Full of grief and remorse, Margarita sought refuge in prayer and repentance; but even in the church, the mocking Demon, whose cruel temptation she had been unable to resist, would find her out, and fill her heart with fear and despair.
It was whilst Margarita was praying one evening in the church near her humble cottage home that the soldiers returned from the wars; and the brave Valentine—who had covered himself with glory in the campaign—upon arriving in the town, at once set off to receive the praises and greetings of his beloved sister.
At the door of the cottage, however, he was met by the unhappy Siebel, from whose agitated words he quickly learnt of what had happened during his absence; and full of grief and anger, he rushed within, to pour forth reproaches upon the erring sister who had thus brought a stain upon his name.
Siebel ran to the church to acquaint Margarita with her brother's return; and no sooner had he gone than Mephistopheles appeared with Faust, who was still unable to keep away from the fair maiden he had betrayed.
He was, however, sad and remorseful, and it was his evil companion who, to entice Margarita from her chamber, struck a guitar and sang a light serenade beneath the window.
When the song came to an end, Valentine rushed out from the cottage, sword in hand, and knowing that the betrayer of his sister stood before him, he challenged Faust to combat. Instantly their blades clashed together, and Faust, aided by the diabolical intervention of Mephistopheles, quickly overcame his opponent, and Valentine fell to the ground mortally wounded.
At this moment, Siebel and Margarita came forth from the church; and seeing what had happened, the wretched maiden, with a loud cry of woe, flung herself upon the prostrate body of her brother, beseeching him to have mercy, and pardon her. But Valentine roughly flung her from him, declaring that her sin had slain him; and with his last breath he cursed her passionately as he fell back lifeless.
Horror-stricken at this awful calamity, of which she was the cause, the unhappy Margarita was filled with unutterable grief and despair; and her already harassed mind giving way under the weight of woe now fallen upon it, in a sudden fit of mad frenzy she took the life of the poor babe who was soon afterwards born to her. For this terrible, though unconscious act, she was immediately flung into prison and condemned to death; but even as she lay in the gloomy cell awaiting her execution, her weary soul, worn out with suffering and grief, was already preparing to leave its earthly abode.
Faust was now filled with remorse and despair for the sad fate the gratification of his selfish passion had brought upon the beautiful maiden who had loved him so tenderly; and on the night before the execution, aided by Mephistopheles, he gained access to her cell, and eagerly besought her to fly with him.
But at first, Margarita, whose mind was still wandering, scarcely heeded what was said to her; and then, as her thoughts grew clearer, and her gaze suddenly fell on the sinister form of Mephistopheles, who looked upon her exultingly with eyes like coals of fire, she realised the danger of this new temptation to return to a life of sin, and spurned her lover's offer.