Victorien Sardou

“ When my body is burned to ashes, she sleeps her last sleep.
Murmurs of indignation from the crowd. Zoraya makes a movement to go to the stake.
Padilla. (Descending the steps furiously) Seize her! (The gaolers move toward her.) No! Wait! (He motions them back.) Wait! (To Zoraya.) Ah! Wretch, I am at your mercy!—Is it a pardon and freedom that you want?
Zoraya. No! life would be only full of sorrow for me! I prefer death, which will give me an opportunity for revenge!
Enrique. (Standing between Zoraya and the pyre) No! No! Do not use her for revenge. ”

“ I am an old woman and have not long to live; but this child is innocent and I won't let them touch a hair of her head! Ah, Mijnheer Balthazar, do not let them touch Christina, she is a sacred trust. Don't listen to that bad man—he is the cause of all this trouble!"
M. Tricamp made a sign to his men, and they seized the old woman by the arm. Gudule advanced a few steps, then fell on her knees near the fireplace, weeping and bemoaning her fate. ”

“ Christina looked around her with such an air of innocence that no one believed in her guilt, excepting, of course, M. Tricamp.
"But do tell me what this all means?" asked she of the officer who locked the door after her. "Why don't you tell them who I am?" she continued, addressing Balthazar.
"Where have you been?" he demanded.
"I have been upstairs with old Gudule, who, you know, is afraid of the lightning. As I was very tired, I fell asleep in the arm-chair in her room. ”

“ You do not understand anything, poor Aisha! To love without peril is beautiful—it is the common kind of love. But the kind that is outlawed, accursed and condemned at its beginning—the love that braves all perils, that defies death, that brings the bitter-sweet of forbidden kisses and maddening embraces during which it is said, “This may be the last!”—that is love!—that is love!
Aisha. (Groaning) Ah!
Zoraya. Be silent! This time it is his step. (She runs to the door at the left and opens it) It is he!—Ah! it is he!—It is he!
Enrique appears on the threshold of the little door. ”

“ Balthazar and Tricamp exchanged a knowing glance—while Cornelius, feverish with excitement, rushed into the study.
"He has gone mad!" grumbled M. Tricamp as he followed him with his eyes. "Will you permit me to give a drink of curacoa to my men? It is daylight now, and the air is somewhat chilly,"
"With pleasure. There is the bottle; let the men help themselves."
Tricamp then left the room. As Balthazar turned around, he perceived old Gudule still kneeling in the corner. A moment later he had rejoined Cornelius in the study. ”

“ Zoraya. (Quickly) Ah! if that is so, good—I will go with you!
Enrique. (Violently obstructing her passage) Are you foolish? (To Cardenos.) Go tell Ximénès that he has no right to my confession unless he provides the same indulgence for her whom he calls my accomplice.
Cardenos. You shall say it to him yourself, Señor Enrique. (To Zoraya) Come, you!—Follow me!
Enrique. (Stopping Zoraya) By God! This is insolence!
Zoraya. Enrique!
Enrique. Silence! (To Cardenos) And you—get out of here!
Cardenos. Be careful that you do not render indulgence for yourself impossible! ”

“ Then tell me who called here to-day."
"Oh, there was the postman—and a neighbor who called to borrow a pie-plate—and Petersen who came to ask something of Christina."
"Indeed! And who is this Petersen?"
"A neighbor, Mijnheer; a night-watchman; my master knows him well."
"Yes," said Balthazar, addressing the sergeant, "he is the poor devil who lost his wife a month ago, and his two little children are both sick. We help the poor fellow from time to time."
"And this Petersen was in the house to-day?"
"No, Mijnheer," replied Gudule; "he only spoke to Christina from the sidewalk." ”

“ All the officers started off, with Tricamp at their head; while Balthazar ran into the young girl's room, to assure himself that she was no longer there.
Instead of Christina, Balthazar was confronted by Cornelius, who had entered the room through the opening in the partition.
"That's right! Look for her, my friend. You must now admit that she is guilty, as she has just run away."
"I tell you that she is innocent," exclaimed Cornelius as his eyes flashed fire; "we alone are guilty—for we have wrongfully accused an innocent person!" ”

