Hardly have the echoes of a song sung by the Fiddler died away, when the King’s Son and the Goose-Girl re-appear, hungry and thirsting and worn out with wandering. They stop to rest and the King’s Son knocks at the door of the hut to beg food and shelter. The Woodcutter refuses to give them anything. To comfort her sweetheart, the Goose-Girl pretends she is none the worse for her long travels over hill and dale in the vain effort to discover the King’s Son’s old home. She sings and dances to him. But she soon grows faint and falls. To save his love from starving, the King’s Son then barters his royal crown, which he has found again, for the poisoned pasty. The outcasts eat it and soon after die, fancying themselves happy in a land of love and roses. With her last breath the Goose-Girl braves grim Death who threatens her and sighs “I love thee, dear!”
The Fiddler and the troop of little children then return, only to learn that they have found the outcasts but to lose them. They lay the youthful lovers on a bier and bear them away to bury them on a high hill. And as they go, they sing a last lament for the poor “Kingly Children.”
After the opera, Mr. Ludlow invited them to a supper at one of the cafes, but Aunt Betty demurred, as it was quite late, and so they were driven straight home.
“Alfy,” said Dorothy, when they had reached their rooms, “you are such a funny girl. You didn’t half pay attention to the opera at all. All I saw you doing was looking at the ladies in the boxes.”
“I was trying to remember the dress of the lady in that one box, the one that glistened all over with diamonds. I wanted to write and tell Ma Babcock just how to make it. It was so stylish, and had such a nice low neck and long train,” said Alfy.
“Alfy, are you sure you are not crazy?” laughed Dorothy. “Oh, oh! Just imagine Ma Babcock in a dress like that! Oh, dear! It’s so funny.”
“Why, Dorothy!” angrily added Alfy, “why couldn’t ma have a dress like that? And anyway, I couldn’t understand a word they were singing. I am going right to bed, I am, so there!”
“Alfy, dear, don’t you know that people only wear dresses like that to evening affairs, and, of course, you couldn’t understand, it was all in German. Here, kiss me good-night.” The girls kissed each other and were soon fast asleep.