[Enrique, Ramiro, Arias, Farez, later Zoraya]
ENRIQUE. (To Farez, rising) You say that she resides near here?
FAREZ. (Pointing to the left, below) On this hillside--a white house,
half way up the slope, with beautiful gardens and a terrace mirrored
in the waters of the Tagus.
ENRIQUE. You may conduct me there. (To the archers and valets) Go!
(They go out.)
FAREZ. If Your Grace will follow me--But she is not far--There she is!
ENRIQUE. The Moorish woman?
FAREZ. It is she herself--I see her coming up the slope.
ENRIQUE. (To Farez) You may return home. (To Ramiro and Arias) You,
here, step to one side and keep quiet. And observe her practicing her
black art.
[Farez disappears at right, Enrique and Arias going to the left,
where, screened by rocks and bushes from Zoraya's view, they watch
her. Zoraya appears near the gap, coming slowly up the path into the
clear moonlight as she reaches the summit. She carries a silver
sickle in her hand; on her arm a sheaf of wild flowers. She descends
the pathway slowly, gathering flowers as she passes.]
ENRIQUE. (To Ramiro behind him) That is a strange task!
ARIAS. (Behind Enrique and Ramiro, rising to see) See, my lord, in her
hand?
ENRIQUE. (In a low voice) That silver sickle?
ARIAS. Which shines like the crescent moon.
RAMIRO. The crescent of Mohammed--the moon is a Saracen and a
sorceress!
ENRIQUE. Speak lower!--What curious harvest brings her into the midst
of these rocks?
RAMIRO. She is gathering bad herbs for her philters and poisons.
ENRIQUE. A beautiful creature, truly. See the grace and suppleness in
her movements.
RAMIRO. One might say as much of a serpent.
ENRIQUE. For shame!
RAMIRO. Your Honor should be careful or this she-devil may throw over
him the same charm that Circe of yore threw over Ulysses.
ENRIQUE. (Joking) Am I like the goatherd to believe that she will
change me into a beast?
RAMIRO. No! But through love--it is the same!
ENRIQUE. (Quickly) Enough!--I must speak to her! (He advances into
the full moonlight.) Zoraya!
ZORAYA. Who is calling me?
ENRIQUE. I, Enrique Palacios, commander of the archers of the city.
ZORAYA. What does his lordship desire?
ENRIQUE. The truth!--It was you and two accomplices who took down and
carried away Kalem's body?
ZORAYA. It was, my lord.
ENRIQUE. For use in some conjurations--for you are a magician, it
appears?
ZORAYA. (Quickly) Me?
ENRIQUE. So it is said.
ZORAYA. By those who hate me because I am Moorish and faithful to the
law of the Koran. (Murmurs from Arias and Ramiro.)
ENRIQUE. Peace, there. (To Zoraya) So you have not come here to work
some magic in the moonlight, or to meet an accomplice in your
sorceries?
ZORAYA. I come to gather herbs in the night and to be alone; and in
moonlight because it is easier to recognize them.
ENRIQUE. What do you do with them?
ZORAYA. From the hearts of these flowers, my lord, I extract essences
and perfumes for myself and ointments, elixirs and powders for curing
diseases.
ENRIQUE. Are these remedies, these poisonous herbs?
ZORAYA. Yes; wholesome and healing. The vermilion fruit of the black
henbane and that of the deadly nightshade or belladonna cure delirium
and insanity. They also put sufferers to sleep. Also these others.
They are like all things of the world, in love the same: according to
the case and the dose, cure or kill.
ENRIQUE. Oh! by that I understand that you deal in love philters.
ZORAYA. What need of them, my dear lord?--Love is born of a smile,
rather than of a philter.
ENRIQUE. (Jesting) Do you often make that test?
ZORAYA. Never!
ENRIQUE. (The same) Oh!--so chaste--in spite of those eyes, there?
ZORAYA. Through pride! It is not necessary to search for dignity in
me!
ENRIQUE. Bless me! the beautiful! You are very difficult.--But let
that pass!--If it were not for some evil work why did you steal
Kalem's body?
ZORAYA. The human flesh is not made to feed ravens and wolves.
ENRIQUE. You have buried it?
ZORAYA. In a crevice in the rocks--you may assure yourself.
ENRIQUE. A criminal.
ZORAYA. To me he was not a criminal, whose only crime was to have
loved.
ENRIQUE. A Christian!--in spite of the law which forbids love between
your race and mine.
ZORAYA. It is love, however, which will reconcile them in the long
run.
ENRIQUE. Ah, well! to justify that you shall explain to His Eminence
the Cardinal Ximénès.
ZORAYA. (Frightened) The Inquisitor!
ENRIQUE. It is to him that I must take you.
ZORAYA. (The same) Oh, no, my dear lord! No! You must not say that.
ENRIQUE. Why not?
ZORAYA. You know that the high priest detests us and persecutes us.
You do not want to injure me; for you are good----
ENRIQUE. How do you know that?
ZORAYA. Oh, I see it!
ENRIQUE. In truth, what indications do you see?
ZORAYA. Those which my father revealed to me.
ENRIQUE. Of the nature of men?
