Venoni. Delirium? no, no! do not hope it! excess of misery—desire of vengeance have restored my reason: I feel but too well, both for myself and you, that my senses are right again, and tremble thou to hear they are so! I see you now in your true colours, in all the horrors of your atrocious guilt! your hour is arrived; your cup is full; and the abyss already yawns beneath your feet, which within an hour shall bury you in its womb for ever! farewell! (going)
Pri. Yet stay, Venoni! you must not—you shall not leave me thus. What means this talk of guilt, of vengeance? declare at once what troubles you! I boldly challenge an immediate explanation.
Venoni. (furious) What? you brave me? ha! read! read, then, monster! (gives him the letter, which he received from father Michael: but immediately afterwards, becoming aware of his imprudence, he endeavours to regain it) merciful heavens, what have I done!
Pri. (after examining the letter turns to the monks, and says in a calm decided tone) Every thing is discovered—we are betrayed.
Jer. How? how?
Ana. What must be done? we are lost!
Jer. But one moment is still ours.
Ni. There is but one chance of escape—
Pri. Silence! (during these speeches he seems to have been collecting his thoughts; he advances to Venoni, and says in a firm decided tone) those words, in which you threatened my destruction, assured your own— (in a voice of thunder) die! die, and be our dangerous secret buried for ever in your grave! (to Jeronymo) unclose the chapel door and raise the secret stone.
Jeronymo enters the chapel.