Operas Every Child Should Know Part 73

"Make way there!" the pages cried, forcing a way for the procession.

When a wide pa.s.sage was made, Elsa and all her retinue appeared at the door of the Kemenate.

_Scene IV_

A magnificent procession of great ladies and n.o.bles, attended by train-bearers and pages, came from the palace and crossed the court to the Minster where Ortrud and Frederick had rested upon the steps the night before and the bridal procession marched to fine music:

[Music]

While this march was being played, and the procession pa.s.sing, all the n.o.bles bared their heads. As Elsa was about to pa.s.s into the church, everyone cried long life and happiness to her, and the air rang with shouts of rejoicing. But in the very midst of this fine scene, as Elsa stood with her foot upon the church steps, Ortrud rushed forward and confronted her. Her rage and jealousy had got the better of her cunning and judgment.

"Stand back!" she cried. "I will not follow thee like a slave, while thou art thus powerful and happy. I swear that thou shalt humbly bow thy head to me!" Every one stood in amazement and horror, because the sorceress looked very wicked and frightful, almost spitting her anger at the lovely maid.

"How is this, after thy gentleness of last night?" Elsa murmured.

"Last night thou wert mild and repentant, why now so bitter?" She looked about her in bewilderment, while the n.o.bles sprang forward and pushed back the raging woman.

All this pa.s.sed as quick as lightning.

"Ye flout me! Ye who will have for a husband, one whom thou canst not name!" She laughed derisively. That hurt Elsa very much because it was true. Ortrud had remained with her through the night, and had continued to say so many things which had aroused her curiosity and fear, that she was thinking more and more of the fact that she knew nothing whatever of her knight.

"She is a slanderer! Do not heed her!" all cried to Elsa.

"What is his race? Where are his lands? He is an adventurer!" the sorceress continued to shout bitterly, each word sinking deep into Elsa's heart. But she roused herself and suddenly began to cry out against Ortrud, and to say how good and n.o.ble the knight was and how tenderly she loved him.

"When he might have killed your husband yet he spared his life; that was a sign of his great n.o.bleness of heart!" she declared, trying to forget Ortrud's words and to convince herself.

When the excitement was at its height and Elsa nearly fainting with fright and grief, and her ladies crowding about her, the palace doors again opened, the trumpeters came out, and began to blow their blasts, while the King, Lohengrin, and the Saxon n.o.bles and counts came in a procession from the Palas as Elsa and her women had come from the Kemenate.

_Scene V_

All hailed Lohengrin as Guardian of Brabant, and Elsa threw herself pa.s.sionately into his arms. At once he saw that something had happened.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What is all this strife?" the King demanded, looking about upon the scene. Then Lohengrin saw Ortrud.

"Horror! What is this wicked woman doing here beside thee?"

"Shelter me against her wrath!" Elsa pleaded. "I harboured her last night, because she was weeping outside my door, and now she has tried to drive my happiness from me." Lohengrin looked fixedly at Ortrud and bade her begone.

"She hath filled thy heart with doubts, dear Elsa," he said, half reproachfully and full of fear, because he saw a change in the maid.

She wept, and he drew her into the church, while the King and his train turned toward the church also. Frederick then confronted the King.

"O great King and deluded Princess! Ye have all done me a grievous wrong. I accuse this stranger of undoing me with magic. I confront him here and demand his name and land! If he has naught to fear or to be ashamed of, let him speak." Everyone was full of hatred for Frederick, but at the same time, the challenge had a kind of justice in it and all were troubled.

"It is not thou who can humble me, base knave," Lohengrin answered, looking contemptuously at Frederick. "It is not the doubts of evil men that can harm me."

"Thou, O King, command him to tell his place and name," Frederick implored.

"Not even the King nor any prince that rules the earth shall question me upon these things," Lohengrin replied proudly, facing them all, as they turned looks of inquiry toward him. "There is but one who may ask--and she has given her word. She will not break it," he declared, looking tenderly at Elsa, who still waited beside him at the entrance to the church.

"His secret is his own," the King declared; "so have done with this shameful scene! And thou, dear knight--no doubts shall disturb thy happiness." All the n.o.bles crowded loyally about him as the King ceased speaking; but while they were taking Lohengrin by the hand, Frederick got close to Elsa, who, he and Ortrud could see, was troubled with womanish doubts.

"Let me tell thee something, Elsa of Brabant! If but one drop of thy knight's blood is shed--a finger scratched--his power and magic are gone. Give me leave to draw one drop of his blood, and all that he now conceals, he will at once reveal to thee."

"Ah, do not tempt me!" she cried, afraid to listen, because she had now become curious to learn Lohengrin's secret.

"I will say no more now, but this very night I shall be within call.

