meet: but Papageno was frightened enough. "Stop
thy babbling, Papageno," Tamino cautioned. "Or thou wilt lose thy
Papagena."

In short, the ladies did all that was possible to dishearten the youth
and Papageno; but the Prince Tamino stood firm, and would not be
frightened nor driven from his vow to the temple; but Papageno found
himself in an awful state of mind, and finally fell down almost in a
fit. At once the ladies sank through the temple floor.

Then the priests and a spokesman appeared and praised Tamino, threw
another veil over him and led him out; but when a priest inquired of
Papageno how it was with him, that fine gentlemen was so addled that
he couldn't tell.

"For me--I'm in a trance," he exclaimed.

"Well, come on," they said, and threw a veil over him also.

"This incessant marching takes away all thought of love," he
complained.

"No matter, it will return"; and at that the priests marched him out,
and the scene changed to a garden where Pamina was sleeping.

_Scene II_

Monostatos was watching the beautiful Pamina sleep, and remarking
that, if he dared, he certainly should kiss her. In short, he was a
person not to be trusted for a moment. He stole toward her, but in the
same instant the thunder rolled and the Queen of the Night appeared
from the depths of the earth.

"Away," she cried, and Pamina awoke.

"Mother, mother," she screamed with joy, while Monostatos stole away.
"Let us fly, dear mother," Pamina urged.

"Alas, with thy father's death, I lost all my magic power, my child.
He gave his sevenfold Shield of the Sun to Sarastro, and I have been
perfectly helpless since."

"Then I have certainly lost Tamino," Pamina sobbed somewhat
illogically.

"No, take this dagger and slay Sarastro, my love, and take the shield.
That will straighten matters out."

Then the bloody Queen sang that the fires of hell were raging in her
bosom. Indeed, she declared that if Pamina should not do as she was
bidden and slay the priest, she would disown her. Thus Pamina had met
with her temptation, and while she was rent between duty and a sense
of decency--because she felt it would be very unpleasant to kill
Sarastro--Monostatos entered and begged her to confide in him, that he
of all people in the world was best able to advise her.

"What shall I do, then?" the trusting creature demanded.

"There is but one way in the world to save thyself and thy mother, and
that is immediately to love me," he co