VERONIKA
Whom do you think on?
PIPER
Why, the Lonely Man,—
But now I have the children safe with me;
And men shall never teach them what men know;—
Those radiant things that have no wish at all
Save for what is all-beautiful!—the Rainbow,
The running Water, and the Moon, the Moon!
The only things worth having!
VERONIKA
—Oh, you will not
Give him to me?
PIPER
How give you yours again,
And not the others? What a life for him!
[She hides her face]
And Kurt the Syndic, left without his sons?
Bah, do not dream of it! What would Kurt do?—
And hearken here! Should any hunt me down,
Take care. Who then could bring the children back?
VERONIKA Jan! Jan!
PIPER
He loves me. He is happy.
VERONIKA [passionately ] No! Without me?—No.
PIPER
He has not even once
Called you.
VERONIKA
[staggering]
Ah, ah! how cruel! 'Tis the spell,
The spell.
PIPER
[touching his heart]
—You hurt me, here. What makes it, Woman?—
Would you not have him happy?