Scene Seven
The same persons, without Manuela
Ximénès. (To Zoraya) Here is more testimony against you.
Zoraya. (Indignant) Testimony!—of that unfortunate girl!
Ximénès. According to her own confessions!—
Zoraya. Ah! her confessions!—made under the threats of your tortures! (Movements among the members of the Tribunal) You can find whatever pleases you with the aid of him, there. (She points to Gil Andrès) You can convict with false testimony and you can make innocent ones confess crimes which they never committed. You, yourself, Bishop, under torture would admit going to a witches’ meeting!
The Inquisitors make movements of astonishment.
Ximénès. (Calmly) It is not likely that I shall have occasion to submit to such a trial!—Prove to us that these women have lied!
Zoraya. And how do you want me to prove it?—Is It possible for me to do so?—You, can you prove to me that these women are telling the truth?
Ximénès. That is the opinion of the Tribunal.
Zoraya. Then all of them say that I must be found guilty at any price. That could be done in a quicker and less cowardly manner.
Murmurs of indignation from the Inquisitors.
Ximénès. Do you mean to defy us?
Zoraya. Yes, I defy all of you! If I am to be condemned before I have an opportunity to defend myself, I shall have, at least, the pleasure of shouting my hatred to this Tribunal of the Church, which instead of being more human than those who believe in other religions, is more ferocious!
Exclamations from the Tribunal.
Calabazas. Your hatred, villainous Mooress!
Zoraya. Yes, my hatred!—Yes, I abhor you!—I abhor you!—Priests!—who set upon a vanquished people like jackals upon the bodies of the dead after the battle!
Protestations from the Tribunal.
Ximénès. Let her alone!—her lips are betraying the disease from which she is suffering.
Zoraya. All the humiliations and sorrows of defeat—we have known them. They have changed our mosques into churches, our courts into kennels, our schools into stables! They have broken our aqueducts, drained our fish-ponds, burned our mills and wine-presses, cut down our orchards and made such a desert of the flowery plain of Granada that a bee cannot gather honey upon it! But that was not enough for us—we must have misery, famine and the brutality of soldiers! There must be refined cruelty at least, so you invented the Inquisition.—Thanks to that, you can assure yourselves with joyful hearts that we are punished like hardened heathens, that we perish in your oubliettes and that we are burned alive in the name of your Savior, who taught only mercy and goodness! (Pointing to the Calvary) And, that prophet—your God!—crucified by the Inquisitors of his time!—A martyr, whom you make an executioner! (There is a movement of protest among the Inquisitors, two of whom rise indignantly. Zoraya turns toward the Christ on the Calvary and addresses it) God of the Christians!—They have nailed thy feet and thy hands, so that thou canst not come to the aid of the unfortunate! But, if thou canst not tear thyself from the cross, cry at least unto these infamous judges that they need not look elsewhere for Hell and the gathering of witches—Here is the Hell where they sacrifice human creatures, where they offer to thee as hymns the lamentations of the tortured, and as incense the smell of burning flesh! Here is Hell, Hell with its furnaces, Hell with its damned, Hell! Hell! with its demons!
She falls choking and weeping upon the seat at left. The Inquisitors, protesting, rise and advance into the middle of the scene, all speaking at the same time.
All. Blasphemy!—Blasphemy!
Albornos. Shall we let this Saracen continue to insult the Tribunal?
Calabazas. And the Church!
Ibarra. The sentence!—Eminence! the sentence!
Ximénès. (Who remains seated) Be calm!—She is not alone a blasphemer to the Governor and me.—She is a sorceress!
Albornos. That has been proven!
Ximénès. Not yet. I must have more testimony in the form of a confession.
Padilla. Then torture her!
Ximénès. This woman?—All of our torments would not wrest one word from her.
All. What other means will you use, Eminence?
Ximénès. (Rising) Then!—(Loud enough for Zoraya to hear him) We shall question her accomplice (Zoraya starts) and ask him to explain the reason for the murder of Cardenos, which he confesses, and (Zoraya again starts) why this woman was in his house on such a night.
