VERA (_clinging to him_). Give me back the dagger! Give me back the dagger! There are men in the street who seek your life! Your guards have betrayed you! This bloody dagger is the signal that you are dead. (_CONSPIRATORS begin to shout below in the street._) Oh, there is not a moment to be lost! Throw it out! Throw it out! Nothing can save me now; this dagger is poisoned! I feel death already in my heart. CZAR (_holding dagger out of her reach_). Death is in my heart too; we shall die together. VERA. Oh, love! love! love! be merciful to me! The wolves are hot upon you! you must live for liberty, for Russia, for me! Oh, you do not love me! You offered me an empire once! Give me this dagger now! Oh, you are cruel! My life for yours! What does it matter? (_Loud shouts in the street, "VERA! VERA! To the rescue! To the rescue!_") CZAR. The bitterness of death is past for me. VERA. Oh, they are breaking in below! See! The bloody man behind you! (_CZAREVITCH turns round for an instant._) Ah! (_VERA snatches dagger and flings it out of window._) CONSPS. (_below_). Long live the people! CZAR. What have you done? VERA. I have saved Russia (_Dies._) TABLEAU. CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS. MADE BY THE AUTHOR IN HIS ORIGINAL COPY. _The numbers of the "Notes" correspond with the superior figures in the body of the text._ ACT I. Note [1]: Changed to 2 in violet pencil. [2]: Lines from 2 to 2 scored out. [3]: These lines scored out, and "we will have" added. [4]: This word underlined. [5]: These lines scored out. [6]: These lines scored out, "what news to-night?" inserted. [7]: Lines scored out. [8]: Altered to "He." [9]: Lines scored out. [10]: Altered to "signal for." [11]: Lines scored out. [12]: Lines scored out. [13]: Altered to "Be calm, Michael!" [14]: These words underlined. [15]: Words underlined. [16]: Word underlined. [17]: Lines scored out. [18]: Words scored out. [19]: Lines scored out, "from Berlin" inserted. [20]: Word scored through. [21]: Altered to "strong." [22]: These lines scored through. [23]: Scored through. [24]: Altered to "martial law scheme." [25]: Altered to "To raise the barricades." [26]: Crossed out. [27]: The word "pause" as a stage direction inserted. [28]: Lines crossed out. [29]: Scored through. [30]: Scored through. [31]: Word underlined. [32]: Word underlined. [33]: Words "Who is there?" inserted. [34]: Scored through. [35]: Scored through. [36]: Scored through. [37]: Altered to "He has sold us." [38]: Word underlined. ACT II.