_). Here's to thy health, old enemy! Thou hast long
driven us on to unpaid work, and awaked us early to unheeded pain! Ha!
ha! When thou risest upon us to-morrow, thou wilt find us with fish and
flesh: now off to the devil, empty glass!

THE BAPTIZED. The bands of peasants are coming this way.

THE MAN. You shall not leave me. Place yourself behind this tree trunk,
and be silent!

CHORUS OF PEASANTS. Forward, forward, under the white tents to meet our
brethren! Forward, forward, under the green shade of the beeches, to
rest, to sleep, to pleasant sunset greetings!

Our maidens there await us; there await us our slaughtered oxen, the
old teams of our ploughs!

A VOICE. I am pulling and dragging him on with all my strength--now he
turns and defends himself--down! down among the dead!

VOICE OF THE DYING NOBLE. My children, pity! pity!

SECOND VOICE. Chain me to your land and make me work without pay
again--will you!

THIRD VOICE. My only son fell under the blows of your lash, old lord;
either wake him from the dead, or die to join him!

FOURTH VOICE. The children of Ham drink thy health, old lord! they beg
thee for forgiveness, lord!

CHORUS OF PEASANTS (_passing on out of sight_). A vampire sucked our
blood, and lived upon our strength:

We have caught the vampire, he shall escape no more!

By Satan, thou shalt hang as high as a great lord should!

By Satan, thou shalt die high, high above us all!

Death to the nobles; tyrants were they all!

Drink, food, and rest for us; poor, weary, hungry, thirsty, naked!

Your bodies shall lie like sheaves upon our fields; the ruins of your
castles fly like chaff beneath the flail of the thresher!

VOICE. The children of Ham will dance merrily round their bonfires!

THE MAN. I cannot see the face of the murdered noble, they throng so
thickly round him.

THE BAPTIZED. It is in all probability a friend or relation of your
excellency!

THE MAN. I despise him, and hate you!

Poetry will sweeten all this horror hereafter. Forward, Jew, forward!

They disappear among the trees.

* * * * *

Another part of the forest. A mound upon which watchfires are
burning. A procession of people bearing torches.

THE MAN (_appearing among them with the Baptized_). These drooping
branches have torn my liberty cap into tatters.

Ha! what hell of flame is this throwing its crimson light into the
gloom, and leaping through these