seek her presence,
Till she pronounce my pardon.

_Bir._ I obey. [_exit Birtha._

_Raby._ My child is innocent! ye choirs of saints,
Catch the blest sounds--my child is innocent!

_Dou._ O I will kneel, and sue for her forgiveness,
And thou shalt help me plead the cause of love,
And thou shalt weep--she cannot sure refuse
A kneeling husband and a weeping father.
Thy venerable cheek is wet already.

_Raby._ Douglas! it is the dew of grateful joy!
My child is innocent! I now would die,
Lest fortune should grow weary of her kindness,
And grudge me this short transport.

_Dou._ Where, where, is she?
My fond impatience brooks not her delay;
Quick, let me find her, hush her anxious soul,
And sooth her troubled spirit into peace.

_Enter Birtha._

_Bir._ O horror, horror, horror!

_Dou._ Ah! what mean'st thou?

_Bir._ Elwina--

_Dou._ Speak--

_Bir._ Her grief wrought up to frenzy,
She has, in her delirium, swallow'd poison!

_Raby._ Frenzy and poison!

_Dou._ Both a husband's gift;
But thus I do her justice.

_As Douglas goes to stab himself, enter Elwina distracted,
her hair dishevelled, Percy's scarf in her hand._

_Elw._ [_goes up to Douglas._]
What, blood again? We cannot kill him twice!
Soft, soft--no violence--he's dead already;--
I did it--Yes--I drown'd him with my tears;
But hide the cruel deed! I'll scratch him out
A shallow grave, and lay the green sod on it;
Ay--and I'll bind the wild briar o'er the turf,
And plant a willow there, a weeping willow--
[_she sits on the ground._
But look you tell not Douglas, he'll disturb him;
He'll pluck the willow up--and plant a thorn.
He will not let me sit upon his grave,
And sing all day, and weep and pray all night.

_Raby._ Dost thou not know me?

_Elw._ Yes--I do remember
You had a harmless lamb.

_Raby._ I had indeed!

_Elw._ From all the flock you chose her out a mate,
In sooth a fair one--you did bid her love it--
But while the shepherd slept, the wolf devour'd it.

_Raby._ My heart will break. This is too much, too much!

_Elw._ [_smiling._] O 'twas a cordial draught--I drank it all.

_Raby._ What means my child?

_Dou._ The poison! Oh the poison!
Thou dear wrong'd innocence--

_Elw._ Off--murderer, off!
Do not defile me with those crimson hands. [_shews the scarf._
This is his winding sheet--I'll wrap him in it--
I wrought it for my love--there--now I've drest him.
How brave he looks! m