_Enter TRISTRAM and FLORA hurriedly_ (R.). _FLORA._ Fly, Tristram, down the stairs: she is coming. _TRISTRAM._ O, wala! wala! If she has seen us— _Fl._ Quick! And dout the lamp. [_Exit_ R. 2140 _T._ O, wala! wala! [_Exit down the stairs, back, making a great noise; the lamp suddenly goes out._ _Enter Diana in robe-de-chambre, with a lamp in her hand._ _DIANA._ Stop, sir! stop, stop! I see you: I bid you stop. Flora, Flora!—I’ll ring the alarm. [_Pulls a rope._ Will no one come? _Enter Ricardo_ (L.). _RICARDO._ I heard your ladyship call. _D._ He is here, Ricardo: I heard him, I saw him. _R._ Where? _D._ He ran off down the stairs. Follow him and seize him. 2145 Bring him back here. Quick! _R._ Down the stairs? _D._ Quick, quick! [_Exit R. at back._ Is this the way I am treated? and not a servant! Flora! Come, Flora! Flora! is no one awake? _Enter_ (L.) _St. Nicholas hurriedly, half-dressed, carrying suits of clothes, a dressing-case, etc._ _D._ Stay, sir! where go you? _ST. NICHOLAS._ Fire! fire! The palace is on fire! Fly, fly! 2150 _D._ Stay, sir, I say: the house is not on fire. _N._ Where is the fire? Mercy! O, heaven save me! _D._ There is no fire at all. _N._ No fire! Are you sure? _D._ I rang the bell myself to awake the house. A man broke in. _N._ Thieves? Robbers? _D._ I do not know. He has got away. Go, wake Sir Gregory. _N._ (_going_). First let me fetch my sword! _D._ Nonsense, St. Nicholas; we need no swords. Go, wake Sir Gregory, and send him here: Send him at once. [_Exit N._ (L.) _Re-enter Ricardo_ (_back_). Were you too late, Ricardo? 2160 Did you not catch him? Has he escaped? _R._ In the dark, Whoever it was, had passed the door before me, And, like a hare, faster than I could follow, Sped o’er the grass into the house. _D._ You saw him? Where went he in? _R._ At Frederick’s door. I reached it In time to hear the key turn in the lock. _D._ ’Tis he, then, and escaped in spite of us. But I’ll find out with whom he dares.... _R._ (_aside_). ’Twas the fool Tristram: I saw him plainly enough. Should I not tell her?— _D._ Ricardo, go and fetch Sir Gregory; 2171 I have sent St. Nicholas for him, but the man Is scared with terror. _R._ (_aside_). While all goes well with me, the less I meddle The better. I’ll let her find this out herself. [_Exit_ (L.) _D._ I’ll ring the bell again. _Enter the Maids_ (R.).