Act III. The earnest man is very quickly drawn in. In the ruined

dining-hall of the palace of _Massimelle_, the sans-culottes are lodged. _Favart_, under whose direction the castle has been stormed, is vexed at his report for which _Doris_, his sweetheart, and the others with their wild drinking and quarrelling scarcely leave him the possibility. By chance the half-drunken men discover a secret door. They go down into the passage and drag out _Blanchefleur_ who had concealed herself there. _Favart_ wants her to play for the men, but he cannot prevail upon her to do it. With her graceful, distinguished air she refuses to have anything to do with the dirty, uncivilized men and smilingly allows herself to be condemned to death and led away to the frightful prison of the Temple. Hardly has she gone than _Primus Thallus_ enters. He has been promoted by the Directory to be a captain as a reward because he has often been threatened with death by the royalists. His great courage certainly makes an impression on these savage troops, but as _Massimelle_ outside is being led to the scaffold and he learns of the arrest of _Blanchefleur_ only one thought rules him--to save the beautiful woman.

The scene changes to the underground prison of the Temple. One can hardly recognize the figure of _Primus Thallus_ who presents himself here, but one must admit of these aristocrats that while they know how to live laughingly they also know how to die with a smile. While without the guillotine is fulfilling its awful task uninterruptedly, they are dancing and playing here underneath as though these were still the gayest days of the _King's_ delights at Versailles. In vain _Primus Thallus_ uses all his eloquence to persuade _Blanchefleur_ to flee or to give him her hand because then he could obtain a pardon. She has only one reward for his faithfulness: a dance. Then when her name is called she dances with a light minuet step to the scaffold.

LOBETANZ

Opera in three acts; music by Ludwig Thuille; text by Otto Julius Bierbaum. Produced: Carlsruhe, February 6, 1898.

CHARACTERS

LOBETANZ _Tenor_ THE PRINCESS _Mezzo-Soprano_ THE KING _Bass_ THE FORESTER, the executioner, the judge _Speaking parts_ A TRAVELLING STUDENT _Tenor_