Scene III.—A Garden on the Arno. Helena solus.
Helena.
How silv'ry bright the Arno flows, how calm
Its tranquil breast: the gentle waters steal
Through the fresh sedges noiselessly; nor till
The bubbling spring that bursts from yonder cliff,
Bounds over rock and stone, in haste to blend
Its tributary streams, does the sweet sound,
The gurgling music of the rippling wave,
Break on the listening ear. The ruddy beam
Of the bright west hath made the waters blush,
As though they glided o'er a ruby bed,
And where the willow dips its graceful boughs,
Seems a rich mine of emerald. Beneath
The bow'ring trees that skirt the velvet lawn
Gambols a sportive kid, and turtle doves
Plume their bright wings, and murmur notes of love.
Where is Giovanni? I must prattle on
Without his kind response; 'tis past the hour
In which he should return: his eager steps
