The Yeomen of the Guard by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

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No. 4: Trio (Phœbe, Leonard & Sgt. Meryll)

"Alas, I waver to and fro"

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Phœbe.

Alas! I waver to and fro!
Dark danger hangs upon the deed!

All.

Dark danger hangs upon the deed!

Leonard.

The scheme is rash and well may fail;
But ours are not the hearts that quail,
The hands that shrink, the cheeks that pale
In hours of need!

Arthur Lucas as Leonard Meryll, Nellie Briercliffe as Phœbe Meryll, and Frederick Hobbs as Sergeant Meryll, 1919

Phœbe.	Leonard.	Sergeant Meryll.
The
hands that	The hands that
shrink, the	shrink,	The hands that
cheeks that	cheeks that	shrink,
pale, The	pale, The	the cheeks that
hands that shrink,	hands that shrink,	pale, that pale,
the cheeks that pale	the cheeks that pale	the cheeks that pale
In hours of need!	In hours of need!	In hours of need!

Sergeant Meryll.

The air I breathe to him I owe:
My life is his — I count it naught!

Phœbe & Leonard.

That life is his — so count it naught!

Sergeant Meryll.

And shall I reckon risks I run
When services are to be done
To save the life of such an one?
Unworthy thought! Unworthy thought!

Phœbe & Leonard.

And shall we reckon risks we run
To save the life of such an one?

All.

Unworthy thought! Unworthy thought!
We may succeed — who can foretell?
May heav'n help our hope —
May heav'n help our hope, farewell!
May heav'n help our hope,
Help our hope, farewell!

Leonard embraces Sergeant Meryll and Phœbe, and then exit. Phœbe weeping.

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