ZORAYA. And their destinies.
ENRIQUE. Do you read this in the stars?
ZORAYA. My knowledge does not come from them.--But through the
crystal, the mirror, the silver disc and the lines of the hands.
ENRIQUE. Ah! By God!--I am curious to see what you read in mine!--Come
here!
(He seats himself on a large stone at the foot of the path, Zoraya
goes down to him after putting down her bouquet of flowers and
plants.)
RAMIRO. (Low to Arias during this part of the scene) Ah! the
bewitcher!--See how she takes him little by little into her coils in
order to escape punishment.
ZORAYA. (Stands near Enrique, who holds out his left hand for her
inspection) You are loyal, my lord, and brave--but your will is
feeble and unsteady.
ENRIQUE. Where do you see that?
ZORAYA. In the shape of your head and the first phalange of your
thumb, which is short--I see here that you are subject to sudden
and terrible bursts of anger.
ENRIQUE. (Smiling) It is true! (To Ramiro, without turning round)
Is it not, Ramiro?
RAMIRO. (Grumbling in a low voice) Rain of Heaven! Why has he not
strangled this accursed woman?
ZORAYA. (In the same vein) The life-line, beautiful at the
beginning--stops short--danger of death--struck as with lightning!
ENRIQUE. (Gaily) A soldier's death--so much the better! Seat
yourself; you will be more at ease. (He makes room for her to sit on
the stone.)
ZORAYA. (Seating herself, continues in the same vein) These wrinkles
which cross at the base of the thumb show an inclination very--very
amorous!
ENRIQUE. Oh! as to that--Yes!
ZORAYA. This deep red line, which connects the thumb with the
life-line--a passion! Oh!--that! Like she who possesses you!--It will
end only with your life!
ENRIQUE. Then it is to be returned?
ZORAYA. I do not know--why should one be troubled about that?
[While looking at his hand, Zoraya leans more and more against
Enrique, who is intoxicated by the nearness of their persons, by the
Arabian perfume on her hair and by the warmth of her hand.]
ENRIQUE. (Rising in order to lean over Zoraya's neck) What flower
have you robbed of this perfume?
ZORAYA. The golden cassie!
ENRIQUE. It is exquisite!--You who read the future so well in the
hand--(She attempts to withdraw her hand) No! No! Do not take away
your hand!--do you also know how to read the present in my thoughts?
(He turns Zoraya's face gently towards his own.)
ZORAYA. (Returning his ardent gaze) Yes! (In a low voice) You think
that I am beautiful and desirable!
ENRIQUE. (Quickly) Yes.
ZORAYA. (The same) But I am a Saracen, a pagan, an outcast! I am one
whom you have not the right to love!
ENRIQUE. Therefore, you are more desirable!
ZORAYA. (The same) Don't you find the royal edict which would punish
us very severe: I thrown into the oubliette--you sent to the galleys
or to the stake?
ENRIQUE. Too severe--certainly!
ZORAYA. Wasn't Kalem excusable for risking such a cruel fate?
ENRIQUE. Yes.
ZORAYA. And doesn't she, this unfortunate girl who had not the
strength to resist the madness of a similar love, deserve pity?
ENRIQUE. The Christian girl!
ZORAYA. Ah! I understand why she forgot that she was a Spaniard and
a Catholic and became only a woman, simply a woman!--O Nature! the
victory was thine!--I envy her for having been given a body to be
loved and adored without fear of the torture which menaces this
world--and the damnation promised in the next!
ENRIQUE. You could be so brave as she?
ZORAYA. (Rising) Ah! certainly, yes!--who could be braver than
she!--Can your race produce a Kalem? If so, he is worthy of me! I
promise hours of beauty and rapture to him who does not fear the
executioner and who will brave the flames at the stake for that which
the sun of Africa has set burning in my veins!----
ENRIQUE. (Taking her in his arms) I shall be that man! (She pushes
him gently away. He recovers his presence of mind and quickly
withdraws) Ah! demon! You have intoxicated me! Go away from me!
ZORAYA. Adieu, then, my dear lord.
ENRIQUE. (Turning) Adieu!--Yes, adieu!--It is better so! (To Ramiro
and Arias) Let that woman go! (Picking up her flowers, she slowly
reascends the slope) What creature is that!--her hand burned in mine
and her gaze set my brain awhirl!
RAMIRO. I have a remedy, my lord! Say a pater quickly and repeat an
ave twice to break the charm!
ARIAS. (Preparing to shoot an arrow from his cross-bow at Zoraya) I
have a better one!--Kill the beast, kill----
ENRIQUE. (Seizing his arm) Ah! brute!--Stop! (He passes the cross-bow
to Ramiro, then crosses the scene to the right to Zoraya, who has
returned on hearing the disturbance) Go! Go! He will not make another
attempt. But, I want never again to find you in my path!
ZORAYA. (Standing in the middle of the path) "No one," says an Arabic
proverb,--"no one in the world today has seen the dawn of tomorrow."
ENRIQUE. (To his men, who have rejoined him at right, while he still
watches Zoraya) Let us hasten away from here!
(Curtain)