“ No!—there is one thing which you have not admitted—one thing, alone—which will make him innocent of all crime!
Padilla. And save him from all punishment!
Ximénès. The cause of his madness!
Padilla. Madness due to your witchcraft!
Albornos. And your philters!
Ximénès. And your poisons!
All are silent for an instant, during which Zoraya looks at them stupefied.
Zoraya. Ah! I understand!—I understand! (The Inquisitors are silent) You want me to save him? Yes, it is true! It is true! If I have made him mad with some kind of a philter, he is unconscious of his acts! He is not guilty! ”

“ A night's frost killed all the trees and the family was ruined. Victorien's father, Antoine Léandre Sardou, came to Paris in search of employment. He was in succession a book-keeper at a commercial establishment, a professor of book-keeping, the head of a provincial school, then a private tutor and a schoolmaster in Paris, besides editing grammars, dictionaries and treatises on various subjects. With all these occupations, he hardly succeeded in making a livelihood, and when he retired to his native country, Victorien was left on his own resources. ”

“ From all parts of the world telegrams of condolence were received by M. Sardou’s family. From Cairo Madame Sarah Bernhardt, whose fame resulted from her interpretations of the characters in Sardou’s plays, cabled: “France loses one of its glories, Paris a friend, all the unhappy a protector, and we artists our beloved master, Victorien Sardou.” ”

“ Calabazas. (Forcibly) Silence, people! (The crowd is intimidated.) No miracle is performed by Satan!
Padilla. (At the head of the steps) Go and thank God! (He places Joana in the hands of the nuns, who conduct her into the church. He turns to Zoraya.) Go in peace, Zoraya! And all of you let the Mooress depart. She is free! (To Ramiro.) Ramiro, see her safely home!
He enters the church followed by the Inquisitors. The organs intone the Te Deum. Enrique, under the portal, exchanges a look of farewell with Zoraya, who lingers, crossing to the alley. ”

“ Gil Andrès makes both women enter at the left at the same time. The younger one remains at the foot of the stage between the two aides, while Gil Andrès pushes before him old Afrida, whom Zoraya regards with surprise and disgust.
Ximénès. (To Afrida) Come forward! (Gil Andrès, with a blow, forces Afrida to go forward. To D’Aguilar) Write: “Afrida.” (To Afrida) You confessed the other day— (Afrida, without looking at him, makes a sign to him with her left hand to keep silent; with her right hand she makes a trumpet to her ear for listening) What is this?—Are you mocking us? ”

“ M. Tricamp then ordered his men not to disturb the woman as she knelt there offering up a prayer to Heaven that Christina should not suffer for a crime committed by another.
CHAPTER IX.
"You see," remarked the agent of police, turning towards Cornelius, "that no one has called here whom we might have cause to suspect—neither the postman, the neighbor, or that fellow Petersen. It therefore remains between the old woman and the young girl; and, as I do not believe the old one is sufficiently active to perform gymnastics, I beg you to draw your own conclusions." ”

“ In a scene poetic with romance and beauty Don Enrique and Zoraya, whom he wishes to arrest, drift into the same relation which resulted in the death of the young Moor, whose body had been stolen. This act is the great corner-stone of the drama. Sardou’s skillful motivation prepares the reader for developments in the coming four acts, but this craftsmanship is so carefully hidden that the relations of incidents are so natural that they come in the form of surprises. ”

“ Zoraya. My own country is the country where we may love.
Enrique. No, do not say so! It is a crime to listen to your words.
Zoraya. My adored Enrique!
Enrique. Deserter! renegade! perjurer. Traitor to all my duties for all time! Never! even for you! Never! Never!
Zoraya. Stay then, coward, who has caused me to lose everything!
Enrique. Zoraya!
Zoraya. Go—return to your wife!
She opens the street door quickly to go out and recoils on seeing Cardenos standing motionless on the threshold.
Scene Six The same persons, Cardenos
Zoraya. (Frightened) Cardenos!
She goes to the left. ”

“ Balthazar pointed to the massive door of the Study, which was provided with an old-fashioned brass lock, the likes of which are only found in the Netherlands at the present time.
Tricamp turned the key. Crick! Crack! It was evident that the lock had not been tampered with.
"And the window?" asked the officer, handing Balthazar the key of the study.
"The window was closed," said Cornelius: "we opened it when we called for assistance. Besides, Mijnheer, it has stout iron bars, and no one could possibly pass through there." ”

