QUEEN. Confess, my Carlos, I have harshly read thee; It is but spoken, and waywardness, and pride, Attract you thus so madly to your mother! The heart you lavish on myself belongs To the great empire you one day shall rule. Look that you sport not with your sacred trust! Love is your high vocation; until now It hath been wrongly bent upon your mother: Oh, lead it back upon your future realms, And so, instead of the fell stings of conscience, Enjoy the bliss of being more than man. Elizabeth has been your earliest love, Your second must be Spain. How gladly, Carlos, Will I give place to this more worthy choice! CARLOS (overpowered by emotion, throws himself at her feet). How great thou art, my angel! Yes, I'll do All, all thou canst desire. So let it be. [He rises. Here in the sight of heaven I stand and swear-- I swear to thee, eternal--no, great Heaven!-- Eternal silence only,--not oblivion! QUEEN. How can I ask from you what I myself Am not disposed to grant? MARQUIS (hastening from the alley). The king! QUEEN. Oh God! MARQUIS. Away, away! fly from these precincts, prince! QUEEN. His jealousy is dreadful--should he see you---- CARLOS. I'll stay. QUEEN. And who will be the victim then? CARLOS (seizing the MARQUIS by the arm). Away, away! Come, Roderigo, come! [Goes and returns. What may I hope to carry hence with me? QUEEN. Your mother's friendship. CARLOS. Friendship! Mother! QUEEN. And These tears with it--they're from the Netherlands. [She gives him some letters. Exit CARLOS with the MARQUIS. The QUEEN looks restlessly round in search of her ladies, who are nowhere to be seen. As she is about to retire up, the KING enters. SCENE VI. The KING, the QUEEN, DUKE ALVA, COUNT LERMA, DOMINGO, LADIES, GRANDEES, who remain at a little distance. KING. How, madam, alone; not even one of all Your ladies in attendance? Strange! Where are they? QUEEN. My gracious lord! KING. Why thus alone, I say? [To his attendants. I'll take a strict account of this neglect. 'Tis not to be forgiven. Who has the charge Of waiting on your majesty to-day? QUEEN. Oh, be not angry! Good, my lord, 'tis I Myself that am to blame--at my request The Princess Eboli went hence but now. KING. At your request! QUEEN. To call the nurse to me, With the Infanta, whom I longed to see. KING. And was your retinue dismissed for that? This only clears the lady first in waiting. Where was the second? MONDECAR (who has returned and mixed with the other ladies, steps forward). Your majesty, I feel I am to blame for this. KING. You are, and so I give you ten years to reflect upon it, At a most tranquil distance from Madrid. [The MARCHIONESS steps back weeping. General silence. The bystanders all look in confusion towards the QUEEN.