Ah, I would play the goddess, that I would! I’d have my pardon like a Breton saint, And what I bound, it should be bound indeed! And what I loosed, it should be loosed indeed! A COMMISSIONER Fast bind or freely loose, thy surety, I! ANOTHER Command me, and the silver moon I’ll bring thee! YVETTE With what a sudden glory shines the sun! It gilds the streets, it gilds the running Loire! And from them both the blood-stains fade away! Ah, let us rest from death in Nantes to-day, And think how falls the eve in Bethlehem!— There is a little village that I know, A hungry village by a hungry sea, As worn and grey as any calvary! The hungry shadows ate the sunshine up; The children cried, the women wailed at morn; The very Christ looked hungry on the Cross; When lo! a miracle! for suddenly The starving, haggard folk began to laugh, The tender green put forth, the flowers bloomed, Blue shone the sky, the lark sang overhead, And mild the face of Christ and heavenly kind! The little village had its fill of bread, Yea, wine it drank, and cheerful breath it drew, And, by the well, of this strange plenty talked, Of tolls withdrawn, of perfect friendliness! [_She moves from before_ DE VARDES. And then it blessed the man who gave it bread, Who had a heart to feel with wretchedness, And a strong arm to drive the hunger forth As Arthur drove the giants from the land! O men of Nantes! you’ll keep your oath to me! In Nantes to-day ‘tis mine to loose or bind!— I loose this man— LALAIN Out, witch! (_To_ DE VARDES.) Think not, think not, René de Vardes, that she shall save thee thus!— Mine, mine she is, she shall be, soul and all! DE VARDES Rémond Lalain— LALAIN (_to the mob_) It is an emigré! A traitor and a black Aristocrat, The ci-devant De Vardes! THE CROWD De Vardes! De Vardes! YVETTE