SCENE II.--_A wild ravine. Gipsies, headed by the Gipsy Queen, in

ambush._

GIP. Q. This way she comes. Now to your work; but mark! Exceed not my commands. Do her no harm, Show yourselves loyal to your queen, as men, And not wild beasts.

SEVERAL GIPSIES. Queen, thou shalt be obeyed.

_Enter_ DONNA INEZ _and_ PEDRO, _on mules_.

PED. Cheer up, fair mistress. Banish idle fears. Already we've accomplished half our journey. Ere sundown we'll have reached your father's castle. So follow me. Fear not. And as for dreams, They are all vain, and bred of convent fare-- Sickly disease engendered in the mind By monkish legends and low superstition, Unworthy ladies of your rank. Look ye! I, Pedro, now am old, and yet I never Have known a dream of mine that did come true. No, my young mistress, take Pedro's word for't, All dreaming is unhealthy--a bad sign. Live well, sleep soundly, and you'll dream no more. Dreams proceed but from impaired digestion. Take my advice and give no heed to them. [_Gipsies advance suddenly and seize the bridles._

FIRST GIPSY. Hola! there, good people. Halt and dismount! [_Inez screams and falls against Pedro._

INEZ. Pedro, protect me. Oh, holy Virgin! Oh, blessed saints and souls in purgatory! Have mercy on us, or we're lost, O God! Pedro, dost hear? Assist me. Fly! Call. Help!

PED. Help, help! To the rescue, I say. What ho!

SECOND GIPSY. Any attempt at flight or cry for help Is vain, and may prove fatal. Come, dismount.

INEZ. Oh, saints! The very faces, I declare, That I saw in my dream--and dreams are false. Holy Virgin, protect us. Help, I say!

THIRD GIPSY. Ay, call upon your saints. Call on, call on! And see if they'll come to your assistance.

FIRST GIPSY. An you cease not your screaming, you'll be gagged. [_Pedro and Inez dismount._

GIP. Q. Come, no rough treatment to this young lady, Or it will be the worse for some of you. Tie up the mules and bind the serving man, That he escape not, and so call for help. As to this damsel, leave her all to me. (_To Inez_) Young lady, have no fear, for I am one Who can command th' entire gipsy band, Who are my serfs and tremble at my frown. An you be docile, they shall do no harm. Raise but your voice, and I will have you bound. But I, the gipsy queen, would be your friend; And soon you shall acknowledge me as such; But not just now. (_To the gipsies_) Bind not the young lady Unless she call for help or attempt to escape. (_To Inez_) And you, young lady, courage. Tremble not. Think not I crave your pelf or trinkets rare. I have no need. Thyself 'tis I'ld detain.

INEZ. And why, O strange, O dread, mysterious queen, All powerful amongst thy dusky band, If, as thou sayst, thou hast no need of pelf, And canst and wilt protect me from the hands Of thy half-savage subjects, wherefore then Detain a poor and simple maiden bound For her paternal castle, having left The Convent of St. Ursula this morn?

GIP. Q. Oh, of your story I am well informed. Better, perchance, than what you are yourself. For am I not a gipsy? Know we not By the aspect of the heavenly bodies All events that are about to happen? As to my object in detaining you Let it suffice you I have an object, Which you shall know hereafter. (_To gipsies_) Guard her close. Methought I did hear footsteps, but 'tis nought.

_Enter hastily_ PASCUAL _with a drawn sword_.

PAS. This way I heard the cries. How now! What's this? Hell and furies! A chaste and lovely maid Attacked by dusky ruffians! Halt! Forbear! For, by my soul, I swear I will not leave One black hide whole among ye, an ye dare To touch a single hair of her fair head.

GIP. Q. Disarm that vain and too hot-headed youth.

[_Gipsies surround Pascual, who defends himself desperately, killing and wounding some of the nearest. Gipsies back a few paces. Pascual follows, and cuts through them._

Unto him, cowards! Seize the presumptuous fool. Hear ye not, slaves? What! Is a single arm, And that, too, of a pampered gentleman, Too much for ye? Shame on ye, cowards, slaves!

