.

Cos. Let's go quickly.

D. Man. Why, what fear you ?

Cos. That this woman is the devil,

And that even here she'll plague me.

D. Man. Since we know now who she is,

And one door is by the table

Barr'd, the other by the key,

How, pray, would you have her enter ?

Cos. Any way that suits her pleasure.

D. Man. You are crazy.

Cos. (turning round and seeing D. ANGELA.) Lord have mercy !

D. Man. Art thou shadow or illusion,

Woman, that dost haunt me so?

Say, how have you enter'd here?

D. Ang. Don Manuel!

D. Man.

D. Ang.

Speak.

Attend and listen.

Don Luis knock'd;-in haste

My chamber enter'd; then his steps retraced;

With foresight he reflected,

Discreetly thought, and oft the thought rejected;

The house in darkness viewing,

And then with light, he saw thee, and pursuing,

The sound of blows, not words,

Was heard, for in the place of tongues were swords.