Surely Admetus suffers, even to-day, For this true-hearted love he hath cast away?

MAID.

He weeps; begs her not leave him desolate, And holds her to his heart--too late, too late!

She is sinking now, and there, beneath his eye Fading, the poor cold hand falls languidly, And faint is all her breath. Yet still she fain Would look once on the sunlight--once again And never more. I will go in and tell Thy presence. Few there be, will serve so well My master and stand by him to the end.

But thou hast been from olden days our friend.

[_The_ MAID _goes in_.]

CHORUS.

THIRD ELDER.

O Zeus, What escape and where From the evil thing?

How break the snare That is round our King?

SECOND ELDER.

Ah list!

One cometh?... No.

Let us no more wait; Make dark our raiment And shear this hair.

LEADER.

Aye, friends!

'Tis so, even so.

Yet the G.o.ds are great And may send allayment.

To prayer, to prayer!

ALL (_praying_).

O Paian wise!

Some healing of this home devise, devise!

Find, find.... Oh, long ago when we were blind Thine eyes saw mercy ... find some healing breath!

Again, O Paian, break the chains that bind; Stay the red hand of Death!

LEADER.

Alas!

What shame, what dread, Thou Pheres' son, Shalt be harvested When thy wife is gone!

SECOND ELDER.

Ah me; For a deed less drear Than this thou ruest Men have died for sorrow; Aye, hearts have bled.

THIRD ELDER.

'Tis she; Not as men say dear, But the dearest, truest, Shall lie ere morrow Before thee dead!

ALL.

But lo! Once more!

She and her husband moving to the door!

Cry, cry! And thou, O land of Pherae, hearken!

The bravest of women sinketh, perisheth, Under the green earth, down where the shadows darken, Down to the House of Death!

[_During the last words_ ADMETUS _and_ ALCESTIS _have entered_.

ALCESTIS _is supported by her Handmaids and followed by her two children._]

LEADER.

And who hath said that Love shall bring More joy to man than fear and strife?

I knew his perils from of old, I know them now, when I behold The bitter faring of my King, Whose love is taken, and his life Left evermore an empty thing.

ALCESTIS.

O Sun, O light of the day that falls!

O running cloud that races along the sky!

ADMETUS.

They look on thee and me, a stricken twain, Who have wrought no sin that G.o.d should have thee slain.

ALCESTIS.

Dear Earth, and House of sheltering walls, And wedded homes of the land where my fathers lie!

ADMETUS.

Fail not, my hapless one. Be strong, and pray The o'er-mastering G.o.ds to hate us not alway.

ALCESTIS (_faintly, her mind wandering_).

A boat two-oared, upon water; I see, I see.

And the Ferryman of the Dead, His hand that hangs on the pole, his voice that cries; "Thou lingerest; come. Come quickly, we wait for thee."

He is angry that I am slow; he shakes his head.

ADMETUS.

Alas, a bitter boat-faring for me, My bride ill-starred.--Oh, this is misery!

ALCESTIS (_as before_).

Drawing, drawing! 'Tis some one that draweth me ...

To the Palaces of the Dead.

So dark. The wings, the eyebrows and ah, the eyes!...

Go back! G.o.d's mercy! What seekest thou? Let me be!...

(_Recovering_) Where am I? Ah, and what paths are these I tread?

ADMETUS.

Grievous for all who love thee, but for me And my two babes most hard, most solitary.

ALCESTIS.

Hold me not; let me lie.-- I am too weak to stand; and Death is near, And a slow darkness stealing on my sight.

My little ones, good-bye.

Soon, soon, and mother will be no more here....

Good-bye, two happy children in the light.

ADMETUS.

Oh, word of pain, oh, sharper ache Than any death of mine had brought!

For the G.o.ds' sake, desert me not, For thine own desolate children's sake.

Nay, up! Be brave. For if they rend Thee from me, I can draw no breath; In thy hand are my life and death, Thine, my beloved and my friend!

ALCESTIS.

Admetus, seeing what way my fortunes lie, I fain would speak with thee before I die.

I have set thee before all things; yea, mine own Life beside thine was naught. For this alone I die.... Dear Lord, I never need have died.

I might have lived to wed some prince of pride, Dwell in a king's house.... Nay, how could I, torn From thee, live on, I and my babes forlorn?