premier tableau – a room in the saracini palace. cordelia has concealed orso in the burnt palace. giugurta, beaten, must flee the town. he wants to leave the palace by the gardens but to do that must pass through the room where orso is hiding, convalescent. cordelia puts him off with such insistence that uberta becomes suspicious. a horrific explanation finally reveals the truth to uberta, but cordelia asks for mercy in the name of andreino who would have condemned this bloody sacrifice. cordelia and orso find themselves alone. two images alternate in the mind of orso : the woman who stabbed him and the woman who saved him. the two make one victim of him; his repentance bursts forth and to restore her honour he asks to marry her. cordelia replies that he is also guilty to his country riven by war. orso promises her : « you will see me again when i have triumphed over discord and vanquished hatred! » he leaves the palace and it is announced that giugurta has been arrested by the guelphs, masters of the city.