have been guessed by an
unassisted Scotchman, no matter how bright his armour, and concluded his
speech by openly accusing the lady of having betrayed him. This was too
much for the paladin; he drew his sword and approached Samson to pay him
out for his rudeness and for not admitting that he had been fairly
beaten. Before he could finish the speech that usually precedes a stage
duel, Samson, who was unarmed, knocked him down in self-defence with one
blow of his fist. He fell back upon Pharaoh who happened to be standing
behind him; Pharaoh fell back upon his prime minister who happened to be
standing behind him; the prime minister fell back upon the lady who
happened to be shaking her head in protest behind him, and all four came
to the ground together. Trumpets sounded, the piano struck up, the
operators stamped with their clogged feet, the audience applauded and
there were calls for "Sansone," but it was not a moment for responding to
calls. Soldiers came on one by one and Samson knocked them down; they
came two by two and he knocked them down; they came three by three and he
knocked them down. Between his feats of strength he frequently put his
long hair back with his hand, so that it should fall behind and not
hinder his movements or obstruct his sight. When he had done, the
curtain fell on about thirty soldiers, heaps upon heaps, writhing in
their death agonies.

The next act was in a wood and there was the Highland paladin who had not
been killed when Samson knocked him down; he had, however, been a good
deal hurt and was winking more than ever. There were also a few soldiers
who had either recovered or had not been knocked down in the previous
scene; in these cases, as with earthquakes, one has to wait to find out
who is killed and who survives. Turiddu said that Samson was being
arrested and presently some more soldiers entered with a prisoner, but it
was the wrong man; it was, in fact, Samson's father. He was led away in
chains. Then they brought on Samson with several yards of iron chain
coiled round and hanging down from his joined hands.

"Andiamo, andiamo," said the soldiers, but the jubilant paladin could not
resist the temptation to stop the soldiers and make a taunting speech
which amounted to--

"Here is the end of all your rage, O Sansone!"

Samson listened with great forbearance and, when it was his turn, replied
in a speech full of dignity, containing a great deal about gloria and
vend