What was the play?

DON CARLOS.

LARA.

It was a dull affair;

One of those comedies in which you see,

As Lope says, the history of the world

Brought down from Genesis to the Day of Judg

ment.

There were three duels fought in the first act,
Three gentlemen receiving deadly wounds,

Laying their hands upon their hearts, and saying,

"O, I am dead!" a lover in a closet,

An old hidalgo, and a gay Don Juan,

A Doña Inez with a black mantilla,

Followed at twilight by an unknown lover,

Who looks intently where he knows she is not!

DON CARLOS.

Of course, the Preciosa danced to-night?

LARA.

And never better. Every footstep fell
As lightly as a sunbeam on the water.
I think the girl extremely beautiful.

DON CARLOS.

Almost beyond the privilege of woman!

I saw her in the Prado yesterday.

Her step was royal,-queen-like,—and her face

As beauteous as a saint's in Paradise.

LARA.

May not a saint fall from her Paradise,

And be no more a saint?

DON CARLOS.

Why do you ask?

LARA.

Because I have heard it said this angel fell,

And, though she is a virgin outwardly,
Within she is a sinner; like those panels
Of doors and altar-pieces the old monks
Painted in convents, with the Virgin Mary
On the outside, and on the inside Venus!

DON CARLOS.

You do her wrong; indeed, you do her wrong!

She is as virtuous as she is fair.

LARA.

How credulous you are! Why look

you, friend, There's not a virtuous woman in Madrid,

In this whole city! And would you persuade me
That a mere dancing-girl, who shows herself,
Nightly, half-naked, on the stage, for money,
And with voluptuous motions fires the blood
Of inconsiderate youth, is to be held
A model for her virtue?

DON CARLOS.

She is a Gipsy girl.

You forget

The easier.

LARA.

And therefore won

DON CARLOS.

Nay, not to be won at all!

The only virtue that a Gipsy prizes
Is chastity. That is her only virtue.
Dearer than life she holds it. I remember
A Gipsy woman, a vile, shameless bawd,
Whose craft was to betray the young and fair;
And yet this woman was above all bribes.
And when a noble lord, touched by her beauty,
The wild and wizard beauty of her race,
Offered her gold to be what she made others,
She turned upon him, with a look of scorn,

And smote him in the face!

LARA.

And does that prove

That Preciosa is above suspicion?

DON CARLOS.

It proves a nobleman may be repulsed
When he thinks conquest easy. I believe
That woman, in her deepest degradation,
Holds something sacred, something undefiled,
Some pledge and keepsake of her higher nature,
And, like the diamond in the dark, retains

Some quenchless gleam of the celestial light!

LARA.

Yet Preciosa would have taken the gold.

DON CARLOS. (rising.)

I do not think so.

But why this haste?

LARA.

I am sure of it.

Stay yet a little longer,

And fight the battles of your Dulcinea.

DON CARLOS.

"T is late. I must begone, for if I stay

You will not be persuaded.

LARA.

Yes; persuade me.

DON CARLOS.

No one so deaf as he who will not hear!

LARA.

No one so blind as he who will not see!

DON CARLOS.

And so good night. I wish you pleasant dreams,

And greater faith in woman.

[Exit.

LARA.

Greater faith!

I have the greatest faith; for I believe

Victorian is her lover. I believe

That I shall be to-morrow; and thereafter

Another, and another, and another,

Chasing each other through her zodiac,

As Taurus chases Aries.

(Enter FRANCISCO with a casket.)

Well, Francisco,

What speed with Preciosa?

FRANCISCO.

None, my lord.

She sends your jewels back, and bids me tell you She is not to be purchased by your gold.

LARA.

Then I will try some other way to win her.
Pray, dost thou know Victorian?

FRANCISCO.

Yes, my lord;

I saw him at the jeweller's to-day.

LARA.

What was he doing there?

FRANCISCO.

I saw him buy

A golden ring, that had a ruby in it.

LARA.

Was there another like it?

FRANCISCO.

One so like it

I could not choose between them.

LARA.

It is well.

To-morrow morning bring that ring to me.

bed. [Exeunt.

Do not forget. Now light me to my bed.