The Piper - LightNovelsOnl.com
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JACOBUS appears in his doorway, night-capped and fur-gowned, shrinking from the hostile crowd. The people murmur.
CROWD ( Barbara!--She that was bewitched!
( And who's the man? Is it the Piper? No!
( No, no--some stranger. Barbara! Barbara's home;-- ( He never gave her up!--Who is the man?
JACOBUS My daughter! 'Tis my daughter,--found--restored!
Oh, heaven is with us!
ALL [sullenly]
Ah!
JACOBUS Child, where have you been?
ALL Ay, where, Jacobus?
[He is dismayed.]
JACOBUS Who is this man?--Come hither.
BARBARA [without approaching him, lifting her face clearly]
Good-morning to you, father! We are wed.
Michael,--shall I go hither?
[The townsfolk are amazed.]
JACOBUS She is mad!
She is quite mad,--my treasure.
PETER the Cobbler Let her speak.
Maids sometimes marry, even in Hamelin.
ALL ( Ay, tell us!
( Who is he? Barbara?
( Art thou mad?--How came ye hither?
JACOBUS Who is he?
BARBARA Michael.
PETER the Cobbler 'Tis the Sword-Eater!
A friend o' the Piper's!--Hearken--
ALL She's bewitched!
HANS' WIFE This is the girl was vowed to Holy Church, For us and for our children that are lost!
BARBARA Ay, and did any have a mind to me, When I was lost? Left dancing, and distraught?
ALL We could not. We were spell-bound. Nay, we could not.
JACOBUS [sagely, after the others]
We could not.
BARBARA So!--But there was one who could.
There was one man. And this is he.
[turning to Michael]
And I, I am no more your Barbara,--I am his.
And I will go with him, over the world.
I come to say farewell.
JACOBUS He hath bewitched her!
MICHAEL Why did we ever come? Poor darling one, Thy too-much duty hath us in a trap!
AXEL the Smith No, no!--Fair play!
OTHERS Don't let them go! We have them.
PETER the Cobbler Hold what ye have. Be 't children, rats or mice!
[Hubbub without, and shouts. Some of the burghers hasten out after this fresh excitement. JACOBUS is cowed. BARBARA and MICHAEL are startled. The shouts turn savage. The uproar grows. Shouts of 'Ay, there be is! We have him! We have him! Help--help! Hold fast! Ah! Piper! Piper! Piper!'
How now? What all!--
[The crowd parts to admit the PIPER, haled hither with shouts and pelting, by MARTIN the Watch and other men, all breathless. His eyes burn.
MICHAEL [apart]
Save us!--They have him.
MARTIN [gaspingly]
Help!
Mark ye--I caught him!--Help,--and hold him fast!
PIPER I came here,--frog!
MARTIN Ay, he were coming on; And after him a squirrel, hopping close!
SECOND MAN As no man ever saw a squirrel hop-- Near any man from Hamelin! And I looked--
MARTIN And it was he; and all we rush upon him-- And take him!
PIPER Loose thy claws, I tell thee I--
ALL ( 'Ware!
( Mercy!
( Let him go!
VOICE FROM CROWD I have the squirrel!
PIPER [savagely]
Let the squirrel go!
