Jaff. All's true; yet grant one thing, and I've done

asking.

Pie. What's that?

Jaff. To take thy life on such conditions

The council have proposed: thou and thy friends
May yet live long, and to be better treated.

Pie. Life! ask my life! confess! record myself
A villain, for the privilege to breathe,
And carry up and down this cursed city
A discontented and repining spirit,
Burdensome to itself, a few years longer!

To lose it, may be, at last in a lewd quarrel

For some new friend, treacherous and false as thou art! No; this vile world and I have long been jangling,

And cannot part on better terms than now,

When only men like thee are fit to live in 't.

Jaff. By all that's just

Pie. Swear by some other power,

For thou hast broke that sacred oath too lately.
Jaff. Then by that pain I merit, I'll not leave thee
Till, to thyself, at last thou'rt reconciled,

However thy resentments deal with me.

Pie. Not leave me!

Jaff. No; thou shalt not force me from thee. Use me reproachfully, and like a slave;

Tread on me, buffet me, heap wrongs on wrongs

On my poor head; I'll bear it all with patience,
Shall weary out thy most unfriendly cruelty;

Lie at thy feet [Falls on his knees], and kiss them, though they spurn me;

Till, wounded by my sufferings, thou relent,

And raise me to thy arms with dear forgiveness.

Pie. Art thou not

Jaff. What?

Pie. A traitor!

Jaff. Yes.

Pie. A villain !

Jaff. Granted.

Pie. A coward, a most scandalous coward; Spiritless, void of honour; one who has sold Thy everlasting fame for shameless life!

Jaff. [Rising.] All, all, and more,—much more, my faults are numberless.

Pie. And wouldst thou have me live on terms like thine? Base, as thou'rt false

Jaff. [Returning.] No, 'tis to me that's granted; The safety of thy life was all I aimed at,

In recompense for faith and trust so broken.

Pie. I scorn it more, because preserved by thee;
And, as when first my foolish heart took pity
On thy misfortunes, sought thee in thy miseries,
Relieved thy wants, and raised thee from the state
Of wretchedness, in which thy fate had plunged thee,
To rank thee in my list of noble friends;

All I received, in surety for thy truth,

Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger,

Given with a worthless pledge, thou since hast stolen :
So I restore it back to thee again,

Swearing by all those powers which thou hast violated,
Never, from this cursed hour, to hold communion,
Friendship, or interest with thee, though our years
Were to exceed those limited the world.

Take it.

[Throws down the dagger.] Farewell, for now I owe thee nothing.

Jaff. Say thou wilt live, then.

Pie. For my life, dispose it

Just as thou wilt, because 'tis what I'm tired with.

Jaff. O Pierre!

Pie. No more.

[Going.

Jaff. My eyes wont lose the sight of thee, [Following.

But languish after thine, and ache with gazing.

Pie. Leave me. Nay, then,-thus, thus I throw thee

from me;

And curses, great as is thy falsehood, catch thee!

WERNER.

OTWAY.

Enter COUNT Siegendorf, ULRIC his son, and Attendant.

Atten. A stranger to wait on

Your excellency.

Sieg. Who?

Atten. He gave no name.

Sieg. Admit him, ne'ertheless.

Ah!

[The attendant introduces GABOR, afterwards exit.

Gabor. "T is, then, Werner!

Sieg. [Haughtily.] The same you knew, sir, by that name; and you!

Gabor. [Looking round.] I recognise you both: father and son,

It seems. Count, I have heard that you, or yours,

Have lately been in search of me: I am here.

Sieg. I have sought you, and have found you: you are

charged,

(Your own heart may inform you why), with such

My own presence on the spot-the place-the time—
And every speck of circumstance unite

To fix the blot on you.

Gabor. And on me only?

Pause ere you answer: is no other name
Save mine, stained in this business?

Sieg. Trifling villain!

Who play'st with thine own guilt! Of all that breathe Thou best dost know the innocence of him

'Gainst whom thy breath would blow thy bloody slander; But I will talk no further with a wretch,

Further than justice asks. Answer at once,

And without quibbling, to my charge.

Gabor. 'T is false !

Sieg. Who says so?

Gabor. I.

Sieg. And how disprove it?

Gabor. By the presence of the murderer.

Sieg. Name him!

Gabor. He may have more names than one.

ship had so

Once on a time.

Sieg. If you mean me, I dare

Your utmost.

Gabor. You may do so, and in safety!

I know the assassin.

Sieg. Where is he?

Gabor. [Pointing to ULRIC.] Beside you!

ULRIC rushes forward to attack GABOR;

interposes.

Your lord

SIEGENDORF

Sieg. Liar and fiend! but you shall not be slain; These walls are mine, and you are safe within them.

Ulric, repel this calumny, as I

[He turns to ULRIC.

Will do. I avow it is a growth so monstrous,
I could not deem it earth-born: but be calm;
It will refute itself.

But touch him not.

[ULRIC endeavours to compose himself.

Gabor. Look at him, Count, and then hear me.

Sieg. [First to GABOR, and then looking at ULRIC.] 1 hear

thee.

Heavens! you look

Ulric. How?

Sieg. As on that dread night

When we met in the garden.

Ulric. [Composes himself.] It is nothing.

Gabor. Count, you are bound to hear me. I came hither

Not seeking you, but sought. When I knelt down
Amidst the people in the church, I dreamed not

To find the beggared Werner in the seat

Of senators and princes; but you have called me,

And we have met.

Sieg. Go on, sir.
Gabor. Ere I do so,

Allow me to inquire who profited

By Stralenheim's death? Was 't I-as poor as ever;
And poorer by suspicion on my name!

The baron lost in that last outrage neither

Jewels nor gold; his life alone was sought,

A life which stood between the claims of others
To honours and estates scarce less than princely.
Sieg. These hints, as vague as vain, attach no less
To me than to my son.

Gabor. I can't help that.

But let the consequence alight on him
Who feels himself the guilty one amongst us.
I speak of you, Count Siegendorf, because
I know you innocent, and deem you just.
But ere I can proceed-dare you protect me?
Dare you command me?

SI EGENDORF first looks at the Hungarian, and then at ULRIC, who has unbuckled his sabre, and is drawing lines with it on the floor-still in its sheath.

Ulric. [Looks at his father and says] Let the man go on! Gabor. I am unarmed, count-bid your son lay down His sabre.

Ulric. [Offers it to him contemptuously.] Take it.
Gabor. No, sir, 'tis enough

That we are both unarmed. I would not choose
To wear a steel that may be stained with more
Blood than came there in battle.

It

Ulric. [Casts the sabre from him in contempt.]

-or some

Such other weapon, in my hands-spared yours
Once when disarmed and at my mercy.

Gabor. True

I have not forgotten it: you spared me for
Your own especial purpose-to sustain
An ignominy not my own.

Ulric. Proceed.

The tale is doubtless worthy the relater.

But is it of my father to hear further ?

[To SIEGENDORF.

Sieg. [Takes his son by the hand.] My son! I know my own innocence and doubt not

Of yours-but I have promised this man patience;
Let him continue.

Gabor. I accuse no man-save in my defence.
You, count, have made yourself accuser-judge: