Music and dancing. * * * * * Midnight. The Evil Spirit appears, flying about in the form of a maiden. EVIL SPIRIT. It is not long since at this same hour I coursed the earth--the spirits of the lower world now drive me on; they force me to assume a holy part. He flies over a garden. Ye perfumed flowers! tear yourselves from your green stems, and fly into my hair! He flies over a graveyard. Living bloom and fresh charms of buried maidens, lost here, and floating vainly about above forgotten graves--fly into, and paint my swarthy cheeks with roseate hues of youth and love! Under this white stone a fair-haired girl moulders and festers into wormy rottenness; shadows of her lustrous curls, come--twine round my burning brow! Under this fallen cross, two soft eyes of heavenly blue are dying in their sunken sockets--to me! to me! the pure and lambent flame which once lightened and glimmered through them! Behind those iron bars which guard that vault of kings, a hundred torches burn to light corruption--a princess was buried there to-day: ye white and lustrous robes of costly satin, come! fluttering like snowy, downy doves leave to the worms, undraped, the youthful form--fly through the trellised grating--and softly fall around my scathed and fleshless limbs! And now, on! on! on! * * * * * A sleeping apartment. A night lamp stands upon a table, and shines upon the face of the husband sleeping beside his wife. THE MAN (_still sleeping_). Ha! whence comest thou? I have neither heard nor seen thee for months--for years. As water softly flows, so flow thy feet, two white waves! A holy calm is on thy brow--all that I have ever dreamed--have ever loved--unite in thee! Awaking suddenly. Where am I?... Ha! I am sleeping by my wife--yes, that _is_ my wife-- Gazing long upon her. Ah! I once thought thou wert my early Dream--but thou art it not;--after years of time, it has returned to me--and is not thee, Mary, nor like thee! Thou art mild, pure, good--but she.... My God! what do I see? Am I really awake? THE MAIDEN. Thou hast deserted and betrayed me! Vanishes. THE MAN. Cursed be the hour in which I married a wife, in which I deserted the Love of my youth, the thought of my thought, the soul of my soul.... WIFE (_awaking_). What is it, Henry? Does the day already break? Is the carriage at the door? We have so much to attend to to-day. THE MAN. No: it is only midnight. Go to sleep--sleep soundly! WIFE. Have you been taken suddenly ill, my dear? Shall I rise and get anything for you? THE MAN. Sleep, sleep, I pray. WIFE. My dearest, tell me what is the matter with you! Your voice trembles, your cheeks burn with fever. THE MAN (_jumping out of bed_). I only want fresh air--for God's sake, stay here; do not follow me! Once more I beg you will not rise! He leaves hurriedly the chamber.