“ Enrique. By whom?
Torillo. By a woman-servant, she told me, in the service of the condemned.
Enrique. Aisha?
Torillo. I do not know.
Enrique. Has she paid you?
Torillo. She has given me ten ducats for agreeing to give to the Mooress a little waxen pill the instant that I untie her hands for public penance.
Enrique. Yes! yes! I understand!—You have consented?
Torillo. I promised without fully deciding to do so! But, now that Your Grace desires it also——
Enrique. Ah! God, yes!—and you shall have a thousand ducats tomorrow! ”

“ Torillo. Because the victim will not utter a cry when I set fire to the pyre; if she restrains then she is dead.
Enrique. If she is unable to utter a cry, or a groan, I will double the sum.
Torillo. The bargain is settled, my lord.
He salutes and goes away. Enrique turns to enter the church. Bells begin to toll. The assistants go to the foot of the stage to await the arrival of the procession. In the distance are heard sounds of the mob preceding the condemned.
Enrique. (With eyes turned toward the upper street) Is that you, Oliveira?—Doña Joana?
Oliveira. The same all of the time. ”

“ Farez. Muleteer.
Enrique. Then, according to your opinion, these people are wrong?
Farez. This is all idle talk, my lord—the ravings of old women. (Cries from the peasants, whom Ramiro silences.)
Enrique. Do you know this Moorish woman?
Farez. Zoraya?
Enrique. Is her name Zoraya?
Farez. Yes, my lord; that is to say, in the Arabic tongue, “The Star of the Morning.” I have long known her. I was in Granada before the conquest, employed as a servant by her father, Abou-Abassa, a scholar and physician of the last King Boabdil.
Enrique. Maiden, woman or widow—this Zoraya? ”

“ Zoraya. Fatoum!
Fatoum. Ah! Zoraya!
Zoraya. (Imposing silence with a gesture) Yes!—I concluded that results would be surer if I repeated the mesmeric treatment which I gave Joana this morning.
Fatoum. Oh! I am grateful to you! You have arrived at an opportune time! It is the end of the banquet. They are now offering congratulations. Joana is about to enter her apartment. You will pass for one of the new servant women whom I have chosen!
She points to the landing-place of the right stairway and leads her to it.
Zoraya. Ah! it is there? ”

“ Fatoum goes out with Joana.
Scene Eight Zoraya, Aisha, Zaguir
At the instant that Fatoum and Joana disappear in the garden, Zaguir appears on the threshold of the little door.
Zoraya. You followed those men?
Zaguir. Yes, mistress!—Far into the city, but I lost them in the crowd. All of the world seems to be in the streets, for there is a great fête.
Zoraya. Yes, I know—the marriage.
Zaguir. Of the Governor’s daughter and Don Enrique Palacios!
Zoraya stifles a heartrending cry.
Aisha. (Running to Zoraya) Ah! unhappy child! ”

“ Enrique. Ah! She likewise practises healing?
Farez. Free of charge! Her father left her great wealth and the knowledge of his art. Those of her own race are not the only ones who have sought her aid. (Addressing the peasants) More than one Christian who has secretly begged gold and medicines from her now shows his ingratitude by accusing her of causing hail to fall upon the fields. (The peasants protest.)
Enrique. (Silencing them) That is enough! (To Ramiro) Keep the muleteer. Release the others. ”

“ Enrique anxiously watches the house from the foot.
The Other. (Farther away) Come, then! Laggards!—Not there, but in the other street.
All. Yes! Coming, coming!
They go away making the same sounds with which they came. Enrique goes toward the foot listening for the valets’ return.
Zoraya. (Opening the door cautiously and looking into the street) They are going farther away.—They have gone round the corner of the house. (Shortly afterward they hear the distant serenade, a voice singing:)
Oh! ”

“ Don Enrique learns of Zoraya’s sacrifice. As we expected, she is given her liberty on condition that she restore to consciousness the governor’s daughter, a performance that causes the mob, already incensed by fanatical monks, to demand her death immediately after receiving the liberty which she deserves. Don Enrique nobly chooses death with her.
The conclusion of the action shows Sardou’s wonderful technique at its best. The sequence of events is natural and the transition from situation to situation is motivated so realistically that the threads of the structure cannot be detected. ”