Tormented with the anguish dread Of falsehood unatoned, I lay upon my sleepless bed, And tossed and turned and groaned. The man who finds his conscience ache No peace at all enjoys, And as I lay in bed awake I thought I heard a noise. _Pir._ He thought he heard a noise--ha! ha! _Pol._ He thought he heard a noise--ha! ha! (_Very loud._) _Gen._ No, all is still In dale, on hill; My mind is set at ease. So still the scene-- It must have been The sighing of the breeze. BALLAD.--GENERAL. Sighing softly to the river Comes the loving breeze, Setting nature all a-quiver, Rustling through the trees-- _All._ Through the trees. _Gen._ And the brook in rippling measure Laughs for very love, While the poplars, in their pleasure, Wave their arms above. (_Goes up stage and returns._) _Pol. and Pir._ Yes, the trees, for very love, Wave their leafy arms above, River, river, little river, May thy loving prosper ever. Heaven speed thee, poplar tree; May thy wooing happy be. _Gen._ Yet, the breeze is but a rover; When he wings away, Brook and poplar mourn a lover! Sighing well-a-day! _All._ Well-a-day! _Gen._ Ah, the doing and undoing That the rogue could tell! When the breeze is out a-wooing, Who can woo so well? _Pol. and Pir._ Shocking tales the rogue could tell, Nobody can woo so well. Pretty brook, thy dream is over, For thy love is but a rover Sad the lot of poplar trees Courted by the fickle breeze. _Enter the GENERAL’S daughters, all in white peignoirs and nightcaps, and carrying lighted candles._ _Girls._ Now, what is this, and what is that, and why does father leave his rest At such a time as this, so very incompletely dressed? Dear father is, and always was, the most methodical of men; It’s his invariable rule to go to bed at half-past ten. What strange occurrence can it be that calls dear father from his rest At such a time of night as this, so very incompletely dressed? _King_ (_springing up_). Forward, my men, and seize that General there! [_They seize the GENERAL._ _Pir._ Ha! ha! we are the pirates, so despair--