What do I hear? A sound of singing.
Ay, blended song and laughter ringing.
With now a cheer and now a hollo,—
Another—and another—follow!
Lo, the sun rises; the mist lifts.
Already through the breaking rifts
The illimitable heights I see;
And now that joyous company
Stands out against the morning light
Upon the summit of the height.
Their shadows taper to the west,
Farewells are utter'd, hands are pressed.
And now they part, the others move
Eastward away, two westward wend,
And, waving hats and kerchiefs, send
Their farewell messages of love.
[The sun gradually breaks through and disperses
the mist. Brand stands and looks
down on the two as they approach.]
How the light glitters round these two!
It is as if the mist took flight,
And flowering heather clothed the height,
And heaven laugh'd round them where they go.
Brother and sister, hand in hand,
They spring along the hill together,
She scarcely stirs the dewy heather,
And he is lissome as a wand.
Now she darts back, he rushes after,
Now slips aside, eludes his aim,—
Out of their gambols grows a game!
And hark, a song out of their laughter!
[Einar and Agnes, in light summer dress,
both of them warm and glowing, come
playing across the level. The mist is gone;
a bright summer morning lies on the
mountains.]
