[They all break down.  The Shoemaker consoles them.

PETER the Cobbler
Bear up, sweet neighbors.—­We are all but dust. 
No mice, no children.—­Hem!  And now Jacobus,—­
His child, not even safe with Holy Church,
But lost and God knows where!

AXEL’S WIFE
Bewitched,—­bewitched!
[Hans and his wife, arm in arm, turn left, towards their house,
peering ahead.

HANS’ WIFE
Kind saints!  Me out and gone to early mass,
And all this mortal church-time, there’s a candle,
A candle burning in the casement there;—­
Thou wasteful man!

HANS the Butcher
[huskily]
Come, come!  Do not be chiding. 
Suppose they came and could not see their way. 
Suppose—­O wife!—­I thought they’d love the light! 
I thought—­

PETER the Cobbler
Ay, now!  And there’s another light
In Kurt the Syndic’s house.

[They turn and look up.  Other burghers join the group.  All walk lamely and look the picture of wretchedness.

AXEL’S WIFE
  His wife, poor thing,
The priest is with her.  Ay, for once, they say,
Kurt’s bark is broken.

OLD URSULA
  There will be nothing young
To follow us to the grave.

AXEL’S WIFE
  They tell, she seems
Sore stricken since the day that she was lost,
Lost, searching on the mountain.  Since that time,
She will be saying nought.  She stares and smiles.

HANS’ WIFE
And reaches out her arms,—­poor soul!

ALL
  Poor soul!

[Murmur in the distance.  They do not heed it.

AXEL the Smith
[To the Butcher]
That was no foolish thought of thine, yon candle. 
I do remember now as I look back,
They always loved the lights.  My Rudi there
Would aye be meddling with my tinder-box. 
And once I—­Oh!—­
[Choking]

AXEL’S WIFE
[soothingly]
Now, now! thou didst not hurt him! 
’T was I!  Oh, once—­I shut him in the dark!

AXEL the Smith
Come home . . . and light the candles.

PETER the Cobbler
  In the day-time!

AXEL’S WIFE
Oh, it is dark enough!

AXEL the Smith
Lord knows, who made
Both night and day, one of ’em needs to shine! 
But nothing does!—­Nothing is daylight now. 
Come, wife, we’ll light the candles.

[Exit with his wife.

PETER the Cobbler
  He’s a changed man.

PETER the Sacristan
God help us, what’s to do?
[Tumult approaching.  Shouts of ‘Jacobus’ and ‘Barbara.’ 
  Hark!

HANS’ WIFE
  Neighbors!

HANS the Butcher
Hark!  Hark!

[AXEL and his wife reenter hastily; AXEL rushes toward the noise.

AXEL’S WIFE
Oh, I hear something!  Can it be—­

PETER the Cobbler
  They’re shouting.

HANS the Butcher
My Iambs,—­my lambs!

[AXEL reenters, crestfallen]