RECIT.--HYACINTHIA. I am the Fai - ry of the Dell, And on it there’s a spell! A - lice! A - lice! You know a - bout it well. The words of your Go - ver - ness scorn - ing, And heed - less of her warn - ing, In - to my realms you’ve dared to stray, And the pe - nal - ty you must pay. ALICE. This is a dream, a ter - ri - ble dream, Ah! would that I could wake! HYACINTHIA. This is no dream, un - hap - py child! All hope you must for - sake! GOVERNESS (_to HYACINTHIA_). Oh! save her from the grief in store! Spare her, spare her, I im - plore! Spare her, spare her, I im - plore! HYACINTHIA (_to ALICE_) 1. Your Go - ver - ness was good and kind, And pa - tient as could be; But ah! how good and kind she was You nev - er seemed to see. You al - ways did your ve - ry best To vex her in each way, And e’en the slight - est wish of hers, At once you’d dis - o - bey. Such bit - ter pain as you have caus’d, Now, A - lice, you shall know, And com - ing ’neath my ma - gic power, No mer - cy may I show. HYACINTHIA (_to ALICE_) 2. Your dis - o - be - dience you will rue, Your pun - ish - ment is great; You’ll find it more than hard to bear, So lis - ten to your fate. From hence - forth it will be your task To try to teach this elf, Whom you will find as cru - el and As wil - ful as your - self. He’ll mock at you, and jeer at you, And vain - ly you’ll com - plain, And in this Dell as Go - ver - ness For ev - er you’ll re - main. {ALICE. } {GOVERNESS.} Spare {me, } I im - plore! {her,} Oh, spare {me, } I im - plore! {her,} HYACINTHIA. No! in this Dell as Go - ver - ness, {HYACINTHIA. } {GOVERNESS & ALICE.} {For ev - er you’ll re - main.} {Oh, spare {her,} I im - plore!} {me, } FLIB. (_coming forward_). Well, this _has_ been a treat. I haven’t enjoyed myself so much for ever so long. ALICE (_to HYACINTHIA_). Oh, spare me! HYA. Why should you be spared? Did you spare your poor, patient Governess? ALICE. Bitterly, most bitterly do I repent my conduct. Ah! let me go back, and I will make up to her for the past. HYA. It is too late. FLIB. (_to ALICE_). Cry-Baby! GOV. Shame on you, Flibbie! How unkind you are! ALICE. And am I to remain in this Dell for ever? HYA. For ever. ALICE. Shall I never again see my parents, nor my sisters and brother? HYA. Never! FLIB. Nor your pet rabbit, Cry-Baby. GOV. Flibbie, how heartless you are! And besides, how do you know that she has a pet rabbit? FLIB. She looks that sort of girl. HYA. (_to ALICE_). All that you hold dear is forfeited. ALICE. Spare me! Forgive me!