Begins to ascend staircase, when the noise of Soldiers is heard.

Ah! What is that?
Torches ablaze, and noise of hurrying feet.
Pray God they have not seized her.

Noise grows louder.

Beatrice!
There is yet time to escape. Come down, come out!

The voice of the DUCHESS outside.

This way went he, the man who slew my lord.

Down the staircase come hurrying a confused body of Soldiers; GUIDO is no seen at first, till the DUCHESS surrounded by Servants carrying torches ap pears at the top of the staircase, and points to GUIDO, who is seized at once one of the Soldiers dragging the knife from his hand and showing it to the Cap tain of the Guard in sight of the audience.

TABLEAU.

ACT DROP

ACT FOUR

SCENE: The Court of Justice: the walls are hung with stamped grey velvet: above the hangings the wall is red, and gilt symbolical figures bear up the roof, which is made of red beams with soffits and grey moulding: a canopy of white satin flowered with gold is set for the Duchess: below it a long bench with red cloth for the Judges: below that a table for the clerks of the Court. Two soldiers stand on each side of the canopy, and two soldiers guard the door; the citizens have some of them collected in the Court, others are coming in greeting one another; two tipstaffs in violet keep order with long white wands.

FIRST CITIZEN: Good morrow, neighbour Anthony.

SECOND CITIZEN: Good morrow, neighbour Dominick.

FIRST CITIZEN: This is a strange day for Padua, is it not? – the Duke being dead.

SECOND CITIZEN: I tell you, neighbour Dominick, I have not known such a day since the last Duke died: and if you believe me not, I am no true man.

FIRST CITIZEN: They will try him first, and sentence him afterwards, will they not, neighbour Anthony?

SECOND CITIZEN: Nay, for he might ‘scape his punishment then; but they will condemn him first so that he gets his deserts, and give him trial afterwards so that no injustice is done.

FIRST CITIZEN: Well, well, it will go hard with him I doubt not.

SECOND CITIZEN: Surely it is a grievous thing to shed a Duke’s blood.

THIRD CITIZEN: They say a Duke has blue blood.

SECOND CITIZEN: I think our Duke’s blood was black like his soul.

FIRST CITIZEN: Have a watch, neighbour Anthony, the officer is looking at thee.

SECOND CITIZEN: I care not if he does but look at me; he cannot whip me with the lashes of his eye.

THIRD CITIZEN: What think you of this young man who stuck the knife into the Duke?

SECOND CITIZEN: Why, that he is a well-behaved, and a well-meaning, and a well-favoured lad, and yet wicked in that he killed the Duke.

THIRD CITIZEN: ’Twas the first time he did it: may be the law will not be hard on him, as he did not do it before.