CANZLER-- (_Coming forward and giving his orders hastily._) Rudolph, you and Fritz go summon the men. Go with them, Conrad. (_Fritz glances off through the forest, right._) RUDOLPH-- That we meet to-night? CANZLER--This afternoon. Be quick. (_The men start back left._) FRITZ--(_Huskily._) Oswald. (_Conrad glances right._) Oswald. (_Rudolph glances right, and the three go out in silence. Canzler, who has stepped left, stands in the shadow of one of the trees. A little later Oswald appears coming through the trees to the right. He is looking about as_ _if in search of something._) CANZLER-- (_Firmly, but without passion._) There, there it is. Take it, take it and go. OSWALD--(_Downcast, stammering._) I-- CANZLER--(_Lifting his hand._) No word. (_Oswald moves slowly to the tree, takes the crucifix upon his shoulder, and, with bowed head, goes off right._) SELMA--(_Calling from the left._) Oswald! (_The girl enters with her water. She stops, looks after Oswald until he has disappeared, then turns with a questioning look to her father._) O father! CANZLER-- As for me, Let a man be a man. Outside of that, There is no power on earth that dares ask more; No power in heaven that will. (_He turns and goes back toward the cottage._) SELMA--(_With a sigh, looking right._) Oswald, Oswald. ACT TWO. _SCENE ONE--A forest on the mountain tops, the great trees glooming with the shadows of nightfall. In the distance, between the dark boles, patches of sky with the fading light of evening. The scene slopes down into a clump of tangle-wood on the left. Up the slope, upon a stump that stands out from among the trees, Selma is sitting with her head bowed, her face almost hidden by her hair which has fallen forward across her shoulders. She is dressed in dappled fawn-skin. In her hand she has a spray of dog-wood blossoms from which she is thoughtlessly tearing the leaves. From the thicket below, three fairies steal in one after another, having in their hands wild-flowers and ferns._ _TIME--Early spring, three years later._ FIRST FAIRY-- (_Running a little way up the slope and stopping._) Sister, see! (_Holding forth her flowers._) Kingcups! SECOND FAIRY--(_Running closer._) Sister, see, I bring The laced fern. THIRD FAIRY--(_Running still closer._) See, see! Violets, sister! I found them waking in an open place Where the dew falls. (_Together they approach the stump._) SECOND FAIRY--(_Softly._) Sister! THIRD FAIRY-- Flowers, sister.