himself in this situation. He has powerful
enemies; his glory, which is all he lives for, is in their hands; you
may disarm them.

Marie
What must I do?

Faustine
By marrying Sarpi, you will assure the triumph of your dear
Fontanares; but no woman would counsel such a sacrifice; it must come,
it will come from you. At first you must dissemble. Leave Barcelona
for a time. Retire to a convent.

Marie
And never see him again? Ah! If you knew--he passes every day at a
certain hour under my windows, and that hour is all the day to me.

Faustine (aside)
She stabs me to the heart! Oh! She shall be Countess Sarpi.

SCENE FIFTEENTH

The same persons and Fontanares.

Fontanares (to Faustine)
Senora. (He kisses her hand.)

Marie (aside)
What a pang I feel!

Fontanares
Shall I live long enough to testify my gratitude to you? If I achieve
anything, if I make a name, if I attain to happiness, it will be
through you.

Faustine
Why that is nothing! I merely tried to smooth the way for you. I feel
such pity for men of talent in misfortune that you may ever count upon
my help. Yes, I would go so far as to be the mere stepping-stone over
which you might climb to your crown.

Marie (drawing Fontanares by his mantle)
But I am here, I (he turns around), and you never saw me.

Fontanares
Marie! I have not spoken to you for ten days! (To Faustine) Oh!
senora, what an angel you are!

Marie (to Fontanares)
Rather say a demon. (Aloud) The senora was advising me to retire to a
convent.

Fontanares
She!

Marie
Yes.

Faustine
Children that you are, that course were best.

Fontanares
I trip up, it seems, on one snare after another, and kindness ever
conceals a pitfall. (To Marie) But tell me who brought you here?

Marie
My father!

Fontanares
He! Is he blind? You, Marie, in this house!

Faustine
Sir!

Fontanares
To a convent indeed, that she might dominate her spirit, and torture
her soul!

SCENE SIXTEENTH

The same persons and Lothundiaz.

Fontanares
And it was you who brought this angel of purity to the house of a
woman for whom Don Fregose is wasting his fortune and who accepts from
him the most extravagant gifts without marrying him?

Faustine
Sir!

Fontanares
You came here, senora, widow of a cadet of the house of Brancadori, to
whom you sacrificed the small fortune your father gave you; but here
you have utterly changed--

Fa