tear
their hair in wild despair.--

The prelude to the second act takes place in the grotto of the nymphs
at Ithaka, where Telegonos has landed with his companions after a hard
fight with the inhabitants of the island. Resting beside a spring he
sees the reflection of his own image in it, and he begins to dream
about his father and to long for his mother. This song, and the whole
scene, with the water fairies emerging from the waves to look at the
young hero remind very much of the scene between Siegfried and the
Rhine-daughters.--The curtain falls and the first scene of the second
act opens with the triumphant return of Odysseus to his palace.

He has conquered all his enemies and is joyously greeted by his people.
Eumaeos however meets him with the bad news that during his master's
absence a new enemy had appeared and had ravaged the country.--

Odysseus vows that he will drive the enemy off. He turns lovingly to
his faithful Queen and assures her that he will now lay down the sword
for the spade and will labour to insure peace and happiness to all
those countries that are now his own. He {460} is however not without
forebodings of evil remembering the prophesy: "When once thou
exchangest the sword for the spade, then will the close of thy day be
near."

Despoina's entrance interrupts this happy meeting. The she-devil dares
to attack even Penelope's virtue, she goads Odysseus to fury, so that
he is about to stab her. But when she tears open her dress, mockingly
presenting her bosom to his sword, he turns from her ordering the
guards to take her away and to put her to death on the following
morning.

The next scene again shows Telegonos sleeping. Despoina awakes him.
She has escaped from prison and, disguised as a young warrior has
hastened hither to warn Telegonos. He receives her warnings with
laughter for fear is unknown to him. When he calls his lions she
faints with fright. Trying to revive her he opens her coat of mail and
takes off her helmet and thus perceives that she is a woman. At this
discovery his heart is suddenly inflamed with love for Despoina who is
also madly in love with Telegonos. A passionnate love scene follows,
ending by Telegonos telling her, that he is searching for his father
Odysseus. She offers to show him the way, and armed with a sword she
places herself with Telegonos at the head of his soldiers.--

In the third act Odysseus appears alone, stunned and terrified by his