]
JACOBUS
She is mad!
She is quite mad,--my treasure.
PETER the Cobbler
Let her speak.
Maids sometimes marry, even in Hamelin.
ALL
( Ay, tell us!
( Who is he? Barbara?
( Art thou mad?--How came ye hither?
JACOBUS
Who is he?
BARBARA
Michael.
PETER the Cobbler
'Tis the Sword-Eater!
A friend o' the Piper's!--Hearken--
ALL
She's bewitched!
HANS' WIFE
This is the girl was vowed to Holy Church,
For us and for our children that are lost!
BARBARA
Ay, and did any have a mind to me,
When I was lost? Left dancing, and distraught?
ALL
We could not. We were spell-bound. Nay, we could not.
JACOBUS
[sagely, after the others]
We could not.
BARBARA
So!--But there was one who could.
There was one man. And this is he.
[turning to Michael]
And I,
I am no more your Barbara,--I am his.
And I will go with him, over the world.
I come to say farewell.
JACOBUS
He hath bewitched her!
MICHAEL
Why did we ever come? Poor darling one,
Thy too-much duty hath us in a trap!
AXEL the Smith
No, no!--Fair play!
OTHERS
Don't let them go! We have them.
PETER the Cobbler
Hold what ye have. Be 't children, rats or mice!
[Hubbub without, and shouts. Some of the burghers hasten out after
this fresh excitement. JACOBUS is cowed. BARBARA and MICHAEL are
startled. The shouts turn savage.
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