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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!
