About an hour ago I waked from sleep, And took my dagger from beneath my pillow, Where I had hidden it to serve my need, And drew it from the sheath, and felt the edge, And thought of you, and how I loved you, Guido, And turned to fall upon it, when I marked The old man sleeping, full of years and sin; There lay he muttering curses in his sleep, And as I looked upon his evil face Suddenly like a flame there flashed across me, There is the barrier which Guido spoke of: You said there lay a barrier between us, What barrier but he? - I hardly know What happened, but a steaming mist of blood Rose up between us two.

GUIDO

Oh, horrible!

DUCHESS

And then he groaned, And then he groaned no more! I only heard The dripping of the blood upon the floor.

GUIDO

Enough, enough.

DUCHESS

Will you not kiss me now? Do you remember saying that women’s love Turns men to angels? well, the love of man Turns women into martyrs; for its sake We do or suffer anything.

GUIDO

O God!

DUCHESS

Will you not speak?

GUIDO

I cannot speak at all.

DUCHESS

Let as not talk of this! Let us go hence: Is not the barrier broken down between us? What would you more? Come, it is almost morning. [Puts her hand on GUIDO’S.]

GUIDO

[breaking from her] O damned saint! O angel fresh from Hell! What bloody devil tempted thee to this! That thou hast killed thy husband, that is nothing - Hell was already gaping for his soul - But thou hast murdered Love, and in its place Hast set a horrible and bloodstained thing, Whose very breath breeds pestilence and plague, And strangles Love.

DUCHESS

[in amazed wonder] I did it all for you. I would not have you do it, had you willed it, For I would keep you without blot or stain, A thing unblemished, unassailed, untarnished. Men do not know what women do for love. Have I not wrecked my soul for your dear sake, Here and hereafter?

GUIDO

No, do not touch me, Between us lies a thin red stream of blood; I dare not look across it: when you stabbed him You stabbed Love with a sharp knife to the heart. We cannot meet again.

DUCHESS

[wringing her hands] For you! For you! I did it all for you: have you forgotten? You said there was a barrier between us; That barrier lies now i’ the upper chamber Upset, overthrown, beaten, and battered down, And will not part us ever.

GUIDO

No, you mistook: Sin was the barrier, you have raised it up; Crime was the barrier, you have set it there. The barrier was murder, and your hand Has builded it so high it shuts out heaven, It shuts out God.

DUCHESS

I did it all for you; You dare not leave me now: nay, Guido, listen. Get horses ready, we will fly to-night. The past is a bad dream, we will forget it: Before us lies the future: shall we not have Sweet days of love beneath our vines and laugh? - No, no, we will not laugh, but, when we weep, Well, we will weep together; I will serve you; I will be very meek and very gentle: You do not know me.

GUIDO

Nay, I know you now; Get hence, I say, out of my sight.

DUCHESS

[pacing up and down] O God, How I have loved this man!

GUIDO

You never loved me. Had it been so, Love would have stayed your hand. How could we sit together at Love’s table? You have poured poison in the sacred wine, And Murder dips his fingers in the sop.

DUCHESS

[throws herself on her knees] Then slay me now! I have spilt blood to-night, You shall spill more, so we go hand in hand To heaven or to hell. Draw your sword, Guido.