EGIL Sister!—Emancipated! Mine at last Freedom and innocence! The occult beast That crouched beside the sweet wells of my spirit Is exorcised at last.—To-morrow dawn I shall go forth and taste the wild, spring air, And gather the hamlet children in the woods To pluck arbutus for her wedding-day, Her wedding-day—and his. I have renounced her. Emancipated—but I have renounced her Even for that, for freedom. What were freedom Without—his! his! forever his own! And I Am happy, rapt, triumphant? His! What power Hath wrought in me this ignominy? [Lifting the harp.] Thou! Wast thou, imperious instrument! Wast thou, Delirious god! [Fiercely he plucks out several strings.] Thou hast decoyed me! [Pausing.] Still, There’s Yorul; Yorul’s true. [Wrenching with both hands the harp’s frame, he breaks it in halves, and exultant, raises them above his head, with a great breath.] Emancipated!
ACT III
Scene: A forest glade
On the left, a green bank and a pool, back of which is a thicket; on the right, a vista, beneath boughs, of a distant volcano, rising through the wet light of dawn.
EGIL’S VOICE [Outside.] Help—O! help—O!
SHRILL VOICES [Outside.] A troll! a troll! a troll!
[Enter, right, Egil, running. He is completely surrounded and swarmed over by little children in bright spring garb. One little girl has climbed upon his shoulder, where she clings.]