SERVANT.
Fly! fly! they murder us all!

SECOND SERVANT (carrying silver-plate).
That way! the lower
Passages are blocked up.

VOICE (from behind the scene).
Make room for the lieutenant-general!

[At these words the COUNTESS starts from her stupor, collects
herself, and retires suddenly.

VOICE (from behind the scene).
Keep back the people! Guard the door!

SCENE XI.

To these enter OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI with all his train. At the same
time DEVEREUX and MACDONALD enter from out the corridor with the
Halberdiers. WALLENSTEIN's dead body is carried over the back part
of the stage, wrapped in a piece of crimson tapestry.

OCTAVIO (entering abruptly).
It must not be! It is not possible!
Butler! Gordon!
I'll not believe it. Say no!

[GORDON, without answering, points with his hand to the body of
WALLENSTEIN as it is carried over the back of the stage. OCTAVIO
looks that way, and stands overpowered with horror.

DEVEREUX (to BUTLER).
Here is the golden fleece--the duke's sword----

MACDONALD.
Is it your order----

BUTLER (pointing to OCTAVIO).
Here stands he who now
Hath the sole power to issue orders.

[DEVEREUX and MACDONALD retire with marks of obeisance. One drops
away after the other, till only BUTLER, OCTAVIO, and GORDON remain
on the stage.

OCTAVIO (turning to BUTLER).
Was that my purpose, Butler, when we parted?
Oh, God of Justice!
To thee I lift my hand! I am not guilty
Of this foul deed.

BUTLER.
Your hand is pure. You have
Availed yourself of mine.

OCTAVIO.
Merciless man!
Thus to abuse the orders of thy lord--
And stain thy emperor's holy name with murder,
With bloody, most accursed assassination!

BUTLER (calmly).
I've but fulfilled the emperor's own sentence.

OCTAVIO.
Oh, curse of kings,
Infusing a dread life into their words,
And linking to the sudden, transient thought
The unchanging, irrevocable deed.
Was there necessity for such an eager
Despatch? Couldst thou not grant the merciful
A time for mercy? Time is man's good angel.
To leave no interval between the sentence,
And the fulfilment of it, doth beseem
God only, the immutable!

BUTLER.
For what
Rail you against me? What is my offence?
The empire from a fearful enemy
Have I delivered, and expect reward.
The single difference betwixt you and me
Is this: you placed the arrow in the bow;
I pulled the string. Yo