_Flor._ Unhappy creature, go thy ways in peace. Thou hast atoned. Oh, Hilda, come to me! If thou art here--if thou canst hear my words, Then by the love that thou hast borne to me, By all the tears that thou hast shed for me, By all the hope thou hast held out to me, I do implore thee to reveal thyself! _Enter HILDA, veiled._ Fear nothing, for I have the holy ring On which thine oath was given. By cunning fraud That oath was wrung from thee. Fear nothing now. _Hil._ (_unveiling_). Sir Florian, I am here! _Flor._ (_passionately_). Oh, Hilda, mine My only love! Safe in my arms at last! Why didst thou hide thyself away from me? _Hil._ (_hurriedly_). I hid myself to save my sister’s life; To save her life I now reveal myself. _Flor._ How fares Vavir? _Hil._ Alas! her little life is ebbing fast From heart-wounds of thy making! Florian, I have no time to lose on empty forms-- I have no words to waste on idle speech-- My poor sick sister loves thee! Much misled By thy light words, she placed full faith in thee: And she is dying for her faith. Oh, sir, There is but one physician in the world Who, under Heaven, can save my darling’s life. Go to her now. If thou hast loved me, sir, Be merciful, and save this life for me! _Flor._ Hilda, be just. How can I do this thing? Can I command my heart, or deal with it As I can deal with life or limb? By Heaven, I would lay down my life to save Vavir, But not my love! _Hil._ I do not ask thy life! _I_ have a life to yield, if such a price Could save my sister. Oh, forgive me, sir; My weight of grief hath maddened me; and yet I ask for no one-sided sacrifice. What is thy loss to mine? For three long years This love of thee tinged my devoted life With such blank woe--such utter misery-- That I was fain--hope being dead to me-- To sit apart, and wait the far-off end. Then, when the end seemed yet too far away, The bright, blue Heaven shone through the lowering clouds, For he whom I had mourned as dead, came back, To claim my love and crown it with his own! At last, at last, I hold thee by the hand! (_Taking FLORIAN by both hands._) At last I have thy love, oh, love of mine! Thou art my very own--at last--at last! Well, then, Sir Florian, I yield thee up! (_Releasing him._) To save her life I tear this new-born joy Out of my very heart: for her I crush My only hope on earth! If I can yield The love of three long years to save her life, Canst thou not yield thy love of yesterday? _Flor._ The task is very bitter. Yesternight I learnt that thou whom I so blindly love Had blindly loved me years ago--to-day Thou bidd’st me take this love of mine elsewhere!