SCENE III   The Palace of Cepheus. A room in the women's apartments. Praxilla, to her enters Diomede. DIOMEDE , O Praxilla, Praxilla! PRAXILLA So, thou art back, thou tall inutility? Where wert thou lingering all this hour? I am tired of always whipping thee. I will hire thee out to a timber-merchant to carry logs from dawn to night-fall. Thou shalt learn what labour is. DIOMEDE Praxilla, O Praxilla! I am full to the throat with news. I pray you, rip me open. PRAXILLA Willingly. She advances towards her with an uplifted knife. DIOMEDE (escaping) A plague

SCENE III     Avunthie, a wooded hill-side overlooking the plain. Gopalaca in a chariot with Vuthsa; armed men surround them.   GOPALACA Arrest our wheels. Those are our army's lights That climb to us like fireflies from the plain. VUTHSA (awakened from sleep) Is this Avunthie? GOPALACA We have passed her bounds. VUTHSA So, thou dear traitor, this thou from the first Cam'st planning? GOPALACA This and more for which it was done. VUTHSA Thou bearst me to thy father's house ? GOPALACA Where thou Shalt lie a jewel guarded

Act Three The chamber of Eric. SCENE I     Eric, Harald. ERIC At dawn have all things ready for my march. I come not back without the head of Swegn Or else his living body. Send to me¹ Aslaug the dancing-girl.                                                                        Harald goes out. I have resumed The empire with² the knowledge of myself. For this strong angel Love, this violent And glorious guest, let it possess my heart Without a rival, not invade the brain, Not with imperious discord cleave my soul Jangling its various³ harmonies, nor turn The manifold music of humanity Into a single