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      Osorio. O! an o’ersiz’d gudgeon!

       I baited, sir, my hook with a painted mitre, 45

       And now I play with him at the end of the line.

       Well — and what next?

      Ferdinand (stammering). Next, next — my lord!

       You know you told me that the lady loved you,

       Had loved you with incautious tenderness.

       That if the young man, her betrothéd husband, 50

       Return’d, yourself, and she, and an unborn babe,

       Must perish. Now, my lord! to be a man!

      Osorio (aloud, though to express his contempt he speaks in the

       third person). This fellow is a man! he kill’d for hire

       One whom he knew not — yet has tender scruples.

      [Then turning to FERDINAND.

      Thy hums and ha’s, thy whine and stammering. 55

       Pish — fool! thou blunder’st through the devil’s book,

       Spelling thy villany!

      Ferdinand. My lord — my lord!

       I can bear much, yes, very much from you.

       But there’s a point where sufferance is meanness!

       I am no villain, never kill’d for hire. 60

       My gratitude ——

      Osorio. O! aye, your gratitude!

       ‘Twas a well-sounding word — what have you done with it?

      Ferdinand. Who proffers his past favours for my virtue

       Tries to o’erreach me, is a very sharper,

       And should not speak of gratitude, my lord! 65

       I knew not ‘twas your brother!

      Osorio (evidently alarmed). And who told you?

      Ferdinand. He himself told me.

      Osorio. Ha! you talk’d with him?

       And those, the two Morescoes, that went with you?

      Ferdinand. Both fell in a night-brawl at Malaga.

      Osorio (in a low voice). My brother!

      Ferdinand. Yes, my lord! I could not

       tell you: 70

       I thrust away the thought, it drove me wild.

       But listen to me now. I pray you, listen!

      Osorio. Villain! no more! I’ll hear no more of it.

      Ferdinand. My lord! it much imports your future safety

       That you should hear it.

      Osorio (turning off from Ferdinand). Am I not a man? 75

       ‘Tis as it should be! Tut — the deed itself

       Was idle — and these after-pangs still idler!

      Ferdinand. We met him in the very place you mention’d,

       Hard by a grove of firs.

      Osorio. Enough! enough!

      Ferdinand. He fought us valiantly, and wounded all; 80

       In fine, compell’d a parley!

      Osorio (sighing as if lost in thought). Albert! Brother!

      Ferdinand. He offer’d me his purse.

      Osorio. Yes?

      Ferdinand. Yes! I spurn’d it.

       He promis’d us I know not what — in vain!

       Then with a look and voice which overaw’d me,

       He said — What mean you, friends? My life is dear. 85

       I have a brother and a promised wife

       Who make life dear to me, and if I fall

       That brother will roam earth and hell for vengeance.

       There was a likeness in his face to yours.

       I ask’d his brother’s name; he said, Osorio, 90

       Son of Lord Velez! I had well-nigh fainted!

       At length I said (if that indeed I said it,

       And that no spirit made my tongue his organ),

       That woman is now pregnant by that brother,

       And he the man who sent us to destroy you, 95

       He drove a thrust at me in rage. I told him,

       He wore her portrait round his neck — he look’d

       As he had been made of the rock that propp’d him back;

       Ay, just as you look now — only less ghastly!

       At last recovering from his trance, he threw 100

       His sword away, and bade us take his life —

       It was not worth his keeping.

      Osorio. And you kill’d him?

       O bloodhounds! may eternal wrath flame round you!

       He was the image of the Deity. [A pause.

       It seizes me — by Hell! I will go on! 105

       What? would’st thou stop, man? thy pale looks won’t save thee!

      [Then suddenly pressing his forehead.

      Oh! cold, cold, cold — shot thro’ with icy cold!

      Ferdinand (aside). Were he alive, he had return’d ere now.

       The consequence the same, dead thro’ his plotting!

      Osorio. O this unutterable dying away here, 110

       This sickness of the heart! [A pause.

       What if I went

       And liv’d in a hollow tomb, and fed on weeds?

       Ay! that’s the road to heaven! O fool! fool! fool! [A pause.

       What have I done but that which nature destin’d

       Or the blind elements stirr’d up within me? 115

       If good were meant, why were we made these beings?

       And if not meant ——

      Ferdinand. How feel you now, my lord?

      [OSORIO starts, looks at him wildly, then, after a

       pause, during which his features are forced

       into a smile.

      Osorio. A gust of the soul! i’faith, it overset me.

       O ‘twas all folly — all! idle as laughter!

       Now, Ferdinand, I swear that thou shalt aid me. 120

      Ferdinand (in a low voice). I’ll perish first! Shame on my

       coward heart,

       That I must slink away from wickedness

       Like a cow’d dog!

      Osorio. What dost thou mutter of?

      Ferdinand. Some of your servants know me, I am certain.

      Osorio. There’s some sense in that scruple; but we’ll mask you. 125

      Ferdinand. They’ll know my gait. But stay! of late I have

       watch’d

       A stranger that lives nigh, still picking weeds,

       Now in the swamp, now on the walls of the ruin,

       Now clamb’ring, like a runaway lunatic,

       Up to the summit of our highest mount. 130

       I have watch’d

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