Sem. His foe? No—you have killed the king!
(Falls back into the arms of her women. Complete darkness on stage. An instant later moonlight. Khosrove and Semiramis alone on the bridge, centre, front)
Khos. (Bowing ceremoniously)
Farewell, Assyria!
Sem. O, not that name!
Not yet—not yet.
Khos. Does it not please your pride?
Sem. My pride? ’Tis gone. Now I could lay my head
Upon the dust.
Khos. In truth! But you ’ll not do it!
Humility ’s a word the great think sweet
Upon the tongue, but near the heart they find
It loseth flavor!
Sem. Ah ... you do not know?
You think the words I spoke were born of pride?
So far from that—no, no—I will not tell,
And yet you wrong me, prince.
Khos. (Eagerly) Did you suspect
Some danger to me here, and seek to force
My angry leave? You did not care so much?
Sem. I cared so much that rather than betray you
I would have let you go believing me
A woman worth your scorn. Ah, there my pride
In truth did suffer!