The Piper Part 19

That herd-bell?

VERONIKA Oh! are you man or cloud? . . . Where is my Jan?

Jan,--Jan,--the little lame one! He is mine.

He lives, I know he lives. I know--yes, yes, You've hidden him. I will be patient.--Yes.

PIPER Surely he lives!

VERONIKA --_Lives_! will you swear it? Ah,-- I will believe! But he . . . is not so strong As all the others.

PIPER [apart]

Aie, how horrible!

[To her]

Sit you down here. You cannot go away While you are yet so pale. Why are you thus?

[She looks at him distractedly.]

VERONIKA You, who have torn the hearts out of our bodies And left the city like a place of graves,-- Why am I spent?--Ah, ah!--But he's alive!

Yes, yes, he's living.

PIPER Oh, how horrible!

Why should he not be living?--What am I?

VERONIKA I do not know.

PIPER Do you take me for the Devil?

VERONIKA I do not know.

PIPER Yet you were not afraid?

VERONIKA What is there now to fear?

PIPER [watching her]

Where are the townsfolk?

VERONIKA They are all gone to Rudersheim. . .

PIPER [still watchful]

How so?

VERONIKA Where, for a penance, Barbara, Jacob's daughter, Will take the veil. His one, for all of ours!

It will be over now.

PIPER Have none returned?

VERONIKA I know not; I am searching, since the dawn.

PIPER To-day?

VERONIKA And every day.

PIPER That herd-bell, there Why do you bring it?

VERONIKA [sobbing]

Oh, he loves them so.

I knew, if he but heard it, he would follow--

PIPER No more. I know!

VERONIKA An if he could!

PIPER [like a wounded animal]

You hurt me Somewhere,--you hurt me!

VERONIKA You!--A man of air?

PIPER What, am I that?

VERONIKA What are you?--Give them back!

Give them to me, I say. You have them hidden.

Are they all living?

PIPER [struggling with pity]

Yes, yes.

VERONIKA Give them back!

PIPER No.

VERONIKA But they live, they live?

PIPER --Wilt thou believe me?

VERONIKA And are they safe?

PIPER Yes.

VERONIKA And you hide them?

PIPER Yes.

VERONIKA And are they . . . warm?

PIPER --Yes.

VERONIKA Are they happy?--Oh, That cannot be!--But do they laugh, sometimes?

PIPER Yes.

VERONIKA --Then you'll give them back again!