The Piper - LightNovelsOnl.com
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Thine, thine!--And thou hast piped her wits away.
Thine!
PIPER [holding her off]
No, not mine!
BARBARA [to him]
Why did you steal me hence?
When did you love me?--Was it on first sight?
PIPER [confounded]
I, love thee?
MICHAEL --Knave! thief! liar!
PIPER --Give me breath.
[Holds off BARBARA gently.]
BARBARA Where are you taking me?
PIPER I? Taking thee?
MICHAEL [to her]
He shall not steal thee!
BARBARA [in a daze]
I must follow him.
PIPER No! 'T is too much. You shall not follow me!
I'll not be followed.--Damsel, sit you down.
Here is too much! I love you not.
BARBARA [wonderingly]
You do not?
Why did you pipe to me?
MICHAEL --And steal her wits, Stealer of all the children!
BARBARA [vaguely]
Are they safe?
PIPER [to MICHAEL]
Oh, your good faith!-- [To her]
They're safe.
BARBARA I knew--I knew it!
PIPER And so art thou. But never shall they go To Hamelin more; and never shale thou go To be a nun.
BARBARA To be a nun,--no, no! Ah me, I'm spent.
Sir, take me with you.
MICHAEL [still enraged to the PIPES]
Rid her of the spell!
Is this thy pledge?
PIPER [distracted]
I do but rub my wits-- To think--to think.
[To himself]
What shall I do with her, Now that she's here!--Suppose her bound to stay!
[To them]
Hearken.--You, Michael, on to Rudersheim--
MICHAEL And leave her here? No, no!
PIPER Then take the girl.
BARBARA To Rudersheim? No, never, never!
PIPER Well . . .
Hearken.--There is the hermit, over the hill.
[Apart, wildly]
But how--suppose she will not marry him?
I will not take her where the children are.
And yet-- [An idea strikes him. To her]
Hark, now;--hark, now, and tell me truly; Can you spin cloth?
BARBARA [amazed]
I? Spin?
PIPER [eagerly]
Can you make shoes?
BARBARA I--_I_ make shoes!--Fellow!
PIPER So.
MICHAEL Art thou mad!
PIPER With me you may not go! But you'll be safe.
Hearken:--you, Michael, go to Rudersheim; And tell the nuns--
BARBARA No, no! I dare not have it!
Oh, they would send and take me! No, no, no!
PIPER Would you go back to Hamelin?
BARBARA No--no--no!
Ah, I am spent.
[Droops towards the PIPER; falters and sinks down on the bank beside the well, in a swoon.--The PIPER is abashed and rueful for the moment.
