There, in the living flesh, she beheld the face that had fascinated all her maiden days; and, spellbound with astonishment, she turned to embrace her father, as in a trance, saying: "My father, say, who is this stranger?"
Then Daland explained how he had met with the strange captain and taken pity on his loneliness; and he eagerly added:
"Wilt thou, my child, accord our guest a friendly welcome?
And wilt thou also let him share thy kindly heart?
Give him thy hand, for bridegroom it is thine to call him!
If thou but give consent, to-morrow his thou art.
Look on these gems; look on the bracelets!
To what he owns, trifles are these!
Dost thou, my child, not long to have them?
And all art thine, when thou art his!"
As he spoke, Daland, with the gleam of avarice in his eyes, spread out on a table the jewels and gold the Flying Dutchman had already given him from big treasure-laden ship; but seeing that Senta did not even glance at them, he thought it wiser to retire, and leave the stranger to plead his own cause.
When he had gone, the Flying Dutchman, with trembling hope, seized the hands of Senta and implored her to share his lonely fate, declaring that he had seen her in visions long ago, and believed her to be the one who should save him from his woes, and bring him peace and rest at last; and Senta, with rapture, consented to be his bride, telling him that she had also seen him in her dreams, and had longed to release him from his sorrows.
When the Flying Dutchman thus knew that Senta was acquainted with his sad story and willing to break the evil spell that had been cast upon him, he was transported with joy; and yet he nobly begged her to think of the sacrifice she was about to make by sharing his lot. To which the fair maiden replied heroically:
"Him whom I choose, him I love only,
And loving, e'en till death!
Here is my hand! I will not rue!
But e'en to death will I be true!"
At this moment Daland returned, and, full of joy at seeing that Senta was willing to accept the stranger he had chosen for her husband, he gladly joined their hands.
He then invited them to return with him to the shore; for it was always his custom, at the end of a voyage, to give a feast to the crew on board his ship.