A CROWNED SHADOW. He killed me while I slept. THE SHADOWS. You shall not pass until you tell our story! A GIRL DRESSED AS A BOY. I lived in a wood and laughed. Sing you my laughter When the sun shone! SHAKESPEARE. I’ll sing it. Singing I go, What shall I find after the song is over? What shall I find after the way is clear? AN OLD MAN, A JEW. Gold and gold and gold-- A CLOWN. And a grave untended-- A MAN IN BLACK. Heartbreak-- TWO COUSINS. A friend or two-- A ROMAN WITH LAURELS. Oh, sing my story Before I had half-way climbed to the nearest star My ladder broke. SHAKESPEARE. I’ll tell all time that story. THE ROMAN. The stars are dark, seen close. SHAKESPEARE. I’ll say it. THE ROMAN. Pass! AN EGYPTIAN [_holding a goblet_]. He shall not pass. Drink! There are pearls in the cup. A GIRL, A VERONESE [_taking it from her_]. No--sleep! A MAN [_with a wand_]. Dreams! THE KING IN RAGS. Frenzy! A NUN. Sacrament! A DRUNKARD. A jest! A ROMAN WIFE. Here’s coals for bread. THE EGYPTIAN [_A man in armour has flung his arm about her neck_]. Eat, drink and pass again To the lost sunshine and the passionate nights, And tell the world our story! SHAKESPEARE. Let me go! ALL THE SHADOWS. Never, never, never! To the end of time we follow, Follow, follow, follow! SHAKESPEARE. Threads and floating wisps Of being, how they fasten like a cloud Of gnats upon me, not to be shaken off Unsatisfied-- THE SHADOWS. Sing! Sing! _There is a strain of music: the crowd hides_ SHAKESPEARE: _the three masked players have drifted free of the turmoil._ CHILD [_delighted_]. He does it quite as well as Orpheus. ANNE. Who are these dreams? CHILD. The people of the plays. And there are the Fates at last! That’s the end of my part. Now you must talk to them till your husband comes. He comes when you scream. _He picks up his bow and runs away._ ANNE. Come back! Stay by me! CHILD [_laughing_]. Play your part alone.