| |
| Niels. Now girls, now girls, cling on with all your might. | |
| Cling steady to this plank—don’t lose your grit. | |
| Mary. Niels, will they all be saved? | |
| Niels. Be sure of it. | |
| They can’t be drowned. | 5 |
| Anna. For everything’s in sight. | |
| Mary. And we could almost touch the houses there. | |
| See how the steamer sank upon her side, | |
| Like a huge beast! | |
| Anna. Listen—a baby cried! | 10 |
| Niels. Don’t turn. Don’t listen. Don’t look anywhere. | |
| Mary. The human fish—see how they haul them in! | |
| The slimy fish. Oh, this is awful, Niels! | |
| Anna. They’re everywhere! How cold the water feels! | |
| Niels. Keep up your nerve—be the brave girls you’ve been. | 15 |
| Mary. Soon we’ll be safe. Nothing can harm us here, | |
| With all those little windows looking on. | |
| I feel your courage, Niels—my fear has gone. | |
| Niels. Steady there, steady! Now the dock is near. | |
| Anna. O Niels, I wish I had your arms around me!… | 20 |
| It came, it came! I didn’t mean to tell. | |
| Mary, you never dreamed … We kept it well. | |
| Niels thought we mustn’t speak it out. He bound me … | |
| Niels. Hush, hush! | |
| Anna. He bound me not to say a word, | 25 |
| Not to let others guess it in my face. | |
| But who could keep a secret in this place? | |
| And Mary, I am glad at last you’ve heard. | |
| And Mary, you shall fasten up my veil, | |
| And hold my book for me. Why, everything | 30 |
| Seems wonderful! Even here I want to sing! | |
| We’ll have a little flat in Carbondale … | |
| Niels. Anna, don’t chatter on like this, I say. | |
| Mary … I meant to make it clear to you … | |
| Mary! | 35 |
| Anna. Oh, look; oh, look!—her lips are blue! | |
| Niels. Mary! | |
| Anna. Oh, look!…. Her hands have slipped away! | |
| |
