when they are putting him in bear's skin his parents appear
on the scene with the marriage contract. To their great dismay he
refuses to sign it and when pressed, runs away.--Meanwhile Mary has
heard of her lover's fickleness, which she would fain disbelieve, but
alas Kezul shows her the document by which Hans renounces her.
Nevertheless she refuses to wed any other man than the one her heart
has chosen. Wenzel approaching again and recognizing in Mary the bride
he had renounced, is now quite sorry to give her up, and very willing
to take her if she will only yield. Mary, praying to be left alone for
a little while, abandons herself to her grief and is thus found by
Hans, whom she bitterly reproaches for his faithlessness. But he only
smiles, and recalls the whole chorus, cooly saying that it is his wish
that Mary should wed Micha's son. That is too much for poor Mary's
feelings. She declares that she is ready to do as they wish, but
before she signs the contract, Hans steps forth in full view of his
parents, who at last recognize in him their long lost eldest son.
Though his stepmother Agnes is in a rage about his trick, he claims his
rights as son and heir, and the bride of course is not loth to choose
{367} between the two brothers. Kezul the matchmaker retires
shamefaced, and when Wenzel shows himself in the last scene as a
dancing-bear, and stammeringly assures the laughing public, that they
need not be afraid of him, as he is "not a bear but only Wenzel", the
final blow is dealt whereby he loses all favour in the eyes of
Kruschina, who is now quite reconciled to give his daughter to Micha's
elder son.

{368}

BALLO IN MASCHERA.

A Lyric Drama in five acts by VERDI.

Text by F. M. PIAVE.

Auber's success with the opera of the same name inspired Verdi to try
his hand at it too. He ordered his friend Piave to write the libretto
for him and in 1854 the opera was handed to the San Carlo theatre in
Naples, but was refused on the ground, that the murder of a king must
not be represented on the stage. Then Verdi laid the scene in Boston,
and in this shape the opera was performed in Rome on Feb. 17th, 1859
and met with great success.

From this time it conquered the stages of Europe, all but one, Auber's
widow having stipulated that no opera rival to that of her husband's
was to be given in Paris. The Ballo in Maschera has been revived in
Dresden in October 1897, after having lain buried for over