Page:Poet Lore, volume 26, 1915.djvu/329

 Will you be like a timid hare, that crawls into its form, now when it begins to thunder?

Králíček.—And it is possible enough that you hold in your hands the scales of good and evil for us. Hundreds of people will do as you do. They will rush into fire with you,—without you, they will hide themselves before it.

Dvořák.—And if, without your help, we are overwhelmed because of our small numbers, they will tell about it for all future time.

Kyral.—It will be said: feudalism was to have been abolished, feudalism under which people have groaned for hundreds of years. And they would have accomplished it. But Výrava who let himself be abused and insulted by the lords so that not even a dog would have accepted bread from him— —

Výrava.—Stop, by the living God, stop!

Kyral.—That Výrava despite all, stayed with the lords and betrayed his own people.

Výrava.—Kyral! God defend that I should do a rash deed, but what is it you ask of me?

Dvořák.—That you should take the leadership of those who wish to fight for their ransom from slavery.

Výrava.—But all that has happened heretofore is lead in my limbs. The kindness of the Earl—my son at the castle and perhaps in a battle against me! No—no! Who wishes to set father against son; who wishes that they should meet in a struggle for life or death?

Dvořák.—God will inspire him to leave the service of the Pharaohs and turn to his own people. And if he heeds not the promptings of God, it will be well, if, perhaps, he dies by his father’s own hand.

(It grows dark.)

Výrava.—My Jeroným! My Jeroným! (The people again gather.)

Kyral.—If that boy is of your blood, he will run away from the castle and come to you. If he does not come, he is a scoundrel and a tr—

Výrava.—Don’t finish!