more and more a prey to the fascinations of Filina.  At last the troupe arrives at the castle, Wilhelm and Mignon with them.  Wilhelm enters with the others, leaving Mignon to await him outside.  Maddened with jealousy, she attempts to throw herself into a lake near by, but is restrained by the notes of Lotario’s harp.  She rushes to him for counsel and protection, and in her despair invokes vengeance upon all in the castle.  As the entertainment closes, Filina and her troupe emerge, joyful over their great success.  She sends Mignon back for some flowers she has left, when suddenly flames appear in the windows.  Maddened by his own grief and Mignon’s troubles Lotario has fired the castle.  Wilhelm rushes into the burning building and brings out the unconscious Mignon in his arms.

The last act opens in Lotario’s home in Italy, whither Mignon has been taken, followed by Wilhelm, who has discovered her devoted attachment to him, and has freed himself from the fascinations of Filina.  Through the medium of a long-concealed casket containing a girdle which Mignon had worn in her childhood, also by a prayer which she repeats, and the picture of her mother, Lotario is at last convinced that she is his daughter, and gives his blessing to her union with Wilhelm.

The overture recites the leading motives of the work.  The first act opens with a fresh and melodious chorus of the townspeople over their beer in the inn yard ("Su borghesi e magnati").  During their singing a characteristic march is heard, and the gypsy band enters.  The scene is a charming one, the little ballet being made still more picturesque by the fresh chorus and a song of Filina’s in waltz time.  The scene of the encounter with Giarno and Mignon’s rescue follows, and leads up to a very spirited quintet, which is followed by a graceful trio between Wilhelm, Filina, and Laertes, the actor.  In the next scene Wilhelm questions Mignon as to her history, and at the end of their pathetic duet, when he says, “Were I to break thy chains and set thee free, to what beloved spot wouldst thou take thy way?” she replies in the beautiful romanza, “Non conosci il bel suol,” more familiarly known in Goethe’s own words, “Kennst du das Land,”—­a song full of tender beauty and rare expression, and one of the most delightful inspirations of any composer.  It is said that much of its charm comes from the composer’s study of Ary Scheffer’s picture of Mignon.  Be this as it may, he has caught the inner sense of the poem, and expressed it in exquisite tones.  It is followed almost immediately by a duet between Mignon and Lotario ("Leggiadre rondinelle”) of almost equal beauty, known as the Swallow duet.  After a somewhat uninteresting scene between Laertes, Filina, and Frederick, who is also in love with Filina, the finale begins with the departure of the actors to fulfil their engagement, in which Filina, in a graceful aria ("Grazie al gentil signor"), invites Wilhelm to be of the number.