AXEL the Smith
’Tis naught—­but Barbara
His—­his!

[Shaking his fist at the house of Jacobus.

PETER the Cobbler
[calling]
Jacobus!

[The others are stricken with disappointment.

HANS the Butcher
Wife,—­’t is none of ours.

AXEL the Smith
Let him snore on!—­The only man would rather
Sleep late than meet his only child again!

PETER the Cobbler
[deprecatingly]
No man may parley with the gifts of Fortune!
[Knocking on the door]
Jacobus!

[Enter, at the rear, with a straggling crowd, BARBARA and MICHAEL, both radiant and resolute.  She wears the long green cloak over her bridal array.

JACOBUS appears in his doorway, night-capped and fur-gowned, shrinking from the hostile crowd.  The people murmur.

CROWD
  ( Barbara!—­She that was bewitched!
  ( And who’s the man?  Is it the Piper?  No!
  ( No, no—­some stranger.  Barbara!  Barbara’s home;—­
  ( He never gave her up!—­Who is the man?

JACOBUS
My daughter!  ’Tis my daughter,—­found—­restored! 
Oh, heaven is with us!

ALL
[sullenly]
  Ah!

JACOBUS
  Child, where have you been?

ALL
Ay, where, Jacobus?
[He is dismayed.]

JACOBUS
  Who is this man?—­Come hither.

BARBARA
[without approaching him, lifting her face clearly]
Good-morning to you, father!  We are wed. 
Michael,—­shall I go hither?
[The townsfolk are amazed.]

JACOBUS
  She is mad! 
She is quite mad,—­my treasure.

PETER the Cobbler
  Let her speak. 
Maids sometimes marry, even in Hamelin.

ALL
  ( Ay, tell us!
  ( Who is he?  Barbara?
  ( Art thou mad?—­How came ye hither?

JACOBUS
Who is he?

BARBARA
  Michael.

PETER the Cobbler
  ’Tis the Sword-Eater! 
A friend o’ the Piper’s!—­Hearken—­

ALL
  She’s bewitched!

HANS’ WIFE
This is the girl was vowed to Holy Church,
For us and for our children that are lost!

BARBARA
Ay, and did any have a mind to me,
When I was lost?  Left dancing, and distraught?

ALL
We could not.  We were spell-bound.  Nay, we could not.

JACOBUS
[sagely, after the others]
We could not.

BARBARA
So!—­But there was one who could. 
There was one man.  And this is he.
[turning to Michael]
  And I,
I am no more your Barbara,—­I am his. 
And I will go with him, over the world. 
I come to say farewell.

JACOBUS
He hath bewitched her!

MICHAEL
Why did we ever come?  Poor darling one,
Thy too-much duty hath us in a trap!

AXEL the Smith
No, no!—­Fair play!

OTHERS
  Don’t let them go!  We have them.

PETER the Cobbler
Hold what ye have.  Be ’t children, rats or mice!