Mir. Guards there! Take her away! The guards!
Max. No! Let her stay! We ’ll answer her!
Mir. My lord—
Max. Madam, we seek your country’s love.
Asef. How do you seek it? By killing her dear sons!
Setting your tigers loose among her children!
Mejia from your very breast makes fire
On patriot virtue! Dupin wets his teeth
By day and night in infant and mother’s blood!
Maximilian,
In brave Trevino’s name, Salazar’s name,
In name of all as noble and as dear
To Mexico as they, who daily die
Beneath their country’s flag the death of dogs,
Shot down by your black law—signed by your hand—
In name of him as dear to me as thou
To that proud woman who shall know what ’t is
To clasp a ghost where throbbed her living love,—
I tell thee—die!
(Leaps from stage to Emperor’s box attempting to stab him. As she leaps Carlotta springs before the Emperor)
Car. This heart—not that!
(Aseffa drops her dagger and stands bewildered. An officer seizes her. Utter confusion in theatre. Maximilian goes onto the stage. Silence)
Max. My friends,—
All you who love me see me here unhurt,
And you who love me not, if any ’s here,
(Cries of “none, none!”)