Act III. "The House of Gold." A room in _Alvise's_ house. _Alvise

sings of the vengeance he will wreak upon _Laura_ for her betrayal of his honour. "Sì! morir ella de'" (Yes, to die is her doom).

He summons _Laura_. Nocturnal serenaders are heard singing without, as they wend their way in gondolas along the canal. _Alvise_ draws the curtains from before a doorway and points to a funeral bier erected in the chamber beyond. To _Laura_ he hands a vial of swift poison. She must drain it before the last note of the serenade they now hear has died away. He will leave her. The chorus ended, he will return to find her dead.

When he has gone, _Gioconda_, who, anticipating the fate that might befall the woman who has saved her mother, has been in hiding in the palace, hastens to _Laura_, and hands her a flask containing a narcotic that will create the semblance of death. _Laura_ drinks it, and disappears through the curtains into the funeral chamber. _Gioconda_ pours the poison from the vial into her own flask, and leaves the empty vial on the table.

The serenade ceases. _Alvise_ re-entering, sees the empty vial on the table. He enters the funeral apartment for a brief moment. _Laura_ is lying as one dead upon the bier. He believes that he has been obeyed and that _Laura_ has drained the vial of poison.

The scene changes to a great hall in _Alvise's_ house, where he is receiving his guests. Here occurs the "Dance of the Hours," a ballet suite which, in costume changes, light effects and choreography represents the hours of dawn, day, evening, and night. It is also intended to symbolize, in its mimic action, the eternal struggle between the powers of darkness and light.

_Barnaba_ enters, dragging in with him _La Cieca_, whom he has found concealed in the house. _Enzo_ also has managed to gain admittance. _La Cieca_, questioned as to her purpose in the House of Gold, answers, "For her, just dead, I prayed." A hush falls upon the fête. The passing bell for the dead is heard slowly tolling. "For whom?" asks _Enzo_ of _Barnaba_. "For Laura," is the reply. The guests shudder. "D'un vampiro fatal l'ala fredda passò" (As if over our brows a vampire's wing had passed), chants the chorus. "Già ti vedo immota e smorta" (I behold thee motionless and pallid), sings _Enzo_. _Barnaba_, _Gioconda_, _La Cieca_, and _Alvise_ add their voices to an ensemble of great power. _Alvise_ draws back the curtains of the funeral chamber, which also gives upon the festival hall. He points to _Laura_ extended upon the bier. _Enzo_, brandishing a poniard, rushes upon _Alvise_, but is seized by guards.