"Quand le soleil de ces déserts Des monts ne dore plus la cime, Alors, les anges des enfers Viennent caresser leurs victimes.... Si leur douce voix vous endort, Reculez, leur main est glacée! Gardez-vous, jeune fiancée, De l'amour qui donne la mort!" A third stanza and Lovette will escape from the Vampire. The bard, who is the angel of marriage in disguise, must not therefore be allowed to sing his third stanza. Lord Ruthven complains that the song brings back unhappy memories, and sends the old man away. Then, as night draws on, as there is no time to lose, since, unless he can suck the blood of a maiden before one o'clock in the morning, he must die, he seeks an interview with Lovette. Lovette would fain decline; but Edgard is afraid of displeasing his lord and master, who, left alone with Lovette, endeavours to seduce her, swears to her that he loves her, and places a purse full of gold in her hand. Just at that moment the bard's harp is heard and the refrain of the song:-- "Gardez-vous, jeune fiancée, De l'amour qui donne la mort!" Then everybody comes on, and the ballet begins. Towards the middle of the ballet, Lovette withdraws, tired; Ruthven, who has not let her go out of sight, follows her. Edgard soon perceives that neither Lovette nor his lord are present. He goes out in his turn. Cries are heard from the wing; Lovette runs on, terrified; a pistol-shot is heard: Lord Ruthven falls mortally wounded on the stage. "He tried to dishonour my betrothed!" cries Edgard, who appears, his pistol still smoking in his hand. Aubrey dashes towards the wounded man. Lord Ruthven still breathes; he asks to be left alone with his friend. Everybody goes off. "One last promise, Aubrey," says Lord Ruthven. "Oh, ask it, take my life!... it will be unbearable to me without thee," replies Aubrey. "My friend, I only ask thee for profound secrecy for twelve hours." "For twelve hours?" "Promise me that Malvina shall not know anything of what has happened--that you will not do anything to avenge my death before the hour of one in the morning has struck.... Swear secrecy by my dying breath!..." "I swear it!" says Aubrey, stretching forth his hands. The moon comes out from behind clouds and shines brilliantly during Ruthven's last words. "Aubrey," says Ruthven, "the queen of night casts light upon me for the last time.... Let me see her and pay my final vows to heaven!" Ruthven's head falls back at these words. Then Aubrey, helped by Lovette's father, carries the dead man to the rocks in the distance, kisses his hand for the last time, and retires, led away by the old man. At that moment the moonlight completely floods Ruthven's body with its rays and lights up the frozen mountains....