Výrava enters with Bětuška.)
Moravcová.—Oh, unhappy race which God himself dismisses from the book of his memory. Will you ever penetrate—will you ever see the shore of salvation, or will you blindly sink in the current of your own misery.
Kyralová.—Here is Výrava!
(Some go towards Výrava, others stand undecided.)
Scene VIII
The preceding. Výrava with Bětuška steps forward. Later Dvořák, Králíček, Kyral, Václav and other men.
Lhotská (To Výrava).—We are all women here and we’ve been seeking you.
Výrava.—What do you want of me? I am going to the village.
Voices (Behind the scenes).—Výrava! Výrava!
Výrava.—Who calls me?
(Enter Dvořák, Králíček, Kyral and other men.)
Dvořák.—Výrava!
Kyral.—Here he is!
Dvořák.—Where do we find you? All the troops are awaiting you. They burn with eagerness to strike at the castle. Come quickly, come, and put yourself at our head.
Výrava.—I alone—without my son Jeroným!
Kyral (With a malicious smile).—He killed him!
Dvořák.—Don’t mind anything, don’t mind yourself nor your son, just keep the people’s cause in view. Don’t destroy what’s been begun. Lead your people into battle.
Moravcová.—Oh, hear him—hear him—it is not one man alone who speaks—all our people speak through him!
Lhotská (To Dvořák).—Go your way, fool! We are not going to let our children be killed or our houses be burned over our heads! We will not allow the insurrection to go on!
The Men.—Ho! Ho! what insanity is this?
Lhotská.—We are here and we’ll not budge until we dissuade you from your intention. Speak, Výrava, do you want to take on your conscience the destruction of perhaps thousands of families—do you want to be responsible for it if they kill our husbands and drive us from our homes?
