after
she had entered it.

Forcing his way into the villa he had only found the painter
Cavaradossi whom he had at once arrested and brought to the palace.

Cavaradossi who is now brought in, denies resolutely any knowledge of
the escaped prisoner. When Tosca enters he embraces her, whispering
into her ear not to betray anything she had witnessed in his villa.

Meanwhile Scarpia has called for Roberts, the executioner, and Mario is
led into the torture chamber that adjoins Scarpia's apartment. Scarpia
vainly questions Tosca about her visit to the villa; she assures him,
that she found her lover alone. Then she hears her lover's groans,
which are growing more fearful, the torture under Scarpia's directions
being applied with more and more violence. In the intervals Mario
however entreats Tosca to be silent, but at last she can bear no more,
and gasps "In the well, in the garden." Scarpia at once gives a signal
to stop the torture and Mario is carried in fainting and covered with
blood. When he comes to himself he hears Scarpia say to Spoletta "In
the well, in the garden," and thereby finds out that Tosca has betrayed
the unfortunate prisoner. While he turns from her in bitter grief and
indignation, Sciarrone enters and announces in {467} the greatest
consternation, that the news of victory have proved false, Napoleon
having beaten the Italian army at Marengo. Mario exults in the defeat
of his enemy, but the latter turns to him with an evil smile and orders
the gendarmes to take him away to his death. Tosca tries to follow
him, but Scarpia detains her. Remaining alone with him, she offers him
all her treasures and at last kneels to him imploring him to save her
lover. But the villain only shows her the scaffold which is being
erected on the square below, swearing that he will only save her lover
if she will be his. Tosca turns shuddering from him. Spoletta now
enters to announce that Angelotti being found and taken has killed
himself; and that Mario is ready for death.

Now at last Tosca yields, Scarpia promising to liberate her lover at
the price of her honour. He suggests however that Mario must be
supposed dead, and that a farce must be acted, in which the prisoner is
to pretend to fall dead while only blank cartridges will be used for
firing. Tosca begs to be allowed to warn him herself and Scarpia
consents and orders Spoletta to accompany her to the prison at 4
o'clock in the morning, after having