Before they appear, Michaela, a village girl, enters the square, bearing a message to Don Jose from his mother, but not finding him departs.  The cigar-girls at last pass by on their way to work, and with them Carmen, who observes Don Jose sitting in an indifferent manner and throws him the rose she wears in her bosom.  As they disappear, Michaela returns and delivers her message.  The sight of the gentle girl and the thought of home dispel Don Jose’s sudden passion for Carmen.  He is about to throw away her rose, when a sudden disturbance is heard in the factory.  It is found that Carmen has quarrelled with one of the girls and wounded her.  She is arrested, and to prevent further mischief her arms are pinioned.  She so bewitches the lieutenant, however, that he connives at her escape and succeeds in effecting it, while she is led away to prison by the soldiers.  In the second act Carmen has returned to her wandering gypsy life, and we find her with her companions in the cabaret of Lillas-Pastia, singing and dancing.  Among the new arrivals is Escamillo, the victorious bull-fighter of Grenada, with whom Carmen is at once fascinated.  When the inn is closed, Escamillo and the soldiers depart, but Carmen waits with two of the gypsies, who are smugglers, for the arrival of Don Jose.  They persuade her to induce him to join their band, and when the lieutenant, wild with passion for her, enters the apartment, she prevails upon him to remain in spite of the trumpet-call which summons him to duty.  An officer appears and orders him out.  He refuses to go, and when the officer attempts to use force Carmen summons the gypsies.  He is soon overpowered, and Don Jose escapes to the mountains.  The third act opens in the haunt of the smugglers, a wild, rocky, cavernous place.  Don Jose and Carmen, who is growing very indifferent to him, are there.  As the contrabandists finish their work and gradually leave the scene, Escamillo, who has been following Carmen, appears.  His presence and his declarations as well arouse the jealousy of Don Jose.  They rush at each other for mortal combat, but the smugglers separate them.  Escamillo bides his time, invites them to the approaching bullfight at Seville, and departs.  While Don Jose is upbraiding Carmen, the faithful Michaela, who has been guided to the spot, begs him to accompany her, as his mother is dying.  Duty prevails, and he follows her as Escamillo’s taunting song is heard dying away in the distance.  In the last act the drama hurries on to the tragic denouement.  It is a gala-day in Seville, for Escamillo is to fight.  Carmen is there in his company, though her gypsy friends have warned her Don Jose is searching for her.  Amid great pomp Escamillo enters the arena, and Carmen is about to follow, when Don Jose appears and stops her.  He appeals to her and tries to awaken the old love.  She will not listen, and at last in a fit of wild rage hurls the ring he had given her at his feet.  The shouts of the people in the arena announce another victory for Escamillo.  She cries out with joy.  Don Jose springs at her like a tiger, and stabs her just as Escamillo emerges from the contest.