The hour for the wedding draws near. The
lady has prepared a sleeping potion, whose effects resemble those of
death. (Romeo and Juliet.) She swallows it- knowing that her
supposed corpse would lie at night, pursuant to an old custom, in
the sanctuary of the cathedral; and believing that Angelo- whose
love for herself she has elicited, by a stratagem, from his own
lips- will watch by the body, in the strength of his devotion. Her
ultimate design (we may suppose, for it is not told) is to confess all
to her lover on her revival, and throw herself upon his protection-
their marriage being concealed, and herself regarded as dead by the
world. Zippa, who really loves Angelo- (her love for Tortesa, it
must be understood, is a very equivocal feeling, for the fact cannot
be denied that Mr. Willis makes her love both at the same time)-
Zippa, who really loves Angelo- who has discovered his passion for
Isabella- and who, as well as that lady, believes that the painter
will watch the corpse in the cathedral,- determines, through jealousy,
to prevent his so doing, and with this view informs Tortesa that she
has learned it to be Angelo's design to steal the body for
purposes,- in short, as a model to be used in his studio. The
usurer, in consequence, sets a guard at the doors of the cathedral.
This guard does, in fact, prevent the lover from watching the
corpse, but, it appears, does not prevent the lady, on her revival and
disappointment in not seeing the one she sought, from passing
unperceived from the church.
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