Chapter 3

singing._

FIRST FAIRY. Where is our queen? She has not been seen For many an hour, In acorn or flower. Airy bluebell, Pray can you tell? Anemone fair, Is she not there? Upspringing grass, Have you seen her pass? Where shall I go? Does nobody know?

SECOND FAIRY. Look at that squirrel, lively and shy; I know he can tell, by the fun in his eye.

THIRD FAIRY. There is a swallow, skimming about, Set him to seek her, and he'll find her out.

FOURTH FAIRY. Over the moon sails a tiny white cloud; And on it she sails far away from the crowd.

_Enter LISA._

FAIRIES _sing_.

All hail to our queen! Now sing us a song, While we rest in the shadows, all lying along.

LISA, _as queen_.

Fairies, fairies, ever go Where the mountain torrents flow; Foot it high, and foot it low, A wildly joyful band.

Fairies, fairies, loud our song; No man hears us pass along; Rugged cliffs and vales among-- A wild and hidden land.

Fairies, fairies, night is nigh; Light steals slowly from the sky. Lay us down with lullaby, Sleeping hand in hand.

FIRST FAIRY. Come, lovely queen, you must dance with me now; For under the alder I vowed me a vow, Beneath the clear moonlight to kiss you three times. And whirl you about to my swift flowing rhymes.

LISA, _as queen_.

Under the tree Is the home for me; Here will I sleep, Through the lonely night, While the cold dews weep, In the pale starlight.

FAIRY.

Jewels must shine In the glance of the day; We shall mourn and repine, If thou hidest away.

Come, my fair lily, shine graciously out, While we thy leal subjects will frisk all about.

_They draw her out._

FIRST FAIRY. Why, it is not Edith; yet she has on her purple dress!

SECOND FAIRY. An elf has crept into Fairyland; Bid her bide, and make her stand; Fairies, seize her by the hand; She shall not slip away.

THIRD FAIRY. How came you with the queen's dress?

LISA. She put it on me.

FANNY. Edith wishes to play us a trick; this is one of the farmer's daughters, perhaps.

_Enter MRS. LANDOR._

MRS. L. Edith, it is time to break up your plays for to-night. To-morrow you shall dance again as much as you please.

FANNY. It is not Edith.

MRS. L. O, I thought it was; where is she? Some of you must go and look for her.

FANNY. This girl can tell you. She says Edith gave her the purple dress.

MRS. L. Where is Edith?

LISA. O, she has gone!

MRS. L. Gone! where?

LISA. She has gone with my mother.

MRS. L. With your mother, child? What do you mean?

LISA. Please don't frighten me so, and I will tell you. She said she wanted to be a gypsy; so she put on my dress, and waited at the gate for mother.

MRS. L. O, my child, my child! The gypsies have carried her off. What shall I do?

LISA. They did not carry her off; she said she wanted to go, and I should stay and sleep in her bed, and have plenty to eat, and be your child.

MRS. L. Be my child, you little impostor! Away with you, as fast as you can go.

FANNY. But she has Edith's fairy dress on.

MRS. L. Let her put on her own rags again.

FANNY. But Edith has her dress.

MRS. L. Then she must have one of Edith's old ones. Here, Nancy, see this child dressed in one of Miss Edith's frocks. Keep an eye upon her, and do not let her steal any thing.

FANNY. Mary, run and tell the men to go and look for Edith, and find Edward as soon as possible.

EDWARD, (_entering._) Here I am, mother; what do you wish?

MRS. L. You must go in search of Edith; she has been carried off to the gypsies' camp.

EDWARD. The gypsies' camp! I will find her, mother; do not be troubled about her.