Zoraya. In spite of that he!—— (She rises quickly.)
Ximénès. It is not for you to plead his case!——
Zoraya. (Quickly, going to Ximénès) Yes, yes! it is I! (Ximénès makes a sign to Gil Andrès.) Wait!—Oh! wait, wait, then! (Andrès stops.) It is only I who can explain for him!—He was maddened by my tears, my reproaches, my furious jealousy!—The other arrived and insulted me—then, in the height of his rage!—Ah!—that crime—I am more guilty than he! Would he have killed him, had I not been there?
All of the Inquisitors advance and group themselves at her left.
Ximénès. (Quickly going to her) Then you wish to convince us that this murder is your work?
Zoraya. Yes, it is my work!
Ximénès. It is you who caused this unfortunate man to become an assassin?
Zoraya. It is I!—It is I!
Ximénès. And by his flight, a deserter and a renegade?
Zoraya. Yes! yes!—It is I!—It is I!
Ximénès. And is that not enough, wretched woman! It must be that you are bent upon his utter ruin!
Zoraya. I?
Ximénès. For you have condemned him to death!
Padilla. Without pity, too!
Zoraya. (Going to Padilla. Ximénès is at her right, Padilla at her left, Albornos and Ibarra stand behind her.) Oh! how horrible! I would give my flesh and blood to save him!
Ximénès. No!—You can do that with one word!—And you are too obstinate to speak it!
Zoraya. One word?
Padilla. Tell the truth!
Zoraya. But, I told it!—I told the truth!
Ximénès. (Whispering in her ear) 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! He is more my accomplice! He is my victim! That is what you want, is it not?—Is it not?
Ximénès. And he escapes execution.
Padilla. He will be sent to the galleys!
Ximénès. To prison!
Zoraya. (Quickly) He is free?
Ximénès and Padilla. Yes.
Zoraya. Ah! say so, then!—say it, then! On that condition, yes! on that condition! I will confess to whatever you wish!—(Movement of satisfaction among the Inquisitors.) But, when will you set him at liberty?
Ximénès and Padilla. On the spot!
Zoraya. Then! Quickly! quickly!—Tell me what I must say!
Ximénès returns quickly to his seat. Between two guards, Enrique appears at the iron door. Padilla makes him advance to the left out of sight of Zoraya, whom the Inquisitors surround, seated and standing. The clerk writes. All this takes place rapidly.
Ximénès. (Leaning toward Zoraya) You confess of your own free will and with repentance that you compelled Enrique Palacios to love you madly——
Padilla. (To Enrique, in a low voice) Do you hear that?
Ximénès. And that while infatuated he was guilty of crimes of which he had no knowledge, that his conduct was caused by philters you had given him and by enchantments and other tricks of the black art!
Zoraya. (Quickly) Yes! yes! I confess it!
Ximénès. You confess?
Zoraya. Oh! is not that enough?
Ximénès. And that you went to the witches’ dance?
Zoraya. Yes! yes! I confess.
Padilla restrains Enrique from moving forward.
Ximénès. That you have taken part in diabolical feasts and obscene dances?
Zoraya. Yes!
Enrique again attempts to go forward.
Ximénès. And that you gave up your body to the lusts of all present, sorcerers and demons?
Zoraya. Yes! yes!
Enrique. (Restrained by Padilla and Gil Andrès) Ah! accursed one!
Zoraya. (Turning) Him! Oh! (She attempts to rush to him, but others prevent her.) No! Do not believe that! My Enrique! Not that! not that!—Do not believe it!
Enrique. Away from me, prostitute of Hell!
Padilla pushes him to the door.
Zoraya. I have lied!—It is false! It is false!
Ximénès. (Sternly) It is false! Detain that man! (The guards step before Enrique. To Zoraya.) Is it false?
Zoraya. No! no!—It is true!—I confess! I confess! It is true!
She falls upon the steps exhausted. Padilla drags Enrique out of the door at right.
Ximénès. We shall burn her after vespers!
(Curtain)