_Hen._ 'Tis ripe: beneath his chambers The vaults are ours, the sleeping fires disposed; The mine waits but your word. _Caesa._ Tonight it springs then, And hurls my foe in burning clouds to heaven-- O! rapturous sight! _Hen._ And can that sight give rapture Which wrings with anguish Amelrosa's bosom? She loves her father---- _Caesa._ Loves she not her husband? _Hen._ She'll hate him, when she knows---- _Caesa._ She ne'er shall know it! All shall be held her rebel brother's deed; And while contending passions shake the rabble, (Grief for the sire, resentment 'gainst the son; And pity for the princess) forth I'll step, Avow our marriage, claim the crown her right, And, when she mounts the throne, ascend it with her. _Hen._ Oh! she will drown that bloody throne with tears! And should she learn who bade them flow---- _Caesa._ Say on---- _Hen._ She'll loath you! _Caesa._ [_With a scornful smile_] She'll forgive me. _Hen._ Never, never! I know the princess; know a daughter's love, A daughter's grief---- _Caesa._ And are not daughters women? By nature tender, trustful, kind, and fickle, Prone to forgive, and practised in forgetting? Let the fair things but rave their hour at ease, And weep their fill, and wring their pretty hands, Faint between whiles, and swear by every saint They'll never, never, never see you more! Then when the larum's hushed, profess repentance, Say a few kind false words, drop a few tears, Force a fond kiss or two, and all's forgiven. Away! I know her sex! _Hen._ But know not her! Her heart will bleed; and can you wound that heart, Yet swear you love her? _Caesa._ Dearly, fiercely love her; But not so fiercely as I loath this king!-- Hatred of him, cherished from youth, is now My second nature! 'tis the air I breathe, The stream which fills my veins, my life's chief source, My food, my drink, my sleep, warmth, health and vigour, Mixed with my blood, and twisted round my heart-strings! To cease to hate him, I must cease to breathe!-- Never to know one hour's repose or pleasure While loathed Alfonso lived,--such was my oath, Breathed on my broken-hearted mother's lips. She heard! her eyes flashed with new fire; she kissed me, Murmured Orsino's name, blessed it and died!-- That oath I'll keep! _Enter_ Melchior. _Caesa._ Melchior! why thus alarmed? _Mel._ I've cause too good! our lives hang by a thread! Guzman is dying. _Caesa._ and _Hen._ How? _Mel._ Remorse already Hath wrung one secret from him; and I fear, The next fit brings our plot. _Caesa._ Speed, speed, Henriquez! Place spies around his gate! guard every avenue! Mark every face that comes or goes--Away! [_Exit_ Henriquez. _Caesa._ I'll watch the king myself! _Mel._ As yet he's safe. Soon as he parted from the troops, Alfonso, By Inis guided, tow'rds the forest sped, To seek and sooth his late-found friend Orsino. _Caesa._ [_Starting_] Whom, whom? Orsino? what Orsino? speak.