Tomeš hastens to overtake her, and slips his arm affectionately around her waist.)

Tomeš.—I’ve caught you now, my little Marie.

Marie (With a faint exclamation).—How you frightened me! For heaven’s sake, be more careful! Suppose some one were to see us!

Tomeš.-—nd isn’t it perfectly lawful?

Marie.—Yes, but this is not a scene for the public eye. (Seriously) The Countess was just now speaking of you.

Tomeš.—And what did she say?

Marie (Holding his hand and gazing earnestly into his eyes).—That you should not go a-poaching.

Tomeš (Astonished).—Marie! And how in the world did you happen to open up the subject?

Marie.—It is with me all the time,—the fear of discovery. My sweetest dreams of you at night are changed into a nightmare, and I awake with the cold sweat of fear upon me. It worries me by day, and haunts me by night. (Earnestly.) Promise me, to stay away from the forest!

Tomeš (With darkening face).—When the kingfisher above yonder brook promises you to cease from robbing the stream of its fish,—then I also will give you my promise. Do you know, Marie, the charm of the forest,—do you realize the fascination that lures, and drags man into its green depths, that pictures a thousand images there for him? In such moments, man is like a mating grouse,—he sees nothing, hears nothing; he would be indifferent if a score of game wardens were at his very heels.

Marie (Gloomily, absorbed in thought).—And he is indifferent even to the sacred gift of life, which he might so easily lose,—(quickly) to you and me!

Tomeš.—True, how true. (Gazes ahead absorbed in his thoughts) and still you cannot shake off that strange power, once it has you in its grip. Perhaps you have tried a thousand times . . . Hm! . . . (gazes laughingly ahead.) Just now the count has made new laws, making the punishment for poachers even more severe. So far, neither the count nor any one else has any well founded suspicion about me. But he intends to go after us now!