the heart of the movement.  Expressively it slowly sinks away amid echoing phrases and yields to the duet of elegy and the first reel.  But a new spirit has appeared.  The sting of war-song is gone.  And here is the reel in slow reluctant pace.  After another verse of the fairy tune, the jig plays still slower, while above sings a new melody.  Still slower the jig has fallen almost to funeral pace, has grown to a new song of its own, though, to be sure, brief reminders of the first dance jingle softly here and there.  And now the (hushed) shadow of the war-song in quite slower gait strides in lowest basses and passes quietly straight into the Adagio.

[Music:  (Strings with lower reeds and horns) Adagio cantabile]

III.—­Assured peace is in the simple sincere melody, rising to a glow of passion.  But—­is this a jest of our poet?  Or rather now we see why there was no halt at the end of the Scherzo.  For the soothing melody is in the very notes of the impish reel,—­is the same tune.[A] Suddenly hushing, the song hangs on high over delicate minor harmonies.

[Footnote A:  There seems to be shown in this feat at once the versatility of music as well as the musician in expressing opposite moods by the same theme.  The author does not feel bound to trace all such analogies, as in the too close pursuit we may lose the forest in the jungle.]

In exquisite hues an intimate dialogue ensues, almost too personal for the epic vein, a discourse or madrigal of finest fibre that breaks (like rays of setting sun) into a melting cadence of regret.  We are doubly thrilled in harking back to the sweet, wistful romance, the strain of the first movement.

[Music:  (Harp, wood and strings)]

Across the gauzy play, horns and wood blow a slow phrase, like a motto of Fate in the sombre harmony, with one ardent burst of pleading.

In clearer articulation sings a dual song, still softly o’ercast with sweet sadness, ever richer in the harmonies of multiple strings, tipped with the light mood,—­and again the wistful cadence.  Siren figures of entrancing grace that move amid the other melody, bring enchantment that has no cheer, nor escape the insistent sighing phrase.  Once more come the ominous call and the passionate plea, then assurance with the returning main melody in renewed fervor.  Phases of dual melody end again with the wistful cadence.  The tranquil close is like one sustained fatal farewell, where the fairy figures but stress the sad burden.

IV.—­The beginning is in lowest depths (Largo).  First is the stalking figure of earliest movement, from the moment of despond.  It is answered by a steadily striding theme, almost martial, save for the

[Music:  Lento (Pizz. cellos with stacc. bassoons)]

slowness of pace.  Not unlike the hymn of the first prologue in line of tune, it bears a mood of dark resignation that breaks presently into the touching plea of the wistful cadence.