And if thou dost only speak the word, I'll enter and p.r.i.c.k his arm with my sword and instantly he will tell all, and can never more leave thy side." Lohengrin saw Frederick had got the ear of Elsa, and in a terrible voice told him to go, and chided Elsa gently for listening to such a man. As he spoke she sank at his feet, full of self-reproach.

Lohengrin lifted her and embraced her lovingly, while she swore eternal faith in him, and then all turned once more to the church. The King, the n.o.bles, Lohengrin with Elsa--all were pa.s.sing in at last; when Elsa, looking back just once, saw the arm of Ortrud raised in menace and with an expression of triumph upon her wicked face. Elsa turned terrified once more to Lohengrin, and they pa.s.sed into the church.

ACT III

After the ceremony and the festivities that had followed the marriage, came the peace and quiet of night. The door of the bridal chamber opened, and pages went in bearing lights, while the ladies of the court followed, leading Elsa, and the King and n.o.bles in turn followed them, leading Lohengrin. It was a most beautiful room, with a great open cas.e.m.e.nt at the right, through which the night-breeze swept.

The n.o.bles and ladies sang in chorus the most beautiful of wedding songs:

[Music:

Faithful and true, we lead ye forth, Where love, triumphant, shall crown ye with joy!

Star of renown, flow'r of the earth, Blest be ye both far from all life's annoy.]

The King embraced Lohengrin; and the ladies, Elsa. Then the pages gave a signal to go, and all pa.s.sing before the pair went out in the same order as they came in.

_Scene II_

After all had gone Lohengrin sat upon the couch beneath the open cas.e.m.e.nt and drew Elsa down beside him. He wished above all things to drive from her mind all thoughts of the suspicion which Ortrud had implanted. But even while he spoke most lovingly and rea.s.suringly to her, her thoughts were upon the mystery of his name. When he spoke her own she looked at him reproachfully.

"Ah! my name sounds so beautiful to me from thy lips--if only I might speak thine!" she complained. "If thou wouldst only tell me thy name, it should never pa.s.s my lips." Lohengrin was sad upon hearing this. He spoke of other things--of how beautiful the night was, and of how they were to pa.s.s a long and happy life together; but still her thoughts, poisoned by Ortrud, returned again and again to the forbidden subject.

"Oh! do not doubt me! Let me share thy secret whatever it may be," she entreated. "I feel that I am not loved by thee, since I am not trusted with thy story--not even with thy name." At last, after begging her to be silent, after reminding her of her promise, after all the persuasions he could think of, he rose and spoke sternly:

"I have given thee the greatest confidence, by believing thee free from every stain. With no proof but thy word, I fought for thy honour.

I asked no word to prove thy innocence. In return, I desired only silence from thee about my name and birth and land. It was partly for thy sake that I asked even so much. Now I will tell thee. But--" He hesitated, begging her once more to let them live in happiness, and not to ruin all by her fatal curiosity. At that moment, Frederick and his false n.o.bles broke through the door with drawn swords. They had come to draw his blood and thus to render him quite powerless.

But Elsa, though quite ready to ruin him herself by her curiosity, would not let him be hurt by another. Lohengrin's armour was laid off, but the sword was by the couch. Elsa s.n.a.t.c.hed it, thrust it into his hand and with a single blow he killed Frederick. The n.o.bles fell upon their knees before him, while Elsa fainted. Lohengrin looked upon the scene, feeling nothing but despair. If his blood had not been shed, yet to save his life he had been forced to shed the blood of another, and he had thus been rendered helpless, quite the same. After a moment he rang a bell which summoned Elsa's ladies, and bidding the four n.o.bles rise, he confided Elsa to the care of the women.

"Bear the corpse to the King's judgment hall," he said to the men, who then did as they were bid. "For you," he said to the women, "take your mistress into the presence of the King, and I will answer all that she desires to know. Nothing shall longer be hidden." He went out with his head bent and his thoughts very sad and melancholy. The day began to dawn, and the lights were all put out, and again the trumpets sounded in the courtyard.

_Scene III_

All repaired again to the river bank, where Lohengrin had first been seen, drawn by his swan. A count first entered, with his train of va.s.sals. He came upon a horse, and was a.s.sisted from it by one of his train. Then he took his s.h.i.+eld and spear from his pages who bore them, and then set up his banner, after which the va.s.sals grouped themselves about it.

Trumpets were heard on all sides and counts continued to arrive in the same order as the first, all with their va.s.sals, all setting up their spears and their people grouping themselves about them. Finally, the Herald who announced the coming of the King was heard, whereupon all the banners were unfurled and the trumpets of each n.o.ble and his people were sounded, and then entered the King and his Saxon men. As the King reached the royal oak, all struck their spears upon their s.h.i.+elds, and cried: