love-song coos in the wood-winds:

[figure: a musical score excerpt]

She awaits him whom passion has made her slave in full confidence
of her hold upon him.

Samson, recherchant ma presence,
Ce soir doit venir en ces lieux.
Voici l'heure de la vengeance
Qui doit satisfaire nos dieux!

Amour! viens aider ma faiblesse!

The vengeance of her gods shall be glutted; it is to that end she
invokes the power of love to strengthen her weakness. A passion
like his will not down--that she knows. To her comes the High
Priest: Samson's strength, he says, is supernatural and flows from
a vow with which he was consecrated to effect the glory of Israel.
Once while he lay in her arms that strength had deserted him, but
now, it is said, he flouts her love and doubts his own passion.
There is no need to try to awaken

[figure: a musical score excerpt]

jealousy in the heart of Dalila; she hates Samson more bitterly
than the leader of his enemies. She is not mercenary, like the
Biblical woman; she scorns the promise of riches which the High
Priest offers so she obtain the secret of the Hebrew's strength.
Thrice had she essayed to learn that secret and thrice had he set