elate has uncovered the Ciborium!

ALL.

Oh!

HARTMANN.

Rigid silence! I'm about to open!

ALL.

[_With emotion._]

Oh!

HARTMANN.

I open!

[_He silently thrusts the wings of the folding-doors
open. All the_ COURT _is prostrate. There is a
vague glimpse of candle light. A moment's
pause of profound emotion and silence_. THERESA
_slowly rises to look across the kneeling
forms; she looks and sees._]

THERESA.

[_Amid the sobs which overmaster her._]

Oh! to behold him thus!

[_Movement._ GENERAL HARTMANN _has swiftly
closed the doors. Everybody has risen._]

HARTMANN.

Retire! He heard the sobbing!

[_All have hurried toward the door on the right,
but the door on the left opens quickly; the_ DUKE
_appears on the threshold and sees them all standing
before him. After a long look which takes
in the situation:_]

THE DUKE.

Ah!--I see.

[_He draws himself up, and comes toward them
with sudden majesty._]

I thank the breaking heart that broke the silence;
Let her who wept feel no remorse for weeping:
They had no right to rob me of my death.

[_To the_ ARCHDUKES _and_ ARCHDUCHESSES, _who
withdraw respectfully._]

But leave me now, my Austrian family!
"My son was born a Frenchman; until death
Let him remember that." And I remember.

[_To the_ PRINCES _who are leaving._]

Farewell.

[_To the others_.]

Whose was the breaking heart?

THERESA.

[_Who has remained humbly on her knees in a corner._]

My Lord--!

THE DUKE.

[_Approaching her, and speaking with great tenderness._]

You are not very reasonable! Once
Over your book you wept to see me live
An Austrian Prince with flowers in my coat;
And now you weep because that life has killed me.

THERESA.

The tryst--

THE DUKE.

Well?

THERESA.

I was there.

THE DUKE.

Alas, poor soul!

THERESA.

Yes--

THE DUKE.

Why?

THERESA.

Because I love you.

THE DUKE.

[_To the_ COUNTESS.]

Madam,
You hid this from me. Why?

THE COUNTESS.

Because I love you.

THE DUKE.

[_To_ THERESA _and the_ COUNTESS.]

Who brought you both to see me?

[THERESA _and the_ COUNTE