Act 2, Part 1 Summary

This entire act consists of a single scene, and takes place in the same apartment as Act 1, Scene 2. The music of Garth's violin is heard offstage, as Esdras talks at length about the philosophy of life he learned from studying the Talmud. When he's done, Miriamne apologizes, saying she hadn't really been listening. Esdras asks whether she knows his name. When Miriamne asks what he means, he says that when people are young and listening for a footstep, that footstep should have a name. We understand from this that Miriamne is waiting for Mio.

Garth comes in. Conversation between him and Esdras refers to someone sleeping in the other room, whom we understand to be Gaunt. They agree to say nothing about him to anyone. Miriamne voices her concerns for Garth, saying there's no place safer in the city for him...