Ah, leave me not to pine Alone and desolate; No fate seemed fair as mine, No happiness so great! And Nature, day by day, Has sung in accents clear This joyous roundelay, "He loves thee— he is here. Fa-la, la-la, Fa-la, la-la. He loves thee— he is here. Fa-la, la-la, Fa-la." FREDERIC: Ah, must I leave thee here In endless night to dream, Where joy is dark and drear, And sorrow all supreme— Where nature, day by day, Will sing, in altered tone, This weary roundelay, "He loves thee— he is gone. Fa-la, la-la, Fa-la, la-la. He loves thee— he is gone. Fa-la, la-la, Fa-la." FREDERIC: In 1940 I of age shall be, I'll then return, and claim you—I declare it! MABEL: It seems so long! FREDERIC: Swear that, till then, you will be true to me. MABEL: Yes, I'll be strong! By all the Stanleys dead and gone, I swear it! ENSEMBLE Oh, here is love, and here is truth, And here is food for joyous laughter: He (she) will be faithful to his (her) sooth Till we are wed, and even after. Oh, here is love, etc. (FREDERIC rushes to window and leaps out) MABEL: (almost fainting) No, I am brave! Oh, family descent, How great thy charm, thy sway how excellent! Come one and all, undaunted men in blue, A crisis, now, affairs are coming to! (Enter POLICE, marching in single file) SERGEANT: Though in body and in mind POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara! SERGEANT: We are timidly inclined, POLICE: Tarantara! SERGEANT: And anything but blind POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara! SERGEANT: To the danger that's behind, POLICE: Tarantara! SERGEANT: Yet, when the danger's near, POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara! SERGEANT: We manage to appear POLICE: Tarantara! SERGEANT: As insensible to fear As anybody here, As anybody here. POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara!, etc.