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they mock remembrance —

       Now seeing nothing and imagining nothing, 70

       But only being afraid — stifled with fear!

       While every goodly or familiar form

       Had a strange power of breathing terror round me!

       I saw you in a thousand fearful shapes;

       And, I entreat your lordship to believe me, 75

       In my last dream ——

      Ordonio. Well?

      Isidore. I was in the act

       Of falling down that chasm, when Alhadra

       Wak’d me: she heard my heart beat.

      Ordonio. Strange enough!

       Had you been here before?

      Isidore. Never, my lord!

       But mine eyes do not see it now more clearly, 80

       Than in my dream I saw — that very chasm.

      Ordonio (after a pause). I know not why it should be! yet it is —

      Isidore. What is, my lord?

      Ordonio. Abhorrent from our nature

       To kill a man. —

      Isidore. Except in self-defence.

      Ordonio. Why that’s my case; and yet the soul recoils from it — 85

       ‘Tis so with me at least. But you, perhaps,

       Have sterner feelings?

      Isidore. Something troubles you.

       How shall I serve you? By the life you gave me,

       By all that makes that life of value to me,

       My wife, my babes, my honour, I swear to you, 90

       Name it, and I will toil to do the thing,

       If it be innocent! But this, my lord!

       Is not a place where you could perpetrate,

       No, nor propose a wicked thing. The darkness,

       When ten strides off we know ‘tis cheerful moonlight, 95

       Collects the guilt, and crowds it round the heart.

       It must be innocent.

      Ordonio. Thyself be judge.

       One of our family knew this place well.

      Isidore. Who? when? my lord?

      Ordonio. What boots it, who or when?

       Hang up thy torch — I’ll tell his tale to thee. 100

      [They hang up their torches on some ridge in the cavern.

      He was a man different from other men,

       And he despised them, yet revered himself.

      Isidore (aside). He? He despised? Thou’rt speaking of thyself!

       I am on my guard, however: no surprise. [Then to ORDONIO.

       What, he was mad?

      Ordonio. All men seemed mad to him! 105

       Nature had made him for some other planet,

       And pressed his soul into a human shape

       By accident or malice. In this world

       He found no fit companion.

      Isidore. Of himself he speaks. [Aside.

       Alas! poor wretch! 110

       Mad men are mostly proud.

      Ordonio. He walked alone,

       And phantom thoughts unsought-for troubled him.

       Something within would still be shadowing out

       All possibilities; and with these shadows

       His mind held dalliance. Once, as so it happened, 115

       A fancy crossed him wilder than the rest:

       To this in moody murmur and low voice

       He yielded utterance, as some talk in sleep:

       The man who heard him. —

       Why did’st thou look round?

      Isidore. I have a prattler three years old, my lord! 120

       In truth he is my darling. As I went

       From forth my door, he made a moan in sleep —

       But I am talking idly — pray proceed!

       And what did this man?

      Ordonio. With this human hand

       He gave a substance and reality 125

       To that wild fancy of a possible thing. —

       Well it was done!

       Why babblest thou of guilt?

       The deed was done, and it passed fairly off.

       And he whose tale I tell thee — dost thou listen?

      Isidore. I would, my lord, you were by my fireside, 130

       I’d listen to you with an eager eye,

       Though you began this cloudy tale at midnight,

       But I do listen — pray proceed, my lord.

      Ordonio. Where was I?

      Isidore. He of whom you tell the tale —

      Ordonio. Surveying all things with a quiet scorn, 135

       Tamed himself down to living purposes,

       The occupations and the semblances

       Of ordinary men — and such he seemed!

       But that same over ready agent — he —

      Isidore. Ah! what of him, my lord?

      Ordonio. He proved a traitor, 140

       Betrayed the mystery to a brother-traitor,

       And they between them hatch’d a damnéd plot

       To hunt him down to infamy and death.

       What did the Valdez? I am proud of the name

       Since he dared do it. —

      [ORDONIO grasps his sword, and turns off from ISIDORE,

       then after a pause returns.

      Our links burn dimly. 145

      Isidore. A dark tale darkly finished! Nay, my lord!

       Tell what he did.

      Ordonio. That which his wisdom prompted —

       He made the traitor meet him in this cavern,

       And here he kill’d the traitor.

      Isidore. No! the fool! 150

       He had not wit enough to be a traitor.

       Poor thick-eyed beetle! not to have foreseen

       That he who gulled thee with a whimpered lie

       To murder his own brother, would not scruple

       To murder thee, if e’er his guilt grew jealous, 155

       And he could steal upon thee in the dark!

      Ordonio. Thou would’st not then have come, if —

      Isidore. Oh yes, my lord!

       I would have met him arm’d, and scar’d the coward.

      [ISIDORE throws off his robe; shews himself armed, and

       draws his sword.

      Ordonio. Now this is excellent and warms the blood! 160

       My heart was drawing back, drawing me back

       With weak and womanish scruples. Now my vengeance

      

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