“Deja l’aube rayonne et luit,
  La nuit
  Finit;
  Maitresse,
  L’heure enchanteresse
  Passe et fuit... 
  A ton arret je dois me rendre. 
  Sort jaloux! (bis.)
  Hatons-nous,
  Il faut descendre
  Sans reveiller son vieil epoux!...”

Well,—­what do you think of it?  Now I will not mention her again,—­I will refer to her, when I shall have vexatious occasion, as “that woman.”  And, indeed, “that woman” and Honorius set us up in comprehension of matters progressing.  It seems that quite twenty years have passed since Sarah’s soul slid through a knife-gash; that Honorius and Andronic, who have come from Smyrna, (why?) are almost brothers; that Honorius is good in this fact only, that he knows he is really bad; and that Andronic is the richest and most moral man in Venice,—­though why, under those circumstances, he should be friendly with such a rip as Honorius, Honorius does not inform us.

I shall pass over the next scenes, and come to that in which all the creditors of all the lords are brought on to the stage in a state which calls for the interference of the Doge:  they are all drunk,—­except Shylock.  This scene really is a startler.  Shylock, now dashed with gray, and nearly double, comes up to “that woman” and calls her sister; whereupon she demanding that explanation which I and the Greek Chorus simultaneously want, Shylock states that he is Usury and she Luxury, “and they have one father.”

“Queer old man!!!” says “that woman.”

Here follow dice, in which the Jew is requested to join, all of which naturally brings about a discussion on the rate of usage, which that dog Andronic is bringing down, and a further statement that that imprisonment lasted two years.  Then comes a coup d’theatre:  Shylock reminds everybody that a just Doge reigns now, (nor can I help pointing out the Frenchman’s ingenuity here:  in the play, the Doge must be just, or where would the pound of flesh be?—­while, if the Doge of the prologue were just, Shylock would not have been committed for two years,—­ergo, kill No. 1.  Doge, install No. 2.)—­Shylock reminds everybody that a just Doge reigns.  Shylock has it all his own way, and Honorius is arrested before the very eyes of “that woman.”  Then comes the necessary Deus ex machina in the shape of Andronic, who pays everybody everything, saves his friend, and play proceeds.  Andronic reproaches Jew touching his greed, whereon the Jew offers this not profound remark,—­“I am—­what I am,”—­and goes on counting his money.

Oh, if you only knew the secret!

This cash payment winds up the act.

ACT II.