I fix mine eye upon thee, and thou tremblest!
I speak — and fear and wonder crush thy rage, 185
And turn it to a motionless distraction!
Thou blind self-worshipper! thy pride, thy cunning,
Thy faith in universal villainy,
Thy shallow sophisms, thy pretended scorn
For all thy human brethren — out upon them! 190
What have they done for thee? Have they given thee peace?
Cured thee of starting in thy sleep? or made
The darkness pleasant, when thou wakest at midnight?
Art happy when alone? can’st walk by thyself
With even step, and quiet cheerfulness? 195
Yet, yet thou mayst be saved.
Osorio (stupidly reiterating the word). Saved? saved?
Albert. One pang —
Could I call up one pang of true remorse!
Osorio. He told me of the babe, that prattled to him,
His fatherless little ones! Remorse! remorse!
Where gott’st thou that fool’s word? Curse on remorse! 200
Can it give up the dead, or recompact
A mangled body — mangled, dash’d to atoms!
Not all the blessings of an host of angels
Can blow away a desolate widow’s curse;
And tho’ thou spill thy heart’s blood for atonement, 205
It will not weigh against an orphan’s tear.
Albert (almost overcome by his feelings). But Albert ——
Osorio. Ha! it
chokes thee in the throat,
Even thee! and yet, I pray thee, speak it out.
Still Albert! Albert! Howl it in mine ear!
Heap it, like coals of fire, upon my heart! 210
And shoot it hissing through my brain!
Albert. Alas —
That day, when thou didst leap from off the rock
Into the waves, and grasp’d thy sinking brother,
And bore him to the strand, then, son of Velez!
How sweet and musical the name of Albert! 215
Then, then, Osorio! he was dear to thee,
And thou wert dear to him. Heaven only knows
How very dear thou wert! Why didst thou hate him?
O Heaven! how he would fall upon thy neck,
And weep forgiveness!
Osorio. Spirit of the dead! 220
Methinks I know thee! Ha! — my brain turns wild
At its own dreams — off — off, fantastic shadow!
Albert (seizing his hand). I fain would tell thee what I am,
but dare not!
Osorio (retiring from him). Cheat, villain, traitor! whatsoe’er
thou be
I fear thee, man!
[He starts, and stands in the attitude of listening.
And is this too my madness? 225
Albert. It is the step of one that treads in fear
Seeking to cheat the echo.
Osorio. It approaches —
This nook shall hide me.
[MARIA enters from a plank which slips to and fro.
Maria. I have put aside
The customs and the terrors of a woman,
To work out thy escape. Stranger! begone, 230
And only tell me what thou know’st of Albert.
[ALBERT takes her portrait from his neck, and gives it
her with unutterable tenderness.
Albert. Maria! my Maria!
Maria. Do not mock me.
This is my face — and thou — ha! who art thou?
Nay, I will call thee Albert!
[She falls upon his neck. OSORIO leaps out from the
nook with frantic wildness, and rushes towards
ALBERT with his sword. MARIA gapes at him, as
one helpless with terror, then leaves ALBERT,
and flings herself upon OSORIO, arresting his
arm.
Maria. Madman, stop!
Albert (with majesty and tenderness). Does then this thin
disguise impenetrably 235
Hide Albert from thee? Toil and painful wounds,
And long imprisonment in unwholesome dungeons,
Have marr’d perhaps all trace and lineament
Of what I was! But chiefly, chiefly, brother!
My anguish for thy guilt. Spotless Maria, 240
I thought thee guilty too! Osorio, brother!
Nay, nay, thou shalt embrace me!
Osorio (drawing back and gazing at Albert with a countenance
expressive at once of awe and terror). Touch me not!
Touch not pollution, Albert! — I will die!
[He attempts to fall on his sword. ALBERT and MARIA
struggle with him.
Albert. We will invent some tale to save your honour.
Live, live, Osorio!
Maria. You may yet be happy. 245
Osorio (looking at Maria). O horror! Not a thousand years in
heaven
Could recompose this miserable heart,
Or make it capable of one brief joy.
Live! live! — why yes! ‘Twere well to live with you —
For is it fit a villain should be proud? 250
My brother! I will kneel to you, my brother!
[Throws himself at ALBERT’S feet.
Forgive me, Albert! — Curse me with forgiveness!
Albert. Call back thy soul, my brother! and look round thee.
Now is the time for greatness. Think that Heaven ——
Maria. O mark his eye! he hears not what you say. 255
Osorio (pointing at vacancy). Yes, mark his eye! there’s
fascination in it.
Thou said’st thou didst not know him. That is he!
He comes upon me!
Albert (lifting his eye to heaven). Heal, O heal him, Heaven!
Osorio. Nearer and nearer! And I cannot stir!
Will no one hear these stifled groans, and wake me? 260
He would have died to save me, and I kill’d him —
A husband and a father!
Maria. Some secret poison