tter me
to this satellite of shame, who revels in evil and gluts
himself on destruction?

MEPH. Hast thou done?

FAUST. Save her, or woe to thee! The most terrible curse on
thee for thousands of years!

MEPH. I cannot loose the bonds of the avenger--cannot undo
his bolts. _Save her!_... Who was it that ruined her ... I
or thou?

[_FAUST glares wildly round him._

MEPH. Wilt thou grasp after a thunderbolt? 'Tis well that it
was not given to you miserable mortals!...

FAUST. Take me to her! She _shall_ be free!... Take me to
her, I say, and liberate her!

MEPH. I will take thee to her--and do what I _can_ do.
Listen! Have I all power in heaven and on earth?--I will
becloud the jailer's senses. Then do thou get possession of
the keys, and lead her forth with human hand. I will keep
watch.--The magic steeds will be at hand ... I will carry
you off. So much lies in my power.

* * * * *

_Night. The open country. FAUST and MEPHISTOPHELES
galloping past on black horses. They pass a group of
witches busy round their cauldron. They reach the prison.
Within is heard the voice of GRETCHEN singing an old
plaintive ballad. FAUST listens:_

'She dreams not' (he says) 'that her loved one is
listening, and hears her chains rattle and the straw as it
rustles.'

[_He unlocks the prison door and steps in._

GRETCHEN (_crouching into her bed of straw_). Woe, woe--they
are coming! Bitter death!

FAUST. Hush! hush! I am come to free thee.

GRETCHEN (_grovelling before him_). If thou art a man, O
pity my distress!

FAUST. Thou wilt awaken the watchmen with thy cries. [_He
seizes her chain to unlock it._

GRETCHEN (_kneeling_). Who has given you, heads-man, this
power over me? You have come for me already at midnight.
Pity me, and let me live! Is to-morrow morning not soon
enough? And I am still so young--and I must die! Fair was I
too, and that was my ruin. Pity me! What harm have I ever
done to thee! I never saw thee before in all my life.

FAUST. Can I endure this misery?

GRETCHEN. I am wholly in your power. But let me first suckle
my child. I held it in my bosom all the night. They took it
from me, to vex me, and _now_ they say I've killed it....
And I shall never be happy a