HEDWIG (hurrying in).
Where art thou, Tell?
Our father comes, and in exulting bands
All the confederates approach.
DUKE JOHN (covering himself).
Woe's me!
I dare not tarry 'mid this happiness!
TELL.
Go, dearest wife, and give this man to eat.
Spare not your bounty. For his road is long,
And one where shelter will be hard to find.
Quick! they approach.
HEDWIG.
Who is he?
TELL.
Do not ask
And when he quits thee, turn thine eyes away
That they may not behold the road he takes.
[DUKE JOHN advances hastily towards TELL, but he beckons him aside and exit. When both have left the stage, the scene changes, and discloses in—
SCENE III.
The whole valley before TELL'S house, the heights which enclose it occupied by peasants, grouped into tableaux. Some are seen crossing a lofty bridge which crosses to the Sechen. WALTER FURST with the two boys. WERNER and STAUFFACHER come forward. Others throng after them. When TELL appears all receive him with loud cheers.
ALL.
Long live brave Tell, our shield, our liberator.
[While those in front are crowding round TELL and embracing him,
RUDENZ and BERTHA appear. The former salutes the peasantry, the
latter embraces HEDWIG. The music, from the mountains continues
to play. When it has stopped, BERTHA steps into the centre of
the crowd.