FIRST GIPSY. Yield, fellow! and put up thy silly skewer, An thou be not a-weary of thy life.

PAS. Never! Whilst yet a drop of my heart's blood Flows freely in my veins. By heaven, I swear I will release yon damsel ere I die!

SECOND GIPSY. Why, who is this, though clad in costly gear, Doth fight as desperately as one of us?

THIRD GIPSY. Beware, young man! We do not seek thy life; Yield up thyself. Ask pardon of our queen, And we will let thee live.

PAS. (_Still fighting._) Base curs, avaunt! My life is nothing. Take it an ye list, Though ye shall buy it dearly. 'Twill console My parting spirit somewhat but to know That it hath rid the surface of the earth Of even a few of such vile scum as ye.

FIRST GIPSY. Such words to us! Have at thee then, proud youth.

[_Wounds Pascual on the head, whilst others attempt to bind him, but he liberates himself and continues fighting._

INEZ. He bleeds! he bleeds! Saints, help the noble youth Who, at the cost of his young precious life, Would save us both. I fear he's killed. Oh, help! [_Screams and faints._

GIP. Q. Hush! minion, or that cry will be thy last.

A WOUNDED GIPSY. Look, she faints!

ANOTHER GIPSY. Bah! 'tis but a trick to 'scape The easier in the confusion. Look well to her.

GIP. Q. Make room for me, ye slaves. I fear no mortal man. Leave him to me. Sirrah! put down your sword.

PAS. Never, vile crone.

GIP. Q. (_Disarming him with her staff._) Then there it lies, thou vain, presumptuous youth. [_Murmurs of applause among the gipsies._

PAS. Disarmed! And by a woman! Ha! I faint. [_Staggers and falls._

GIP. Q. He faints from loss of blood. Bind up his wounds. He hath fought well. I tell ye, dusky slaves, This youth to-day hath put ye all to shame. Do him no hurt. I e'er respect the brave. He in a sacred cause fought valiantly; And, faithful to his generous Christian creed, Did seek to wrest the innocent from wrong.

FIRST GIPSY. Thou wert not wont to praise the Christians, Queen,

GIP. Q. I praise that creed that shows forth in its works The principles of manhood. Would that thine Had taught thee what this Christian's has taught him.

FIRST GIPSY. (_To Second Gipsy_). The queen doth mock us, calls us cowards, slaves; And yet we did our best; but, to say sooth, He set upon us in such furious haste, Such blind and desperate rage, that we did gape With sheer wonder, and stand aghast with awe At's prowess, when we should have been fighting.

SECOND GIPSY. Ay, none but a madman tired of his life Had fought so desperately.

THIRD GIPSY. The maid recovers.

INEZ. (_Recovering._) Where am I? Ah! then 'tis no dream; 'tis true. Where's my preserver? Let me straight to him, That I may thank him on my bended knees For all his deeds to-day.

A GIPSY. There, low he lies.

INEZ. (_Rising and advancing towards Pascual_). What! dead! Oh, heavens! Grant it be not so. Look, now he moves; then life is not extinct. Thank God for this! Hail, generous friend! What cheer?

PAS. 'Tis but a bruise, fair maid; 'twill soon be well.

INEZ. God grant it may.

GIP. Q. Here, girl, take this balsam. It is a gipsy cure for all such wounds. One fair action doth demand another: For you he shed his blood, thinking that we Did mean you harm. (How should he tell, poor youth?) Return now you the courtesy, fair maid; Bind up his wounds. Anon I will assist.

[_Inez commences binding up Pascual's head. The gipsies retire a few paces. The Gipsy Queen fetches water in a gourd._

Quaff from this gourd, young man. The flowing rill Doth yield thee medicine. [_Pascual drinks._ Ha! what is this? Shade of my father Djabel! it is _he_! My long lost son! my own, my valiant boy: Methought I knew that semi-gipsy form. The very ring, too, wrought in virgin gold And graven o'er with mystic hieroglyphics-- An heirloom of our tribe that I him gave With my maternal blessing years gone by, And he hath kept till now. God, I thank thee. Oh, how I long to press him to this breast! This breast that nurtured him and gave him strength! But patience; too precipitous a step May mar my plans. Enough, I've found my son. Oh, ye great Powers that move earth and heaven, Accept a mother's thanks! I faint for joy.

