MICHAEL
She is so beautiful,—how dare, I tell her?
My heart, how beautiful! The blessed saint! . . .
Fear nothing, fairest Lady.—You are saved.
[She looks at him unseeingly, and continues to dance.—He holds
out his arms to stop her.
Pray you, the danger's gone. Pray you, take breath!
Poor, shining dove,—I would not hold thee here,
Against thy wish.—'Tis Michael, the sword-eater.
[The piping ceases.]
BARBARA
[murmuring]
Yes, yes—I must—I must—I must. . .
[Reenter the PIPER from the thickets.]
MICHAEL
Look, I will guard you like a princess, here;
Yes, like Our Lady's rose-vine.
BARBARA
[gasping]
Ah, my heart!
[The PIPER comes towards her. She sees him and holds out
her arms, crying:—
Oh, he has saved me!—I am thine—thine—thine!
[Falls into his arms half-fainting. The PIPER
stands amazed, alarmed, chagrined.
PIPER
Mine?
MICHAEL
[furiously]
Thine?—So was it? All a trap? Cock's blood!
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.
MICHAEL
All this, your work!
PIPER
[looking at her closely]
Not mine.
This is no charm. It is all youth and grief,
And weariness. And she shall follow you.—
Tell the good nuns you found her sore bewitched,
Here in this haunt of 'devils';—clean distraught.
No Church could so receive a dancing nun!
Tell them thou art an honest, piteous man
Desires to marry her.
MICHAEL
Marry the Moon!
PIPER
No, no, the Moon for me!—She shall be yours;
And here she sleeps, until her wits be sound.
[He spreads his cloak over her, gently]
The sun's still high. 'T is barely afternoon.—
[Looks at the sunshine. A thought strikes him with sudden dismay]
'T is—no, the time is going!—On my life,
I had forgot Them!—And They will not stay
After the Rainbow fades.
MICHAEL [confounded] Art thou moon-mad?
PIPER
[madly]
No. Stir not! Keep her safe! I come anon.
But first I go.—They'll not mind Cheat-the-Devil!
They'll creep, to find out where the Rainbow went.
I know them! So would I!—They'll all leak out!
MICHAEL
Stay—stay!
PIPER
No; guard her, you!—Anon, anon!
MICHAEL
But you will pipe her up and after you!
PIPER
[flinging him the pipe from his belt]
Do you fear this? Then keep it till I come.
You bide!—The Other cannot.
MICHAEL
Who?
PIPER
The Rainbow,
The Rainbow!—
[He runs madly up the hillside, and away.]
Curtain