What meanest thou, Carlos?
CARLOS.
Thou, thyself, wilt now
Fulfil the joyous course I should have run.
Thou wilt bestow on Spain those golden days
She might have hoped in vain to win from me.
I'm lost, forever lost; thou saw'st it clearly.
This fatal love has scattered, and forever,
All the bright, early blossoms of my mind.
To all the great, exalted hopes I'm dead.
Chance led thee to the king-or Providence,-
It cost thee but my secret-and at once
He was thine own-thou may'st become his angel:
But I am lost, though Spain perhaps may flourish.
Well, there is nothing to condemn, if not
My own mad blindness. Oh, I should have known
That thou art no less great than tender-hearted.
MARQUIS.
No! I foresaw not, I considered not
That friendship's generous heart would lead thee on
Beyond my worldly prudence. I have erred,
My fabric's shattered-I forgot thy heart.
CARLOS.
Yet, if it had been possible to spare
Her fate-oh, how intensely I had thanked thee!
Could I not bear the burden by myself?
And why must she be made a second victim?
But now no more, I'll spare thee this reproach.
What is the queen to thee? Say, dost thou love her?
Could thy exalted virtue e'er consult
The petty interests of my wretched passion?
Oh, pardon me! I was unjust--
MARQUIS.
Thou art so!
But not for this reproach. Deserved I one,
I merit all-and then I should not stand
Before you as I do.
[He takes out his portfolio.
I have some letters
To give you back of those you trusted to me.
CARLOS (looks first at the letters, then at the MARQUIS, in
astonishment).
How!
MARQUIS.
I return them now because they may
Prove safer in thy custody than mine.
CARLOS.
What meanest thou? Has his majesty not read them?
Have they not been before him?
MARQUIS.
What, these letters!
CARLOS.
Thou didst not show them all, then?
MARQUIS.
Who has said
That ever I showed one?
CARLOS (astonished).
Can it be so?
Count Lerma--
MARQUIS.
He! he told thee so! Now all
Is clear as day. But who could have foreseen it?
Lerma! Oh, no, he hath not learned to lie.
'Tis true, the king has all the other letters.
CARLOS (looks at him long with speechless astonishment).
But wherefore am I here?
MARQUIS.
For caution's sake,
Lest thou should chance, a second time, to make
An Eboli thy confidant.
CARLOS (as if waking from a dream).
Ha! Now
I see it all-all is explained.
MARQUIS (goes to the door).
Who's there?
SCENE II.
DUKE ALVA. The former.
