ants begin to be more and more insolent, daring even to insult the
good name of the Countess, Golo asserts that they speak the truth about
her. He persuades the incredulous Drago to hide himself in Genoveva's
room, the latter having retired for the night's rest.

Margaretha, listening at the door, hears everything. She tells Golo
that Count Siegfried lies wounded at Strassbourg; she has intercepted
his {107} letter to the Countess and prepares to leave for that town,
in order to nurse the Count and kill him slowly by some deadly poison.
Then Golo calls quickly for the servants, who all assemble to penetrate
into their mistress' room. She repulses them full of wounded pride,
but at last she yields, and herself taking the candle to light the room
proceeds to search, when Drago is found behind the curtains and at once
silenced by Golo, who runs his dagger through his heart. Genoveva is
led into the prison of the castle.

The third act takes place at Strassbourg, where Siegfried is being
nursed by Margaretha. His strength defies her perfidy, and he is full
of impatience to return to his loving wife, when Golo enters bringing
him the news of her faithlessness.

Siegfried in despair bids Golo kill her with his own sword. He decides
to fly into the wilderness, but before fulfilling his design, he goes
once more to Margaretha, who has promised to show him all that passed
at home during his absence. He sees Genoveva in a magic looking-glass,
exchanging kindly words with Drago, but there is no appearance of guilt
in their intercourse. The third image shows Genoveva sleeping on her
couch, and Drago approaching her. With an imprecation Siegfried starts
up, bidding Golo avenge him, but at the same instant the glass flies in
pieces with a terrible crash, and Drago's ghost stands before
Margaretha, commanding her to tell Siegfried the truth.

{108}

In the fourth act Genoveva is being led into the wilderness by two
ruffians, who have orders to murder her. Before this is done, Golo
approaches her once more, showing her Siegfried's ring and sword, with
which he has been bidden kill her. He tries hard to win her, but she
turns from him with scorn and loathing, preferring death to dishonor.
At length relinquishing his attempts, he beckons to the murderers to do
their work and hands them Count Siegfried's weapon. Genoveva in her
extreme need seizes the cross of the Saviour, praying fervently, and
detains the ruffians till