. Then, drawing the blankets about her, she
snuggles doom on the window seat.
SEELCHEN. [In a sleepy voice] They kissed me--both. [She sleeps]
The scene falls quite dark
SCENE II
The scene is slowly illumined as by dawn. SEELCHEN is still
lying on the window seat. She sits up, freeing her face and
hands from the blankets, changing the swathings of deep sleep
for the filmy coverings of a dream. The wall of the hut has
vanished; there is nothing between her and the three mountains
veiled in mist, save a through of darkness. There, as the peaks
of the mountains brighten, they are seen to have great faces.
SEELCHEN. Oh! They have faces!
The face of THE WINE HORN is the profile of a beardless youth.
The face of THE COW HORN is that of a mountain shepherd.
solemn, and broom, with fierce black eyes, and a black beard.
Between them THE GREAT HORN, whose hair is of snow, has a high.
beardless visage, as of carved bronze, like a male sphinx,
serene, without cruelty. Far down below the faces of the peaks.
above the trough of darkness, are peeping out the four little
heads of the flowers of EDELWEISS, and GENTIAN, MOUNTAIN
DANDELION, and ALPENROSE; on their heads are crowns made of
their several flowers, all powdered with dewdrops; and when THE
FLOWERS lift their child-faces little tinkling bells ring.
All around the peaks there is nothing but blue sky.
EDELWEISS. [In a tiny voice] Would you? Would you? Would you?
Ah! ha!
GENTIAN, M. DANDELION, ALPENROSE [With their bells ranging
enviously] Oo-oo-oo!
From behind the Cow HORN are heard the voices of COWBELLS
and MOUNTAIN AIR:
"Clinkel-clink! Clinkel-clink!"
"Mountain air! Mountain air!"
From behind THE WINE HORN rise the rival voices Of VIEW OF
ITALY, FLUME OF STEAM, and THINGS IN BOOKS:
"I am Italy! Italy!"
"See me--steam in the distance!"
"O remember the things in books!"
And all call out together, very softly, with THE FLOWERS
ringing their bells. Then far away like an echo comes a
sighing:
"Mountain air! Mountain air!"
And suddenly the Peak of THE COW HORN speaks in a voice as
of one unaccustomed.
THE COW HORN. Amongst kine and my black-brown sheep I Live; I am
silence, a
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