PRIOR ALBERT.

Nor did he die

By means, or men, or instrument of yours?

SIEGENDORF.

No! by the God who sees and strikes!

Who slew him?

PRIOR ALBERT.

Nor know you

SIEGENDORF.

I could only guess at one,

And he to me a stranger, unconnected,
As unemploy'd. Except by one day's knowledge,
I never saw the man who was suspected.

PRIOR ALBERT.

Then you are free from guilt.

SIEGENDORF (eagerly).

The truth, and nought but truth, if not the whole : I am not guilty! for the blood

Yet

say

Of this man weighs on me, as if I shed it,

Though by the Power who abhorreth human blood,
I did not!-nay, once spared it, when I might
And could-ay, perhaps, should (if our Self-Safety
Be e'er excusable in such defences

Against the attacks of over-potent foes);

But pray for him, for me, and all my house;
For, as I said, though I be innocent

I know not why, a like Remorse is on me

As if he had fallen by me or mine. Pray for me,
Father! I have pray'd myself in vain.

But Calmness is not

Always the attribute of Innocence :

I feel it is not.

PRIOR ALBERT.

But it will be so,

When the mind gathers up its truth within it.
Remember the great festival to-morrow,
In which you rank amidst our chiefest nobles,
As well as your brave son; and smoothe your aspect;
Nor in the general orison of thanks

For bloodshed stopt, let blood, you shed not, rise
A cloud upon your thoughts. This were to be
Too sensitive. Take comfort, and forget
Such things, and leave Remorse unto the guilty.

(Exeunt.)

END OF ACT IV.

OR,

THE INHERITANCE.

ACT V.

SCENE 1.

A large and magnificent Gothic Hall in the Castle of Siegendorf, decorated with Trophies, Banners, and Arms of that Family.

1

Enter ARNHEIM and MEISTER, Attendants of COUNT

SIEGENDORF.

ARNHEIM.

Be quick! the count will soon return: the ladies
Already are at the portal. Have you sent
The messengers in search of him he seeks for?

MEISTER.:

I have, in all directions, over Prague,
As far as the man's dress and figure could
By your description track him. The devil take
These revels and processions! All the pleasure
(If such there be) must fall to the spectators.
I'm sure none doth to us who make the show.

ARNHEIM.

Go to! my lady countess comes.

MEISTER.

I'd rather

"

Ride a day's hunting on an outworn jade,
Than follow in the train of a great man

In these dull pageantries.

ARNHEIM.

Begone! and rail,

Within.

(Exeunt.)

(Enter the Countess Josephine Sirgendorf and IDA STRALENHEIM.)

JOSEPHINE.

Well, Heaven be praised, the show is over!

IDA.

How can you say so! Never have I dreamt
Of aught so beautiful. The flowers, the boughs,
The banners and the nobles, and the knights,
The gems, the robes, the plumes, the happy faces,
The coursers, and the incense, and the sun

Streaming through the stain'd windows, even the tombs,

Which look'd so calm, and the celestial hymns,
Which seem'd as if they rather came from heaven
Than mounted there. The bursting organ's peal
Rolling on high like an harmonious thunder;
The white robes, and the lifted eyes; the world
At peace! and all at peace with one another!
Oh, my sweet mother!

JOSEPHINE.

(Embracing JOSEPHINE.)

My beloved child!

For such, I trust, thou shalt be shortly.

IDA.

Oh!

I am so already. Feel how my heart beats!

JOSEPHINE.

It does, my love; and never may it throb
With aught more bitter!

IDA.

Never shall it do so!

How should it? What should make us grieve? I hate To hear of sorrow: how can we be sad,

Who love each other so entirely? You,

The Count, and Ulric, and your daughter, Ida.

JOSEPHINE.

Poor child!

IDA.

Do you pity me?

JOSEPHINE.

No; I but envy,

And that in sorrow, not in the world's sense
Of the universal vice, if one vice be

More general than another.

IDA.

I'll not hear

A word against a world which still contains

You and my Ulric. Did you ever see

Aught like him? How he tower'd amongst them all!
How all eyes follow'd him? The flowers fell faster-
Rain'd from each lattice at his feet, methought,
Than before all the rest, and where he trod
I dare be sworn that they grow still, nor e'er
Will wither.

JOSEPHINE.

You will spoil him, little flatterer,

If he should hear you.

IDA.

But he never will.

I dare not say so much to him-I fear him.

JOSEPHINE.

Why so? he loves you

well.

IDA.

But I can never

Shape my thoughts of him into words to him.

Besides, he sometimes frightens me.