Telramund, overjoyed at the prospect of wiping out his disgrace, acquiesces eagerly, and as Elsa just then appears at her window and softly apostrophises the evening breeze, Ortrud creeps out of the shadow and timidly addresses her, simulating a distress she is far from feeling.

Moved by compassion at the sight of the haughty woman thus laid low, and touched by the pretended repentance she shows, Elsa, whom happiness has made even more tender than usual, eagerly hastens down with two of her attendants, and, opening the door, bids her come in, promising to intercede in her behalf on the morrow.  During the subsequent brief conversation Ortrud artfully manages to make Elsa vaguely uneasy, and to sow in her innocent mind the first seeds of suspicion.

Frederick of Telramund, in the mean while, has watched his wife disappear with Elsa, and, hiding in a niche of the old church, he sees the gradual approach of day, and hears the herald proclaiming through the streets the Emperor’s ban upon him:—­

   ’Our king’s august decree through all the lands
    I here make known,—­mark well what he commands: 
    Beneath a ban he lays Count Telramund
    For tempting Heaven with traitorous intent. 
    Whoe’er shall harbour or companion him
    By right shall share his doom with life and limb.’

The unhappy man also hears the herald announce Elsa’s coming marriage with the heaven-sent Swan Knight, and grimly tells the bystanders he will soon unmask the traitor.  A few minutes later, when he has returned to his hiding place, he sees Elsa appear in bridal array, followed by her women, and by Ortrud, who is very richly clad.  But at the church door Ortrud insolently presses in front of Elsa, claiming the right of precedence as her due, and taunting her for marrying a man who has won her by magic arts only, and whose name and origin she does not even know.

This altercation is interrupted by the appearance of the king and his attendants, among whom is the Swan Knight.  He hastens to Elsa’s side, while the monarch imperiously demands the cause of strife.  Lohengrin tenderly questions Elsa, who tells him all.  As Ortrud’s venomous insinuations have had no apparent effect upon her, he is about to lead her into the church, when Telramund suddenly steps forward, loudly declaring that the Swan Knight overcame him by sorcery, and imploring Elsa not to believe a word he says.

These accusations are, however, dismissed by the king and his men, since Elsa passionately refuses to credit them, and the wedding procession sweeps into the church, followed by the vindictive glances of Telramund and Ortrud,—­glances which the trembling Elsa alone seems to perceive.

The third act takes place on that selfsame evening.  The festivities are nearly ended, and through opposite doors the wedding procession enters the nuptial chamber to the accompaniment of the well known Bridal Chorus.  The attendants soon depart, however, leaving Elsa and Lohengrin to join in a duet of happy married love.  Now that they are alone together for the first time, Elsa softly begins chiding her lover for not showing more confidence in her, and revealing who he is.  In spite of his tender attempts to turn aside the conversation into a less dangerous channel, she gradually becomes more importunate:—­