[_Calling for help_.] Mine daughter! Mine Mamie! My Mamie!!
Marie.
Hear? Hear? _My mother_! They are taking her away--to prison! Sh! Be still! No, no; don"t open the door! Be quiet! Be quiet!
Gypsy.
[_Not as loud as before_.] Oh, mine daughter! My Mamie--my Mamie----!
[_Dying out_.]
George.
Will you not go out to her, no matter what she has done?
Marie.
How can I? How can I? I am afraid--afraid----
George.
Then shall I go?
Marie.
[_Frightened_.] No, no; don"t leave me!! Sh! Be quiet! So, quiet! Now they have gone! Thank heaven! [_Again wailing, but very distant_.]
Hear? Hear? Let her shriek! Let her call! I cannot help her! I am a thief, the same as she. I, too, have come to this house, and I have stolen. But oh, my G.o.d, what have I stolen? What have I stolen?
George.
Come, Marie, control yourself! Think of what we have before us!
Marie.
Yes, yes--I"ll be quiet! What have we before us? No, no; I will not--I cannot--I----
George.
Do you mean to----
Brauer.
[_In door_.] Did you hear anything, children? Any noise?
George.
We heard screams and a scuffle. What was the matter?
Brauer.
Oh, nothing of any consequence. Don"t mind it. An old vagabond of a woman, that"s all. I have only to sign the papers now, then I"ll be back. [_Exit_.]
George.
_Marie_!
Marie.
Hush, not a word, not a word! She out there must go her way, and I must go mine!
George.
What do you mean?
Marie.
You said it yourself. "Tis madness! Yes, yes; "tis madness!
_All_--_all_! What we do--what we desire--all--all!
George.
Marie!
Marie.
Or do you imagine for one moment we could be happy together? No, I know you too well. I know the certain result. You would never forgive yourself nor me, and in the end life would become a burden to me, if only because I was in your way. Yes, yes, that would be the end of it all----
George.
_Marie_, I will be faithful to you forever, let come what may, be it good or bad; you know that!
Marie.
Yes, thank G.o.d!--yes!
George.
If there was only the slightest possibility of a chance to escape from all this whirl--then we might be free, we might---- But no matter what we begin, we cannot shake off nor disregard our obligations to this house; never, as long as we live!
Marie.
Therefore, what more can you desire? Everything on earth we possess, all that was beautiful, all the love, all--all, we gave to each other.
There is nothing more to give, for either one of us. St. John"s night is past, the fires are out, are dead----
George.
And what shall become of us?
Marie.