He watches us ...
O agony! And he is turned away,
And casts me off for ever. Go to him—
I cannot; for he sees me as I am,
The glory dropt away.
[Marcomir makes a forward movement]
You shall not go!
What do I say? I should not have the strength,
Not all alone. Stay with me! It is plain
What I must do to win him, and so hard—
It smiles so in the stream. Oh, hush! Look there!
That is worse dying. How they pass before him,
There, standing in his chains.
And Pepin looks
And hurries on, but all his gaze is fixed
On Chilperic’s shorn head.
See, how they pass!
Now Zacharias—
And he curses him:
The earth is trembling.

CARLOMAN.

[making a movement as if to curse Zacharias]

But I have no God
To curse you with. I cannot do you harm.
I have no God, no friend, no glowing hate:
You all will pass before me in procession
Day after day as shadows.

ZACHARIAS.

To his cell!

ACT V

Scene: The Prison at Vienne.

[Carloman lying on a plank bed.]

CARLOMAN.