il her stern behest.

BRIG.

Upon my word
And honour, my strict orders are, to see
You safely to divan. His Majesty
Is all agog to see the fun.

KAL. (_to himself_.)

Alive
I ne'er shall reach divan. My death I'll strive
To calmly meet. Perchance my bleeding corse
Will melt her heart to pity and remorse.

(_Exit_, BRIGHELLA _following him; guards receive him outside._
_Music strikes up._)

SCENE.--_High Divan, as in Act II._ ALTOUM _discovered on his
throne_; PANT. _and_ TART. _beside it_; _the eight Doctors seated; Guard
under arms_. _Behind a curtain, in the background, is an altar,
with a Chinese idol: a Chinese priest on each side of it._ KALAF
_enters, agitated, and looking suspiciously around him; bows to_
ALTOUM.

KAL. (_aside_.)

Do I still live? Each step, I thought to feel
The thrust of an assassin's deadly steel.
Adelma's warning was some dream, or now I dream.

ALT.

My son, care sits upon thy brow.
Glad news I have in store for thee. Alone
Joys come not. Turandot shall be thine own.
Three times to-night she sent to me to pray
I would defer th' encounter of to-day.
'Tis evident her pride is sorely vext,
She'd hide her failure by some vain pretext.
Rejoice, all blessings for thy weal combine,
To-day full happiness on thee shall shine.

PANT. (_to_ KALAF, _confidentially_)--

Believe me, if so please your Majesty--
(I mean your Majesty that is to be.)
Your future wife's ill-temper there's no bearing;
Her tantrums and hysterics are quite wearing.
A hundred times I was called up last night
To try and set this knotty question right.
I'd scarcely time my slippers to resume,
Much less to dress in proper court costume.
I just popped on my crimson satin breeches,--
I fear I caught a cold; (_sneezes_) must put on leeches,
A blister p'raps--take horrid water-gruel.

(_Blows, his nose portentously._)

No breakfast yet I've swallowed 'Tis too cruel!
Who'd be Prime Minister? to starve and toil,
And fret and fume in an eternal coil.
But yet, I would not, for a hundred dollar
Have missed the sight of her rampagious choler;
I was rejoiced my turn had come to grin,
Just as folks do at me when Harlequin
Before my nose runs off with Columbine,
In every stupid Christmas pantomime.

TART.

I-I was c-called up-p _inaspettatamente_,
S-she b-begged m-my a-ai-aid qu-quite _disperatamente_.

ALT.

Prepare the altar.

(_A curtain is raised, disclosing an altar with a Chinese