She shouts after him a threat of Easter vengeance and fate sends the agent to her in the very moment.

Alfio comes and Santuzza tells him that Turiddu has cuckolded him and Lola has robbed her of her lover:-- Turiddu mi tolse, mi tolse l'onore, E vostra moglie lui rapiva a me! [figure: musical example setting the above words] The oncoming waves of the drama's pathos have risen to a supreme height, their crests have broken, and the wind-blown spume drenches the soul of the listeners; but the composer has not departed from the first principle of the master of whom, for a time, it was hoped he might be the legitimate successor.

Melody remains the life-blood of his music as it is that of Verdi's from his first work to his last;--as it will be so long as music endures.
Terrible is the outbreak of Alfio's rage:-- Infami lero, ad esse non perdono, Vendetta avro pria che tra monti il di.
[figure: musical example setting the above words] Upon this storm succeeds the calm of the intermezzo--in its day the best abused and most hackneyed piece of music that the world knew; yet a triumph of simple, straightforward tune.

It echoes the Easter hymn, and in the midst of the tumult of earthly passion proclaims celestial peace.

Its instrumentation was doubtless borrowed from Hellmesberger's arrangement of the air "Ombra mai fu" from "Serse," known the world over as Handel's "Largo"-- violins in unison, harp arpeggios, and organ harmonies.