[_She bows her head upon her knees. The hum of the street deepens to a continuous and sinister sound. In the distance a roll of drums._ YVETTE _raises her head_. I sit by this fountain, he’ll not return! He cares not for me,—he’s the Sieur de Morbec, And I a herd girl wandering through his fields! Mother, my mother, did you sit and wait, By the wild sea rim on a glowing eve, Mid the brown seaweed on the shining sands? Your heart did it beat, and your senses swim?— But your lover, the fisher, he came, he came! [_The voice of the street deepens._ I will not have this pain! I’ll tear it out! [_Her hand touches the purple mark on her throat._ Ha! how burns this hateful mark to-day! [_There comes from the church towers of Nantes a sudden and violent crash of bells._ SISTER FIDELIS (_rising_) The tocsin! THE YOUNG GIRLS (_They flutter forward to the fountain_) The tocsin! Oh, the tocsin! Like a hive of bees hums the street without! YVETTE Oh, all ye iron bells! ring on! ring on! _Enter_ MLLE. DE CHÂTEAU-GUI _and_ SISTER BENEDICTA. THE YOUNG GIRLS Here is Mademoiselle de Château-Gui! She’ll tell us why the bells are ringing! MLLE. DE CHÂTEAU-GUI O Ciel! Would you believe it? O blessed saints above! The country is in danger! A YOUNG GIRL Oh! we thought You brought us news! MLLE. DE CHÂTEAU-GUI (_joyously_) Do you not hear the bells? Oh, such a day outside! It is proclaimed! _La patrie est en danger!_ [_Distant trumpets._ Well you may wail, You brazen trumpets of the Revolution! The Duke of Brunswick he is marching now, And with him all our nobles back from Coblentz! O bliss! _La patrie est en danger!_ SISTER FIDELIS Oh, hush! The very walls have ears! MLLE. DE CHÂTEAU-GUI My father says The King shall have his own again, and all Will go as merry as a wedding bell! _La patrie est en danger!_ _Enter_ COUNT LOUIS, MELIPARS DE L’ORIENT, _and the_ ABBÉ DE BARBASAN. Oh, here are My father and Monsieur de L’Orient! DE L’ORIENT So sweet the flowers here— COUNT LOUIS (_to the young girls_)