Ages Ago Web Opera

Gilbert and Sullivan Archive

Ages Ago

No. 5: Ha! What was that

Sung by Rosa, Tare, Mrs. MacMotherley, Mr. Hebblethwaite, and Steward

MIDI File 38K, 6 min. 7 seconds.

Tare:

Ha! what was that? It shook me to the core!
What was it, Rosa! tell me I implore!

Rosa.

I rather think, but mind, I won't be sure,
I think it's someone knocking at the door!

(aside)

Columbus dear, thy knock I hear with mingled hopes and fears,

Its murmur laves with eddying waves the portals of my ears.

Rosa:	Tare:
	You tremble so,
Colum-
	you tremble so, I'm
bus dear,	sure you know,
Thy knock, thy knock I hear!	Who's knocking at my gate,
Colum-	I'm sure you know,
bus dear	you tremble so
thy voice, thy voice, I hear!	I'm sure you know who's knocking at the gate!
'tis Columbus!	Who dares to knock so late?

Enter Mr. Hebblethwaite with carpet bag, etc. [and Steward]

Mrs. Mac. (entering), Tare and Steward:

'Tis Mister Hebblethwaite!

All.

'Tis Mister Hebblethwaite!

Hebble.:
Permit me! Permit me! Permit me a short explanation, I left you to go to the station,
	And thought not to see you again, to see you again;
The time was so short that I hurried, The time was so short that I hurried, I really felt terribly flurried at the notion,
	The notion of missing my train.

Rosa:	Mrs. Mac., Tare., Steward:
He really felt terribly, terribly	He really felt terribly, terribly
flurried at the idea of missing	flurried, flurried,
his train! he really felt	flurried,
terribly, terribly flurried	terribly, terribly flurried
at the idea of	at the idea of
missing his train!	missing his train!

Hebble.:
This modern edition of coaching, I heard like a rocket approaching,
	I had not a moment to look;
So forward in agony springing, in agony springing,
	I ran, I ran, I ran, I ran, I ran To the place, to the place where they book.

All:
So forward, in terrible agony springing,
	Quickly he ran, and forward, in agony springing, He ran to the place where they book!

Hebble.:
I eagerly ran to the small office door, I well knew the way, for I'd been there before;
	I tapp'd at the wicket, I ask'd for a ticket,
And laid down the price of the journey, and more, "Give me," quoth I, "to my home, to my home I fly,
	Where the violet sighs To the evening skies, And the skies of eve receive The sigh of the violet."

All:
	Where the violet sighs To the evening skies, And the skies of eve receive The sigh, the sigh of the violet.

Hebble.:
Come with me, clerk (if excuse you can trump any), Bother the station and bother the company. Come to my thatchery, semi-detachery,
	Roses and posies shall flower the way, Roses and posies shall flower the way, Come, come clerk, oh come.
My ticket I seized, I rushed to the station, The clerk had refused my polite invitation, Oh, horror! oh, horror! I fell, I fell to the earth;
	For I noticed the train, It was only too plain,
It was moving off to the land, the land of my birth!

All:
Oh, horror! he fell to the earth,
	Seeing the train, Only too plain,
'Twas moving off to the land of his birth! Yes of his birth!

Rosa.

We'll do out best to make your rest as pleasant as can be, Sir.

Stew.:

Your cheery face, in such a place,
We're very glad to see, we're very glad to see, Sir.

Tare:

But stop, I say, You went away,
And spoke not of returning and spoke not of returning.

Mrs. Mac.:

It's very clear, it's very clear,
He's come back here, for Mistress Rosa burning.

Page Modified June 16, 2006