FIRST GIPSY. How far'st thou, noble Queen? Thou art not well.

GIP. Q. Nay, marry, I am well. I'm over well. [_Staggering._

SECOND GIPSY. Look to our queen. She faints. Art wounded, queen?

GIP. Q. (_Mastering herself._) Nay, look, I faint not. I am very well.

THIRD GIPSY. Some strong emotion seems to have stirred our Queen But yet she masters it. How brave a spirit!

[_Gipsies retire some paces and converse in groups. Gipsy Queen remains a little distance off, watching Inez and Pascual. A hunter passes above unseen._

HUNTER. (_Aside._) What's this? Whom have the gipsies captured now? A fair maid and a gallant cavalier; And who is he, yon serving-man, bound there? I ought to know his face. Why is not he Don Silvio's servant Pedro? Sure it is, For oft I've parleyed with him when at times I've brought the game up to his master's hall. And these two gentle-folks I ween must be Guests at Don Silvio's castle. Ah, the knaves! The arrant gipsy knaves! I'll dog them yet. I've my own private wrongs that seek redress: And I'll be even with them, by the saints! At once I'll off unto Don Silvio's hall, And warn him of the danger to his guests. It may be he'll reward me slightly, though They say that his is but a stingy house. Still, this much for humanity I'll do. [_Exit._

D. PAS. (_to Inez._) Nay, I assure you, dearest----

INEZ. Hush! Senor. It ill becomes a maid of gentle blood Unblushingly to listen to the vows And fervid protestations of a knight Upon such slight acquaintance.

D. PAS. Lovely child! Bid me but hope, and I will rest content.

INEZ. Nay, talk not thus, Senor. Pray calm yourself. Bethink you that your wound is not yet healed. You're faint from loss of blood. These ecstacies May e'en prove fatal. Do thyself no harm.

D. PAS. I feel recovered in that thou bidst me live; And so will do thy bidding, fairest maid, And live but for thy service and thy love.

INEZ. Good saints in Heaven! Will nothing calm thy tongue? Hush, hush, Senor, I pray. I may not listen. I am your debtor, or I'd take offence At too much boldness.

D. PAS. Be not harsh, fair maid, I meant not to be overbold. I swear I would the tongue that could give thee offence Were wrenched from out my throat. Oh, pity me! It was thy beauty that inflamed me so.

INEZ. If so, I must retire, and leave you to The care and guidance of the gipsy queen.

D. PAS. Thou couldst not be so cruel. What! debar Your wounded knight, in this wild barren spot, From the sunshine of those heavenly orbs. Then bid me bleed to death. My life is thine.

INEZ. (_Aside_) Poor youth! How full of passion are his words! I feel he loves me, and I do repent That I have spoke too harshly. Woe is me! (_Aloud._ ) Fret not. I did but threaten, gentle youth! I will not leave thee.

D. PAS. Oh, say that again. Thou wilt not leave me.

INEZ. (_Confused._) That is, not yet. I mean----

D. PAS. Nay, qualify not what was once well said; I hold thee to thy word. Thou must not leave me.

INEZ. Thou wouldst extort a promise. Be but calm, Obey my orders until thou be well, And I know not what I may not promise.

D. PAS. I will obey thee, maid.

INEZ. Then now be still.

GIP. Q. (_Aside._) Drift on, young turtle doves, adown the stream The balmy course the stars map out for ye. Pepa can look on at the joys of others That were denied herself, unenvying. But mark, Pascual, if thou dost inherit But one drop of thy hated father's blood, Whose cursed name shall ne'er more pass my lips, And thou, with subtle wile, like to thy sire, Should first attempt to gain the trusting love Of this fair damsel, and then betray her, I, Pepa, though thy mother, with this hand Will quench that spark of life I gave to thee.