Woe !  woe  !     They  come.     O  death  of  bitterness !

FAUST   (whispering).
Hush  !  hush  !     The  hour  is  come  that  frees  thee.
MARGARET   [throwing  herself  before  him).
Art  thou  a  man,  then  pity  my  distress !

FAUST.
Thy  cries  will  wake  the  guards,  and  they  will  seize  thee .'
(He  takes  hold  of  the  fetters  to  unlock  them.)

MARGARET  (on  her  knees).
Who,  headsman !  unto  thee  such  power
Over  me  could  give  ?
Thou  'rt  come  for  me  at  midnight-hour :
Have  mercy  on  me,  let  me  live  !
Is  't  not  soon  enough  when  morning  chime  has  rung?

(She  rises.)

And  I  am  yet  so  young,  so  young  !

And  now  Death  comes,  and  ruin !

I,  too,  was  fair,  and  that  was  my  undoing.
My  love  was  near,  but  now  he  's  far ;

Torn  Hes  the  wreath,  scattered  the  blossoms  are.
Seize  me  not  thus  so  violently !

Spare  me  !     What  have  I  done  to  thee?

Let  me  hot  vainly  entreat  thee !

I  never  chanced,  in  all  my  days,  to  meet  thee  !

FAUST.
Shall  I  outlive  this  misery?


SCENE  XXV.
MARGARET.
209


Now  am  I  wholly  in  thy  might.
But  let  me  suckle,  first,  my  baby  !
I  blissed  it  all  this  livelong  night ;
They  took  't  away,  to  vex  me,  maybe.
And  now  they  say  I  killed  the  child  outright.
And  never  shall  I  be  glad  again.
They  sing  songs  about  me  !  't  is  bad  of  the  folk  to  do  it !

There 's  an  old  story  has  the  same  refrain  ;

Who  bade  them  so  construe  it  ?

FAUST  (falling  upon  his  knees).
Here  Ueth  one  who  loves  thee  ever,
The  thraldom  of  thy  woe  to  sever.
MARGARET  (flinging  herself  bes^e  him).
