Or you shall rue it.--Loose him! He's not mine.

[He sees BARBARA and MICHAEL for the first time and recoils with amazement. BARBARA steps towards him.

BARBARA Oh, let him go,--let be. His heart is clear, As water from the well!

[The PIPER gazes at her, open-mouthed.]

ALL ( She talks in her sleep!

( The maid's bewitched!

( Now, will ye hear?

AXEL'S WIFE He piped and made thee dance!

PETER the Cobbler 'T was he bewitched us!

BARBARA [serenely]

Whatever was,--it was for love of me.

PIPER [thunderstruck]

So!

BARBARA He piped;--and all ye danced and fled away!

He piped;--and brought me back my wandering wits, And gave me safe unto my Love again,-- My Love I had forgotten. . . .

PIPER So!

MICHAEL [with conviction]

Truly said.

BARBARA [proudly]

Michael.

JACOBUS Who is he, pray?

BARBARA My own true love.

PETER the Cobbler Now, is that all his name?

BARBARA It is enough.

JACOBUS --She's mad. Shall these things be?

ALL ( The Children! The Children!

( Where are the Children?

( Piper! Pi-per! Piper!

PIPER [sternly]

Quiet you. And hear me.

I came to bring good tidings. In good faith, Of mine own will, I came.--And like a thief You haled me hither.-- [They hang upon his words]

. . . Your children--live.

ALL ( Thank G.o.d! I knew, I knew!

( We could not think them lost.

( Bewitched! Oh, but they live!-- ( Piper!--O Piper!

PETER the Cobbler They're spell-bound,--mark me!

PIPER Ay, they are,--spell-bound: Fast bound by all the hardness of your hearts; _Caged,--in the iron of your money-l.u.s.t_--

ALL ( No, no, not all! Not I! Not mine, not mine!

( No, no,--it is not true.

PIPER Your blasphemies,--your cunning and your Fear.

ALL ( No, no!--What can we do?

( News, Piper, news!

( Where are your ridings, Piper?

PIPER Now hear me. You did make Jacobus swear To give his child.--What recks it, how he lose her?-- Either to Holy Church--_against her will_!-- Or to this man,--so that he give her up!

He swore to you. And she hath pledged her faith.

She is fast wed.--Jacobus shall not have her.

He breaks all bargains; and for such as he, You suffer.--Will you bear it?

ALL No, no, no!

PIPER Then she who was "Proud Barbara" doth wed Michael-the-Sword-Eater.--The pledge shall stand.

Shall it?

ALL ( It stands.

( Ay, ay!

PIPER Your word!

ALL ( We swear. We answer for him.

( So much for Jacobus!

AXEL the Smith An' if yon fellow like an honest trade, I'll take him!--I'll make swords!

[Cheers. Michael is happy.]

ALL Quick, quick!--Our children.--Piper!--Tell us all!

PIPER 'T is well begun.--Now have I come to say: There is one child I may bring back to you,-- The first.

ALL [in an uproar]

( Mine--mine! Let it be mine!

( Ours'--All of them! Now!

( _Mine--mine--mine!--mine_!

PIPER [unmoved]

--Oh, Hamelin to the end!