Michael
Yes.—­For to-day, I lord it with the fire. 
But it hath burned me, here.
[Touching his breast.]
[Overcome for the moment, she draws away.—­
The piper, coming down, speaks stealthily to Michael,
who is still gazing.

Piper
  For all our sakes! 
There is bad weather breeding.—­Take to thy heels.

[Barbara turns back to see Michael withdrawing reluctantly, and throws a rose to him with sudden gayety.

Barbara
Farewell to you, Sword-Swallower!—­farewell!

Michael
[looking back]
Farewell to you, my Lady, in-the-Moon.
  [Exit.
[Jan clings once more to the piper, while the other children
hang about.  Veronika calls to her boy, from the steps.

Veronika
Darling.—­

Piper
[drawing nearer]
  Is this your Boy?

Veronika
  Ay, he is mine;
My only one.  He loved thy piping so.

Piper
And I loved his.

Hans’ wife
[stridently]
  Poor little boy!  He’s lame!

Piper
’T is all of us are lame!  But he, he flies.

Veronika
Jan, stay here if you will, and hear the pipe,
At Church-time.

Piper
[to him]
  Wilt thou?

Jan
[softly]
  Mother lets me stay
Here with the Lonely Man.

Piper
  The Lonely Man?
[Jan points to the Christ in the Shrine.  Veronika crosses herself. 
The piper looks long at the little boy.

Veronika
He always calls Him so.

Piper
  And so would I.

Veronika
It grieves him that the Head is always bowed,
And stricken.  But he loves more to be here
Than yonder in the church.

Piper
  And so do I.

Veronika
What would you, darling, with the Lonely Man? 
What do you wait to see?

Jan
[shyly]
  To see Him smile.

[The women murmur.  The piper comes down further to speak to Veronika.

Piper
You are some foreign woman.  Are you not? 
Never from Hamelin!

Veronika
  No.

AXEL’S wife
[to her child]
  Then run along. 
And ask the Piper if he’ll play again
The tune that charmed the rats.

Another
  They might come back!

Old Ursula
[calling from her window]
Piper!  I want the tune that charmed the rats! 
If they come back, I’ll have my grandson play it.

Piper
I pipe but for the children.

Ilse
[dropping her doll and picking it up]
  Oh, do pipe
Something for Fridolin!

Hansel
  Oh, pipe at me! 
Now I’m a mouse!  I’ll eat you up!  Rr—­rr!—­