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Or you shall rue it.--Loose him! He's not mine.
[He sees BARBARA and MICHAEL for the first time and recoils with amazement. BARBARA steps towards him.
BARBARA Oh, let him go,--let be. His heart is clear, As water from the well!
[The PIPER gazes at her, open-mouthed.]
ALL ( She talks in her sleep!
( The maid's bewitched!
( Now, will ye hear?
AXEL'S WIFE He piped and made thee dance!
PETER the Cobbler 'T was he bewitched us!
BARBARA [serenely]
Whatever was,--it was for love of me.
PIPER [thunderstruck]
So!
BARBARA He piped;--and all ye danced and fled away!
He piped;--and brought me back my wandering wits, And gave me safe unto my Love again,-- My Love I had forgotten. . . .
PIPER So!
MICHAEL [with conviction]
Truly said.
BARBARA [proudly]
Michael.
JACOBUS Who is he, pray?
BARBARA My own true love.
PETER the Cobbler Now, is that all his name?
BARBARA It is enough.
JACOBUS --She's mad. Shall these things be?
ALL ( The Children! The Children!
( Where are the Children?
( Piper! Pi-per! Piper!
PIPER [sternly]
Quiet you. And hear me.
I came to bring good tidings. In good faith, Of mine own will, I came.--And like a thief You haled me hither.-- [They hang upon his words]
. . . Your children--live.
ALL ( Thank G.o.d! I knew, I knew!
( We could not think them lost.
( Bewitched! Oh, but they live!-- ( Piper!--O Piper!
PETER the Cobbler They're spell-bound,--mark me!
PIPER Ay, they are,--spell-bound: Fast bound by all the hardness of your hearts; _Caged,--in the iron of your money-l.u.s.t_--
ALL ( No, no, not all! Not I! Not mine, not mine!
( No, no,--it is not true.
PIPER Your blasphemies,--your cunning and your Fear.
ALL ( No, no!--What can we do?
( News, Piper, news!
( Where are your ridings, Piper?
PIPER Now hear me. You did make Jacobus swear To give his child.--What recks it, how he lose her?-- Either to Holy Church--_against her will_!-- Or to this man,--so that he give her up!
He swore to you. And she hath pledged her faith.
She is fast wed.--Jacobus shall not have her.
He breaks all bargains; and for such as he, You suffer.--Will you bear it?
ALL No, no, no!
PIPER Then she who was "Proud Barbara" doth wed Michael-the-Sword-Eater.--The pledge shall stand.
Shall it?
ALL ( It stands.
( Ay, ay!
PIPER Your word!
ALL ( We swear. We answer for him.
( So much for Jacobus!
AXEL the Smith An' if yon fellow like an honest trade, I'll take him!--I'll make swords!
[Cheers. Michael is happy.]
ALL Quick, quick!--Our children.--Piper!--Tell us all!
PIPER 'T is well begun.--Now have I come to say: There is one child I may bring back to you,-- The first.
ALL [in an uproar]
( Mine--mine! Let it be mine!
( Ours'--All of them! Now!
( _Mine--mine--mine!--mine_!
PIPER [unmoved]
--Oh, Hamelin to the end!
