 | Studies in verse (1865) |  |
He hardly raised his eyelids as she came,
Shewed no surprise, no anger, merely chill
And hard indifference: pausing in his words
With insolent precision, he began,
“Madam, you come to make a scene of tears,
To beg the boy from justice, whom I took
Into my trust from idiot charity,
One who has well repaid me: I account
Myself both rightly served in this, and more
Befall me, if I ever take again
A mother's commendation of her child
As worth an empty nut-shell: my resolve
Is to go through with this and track him out:
Shall I cheat justice as he cheated me?
And you will see the reason of my course,
And take a quiet answer. For yourself
I hold you clear of all, extend my hand
To shew I do not shirk our distant kin;
But the less said between us of the lad
The better now and always.”
Shewed no surprise, no anger, merely chill
And hard indifference: pausing in his words
With insolent precision, he began,
“Madam, you come to make a scene of tears,
To beg the boy from justice, whom I took
Into my trust from idiot charity,
One who has well repaid me: I account
Myself both rightly served in this, and more
Befall me, if I ever take again
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As worth an empty nut-shell: my resolve
Is to go through with this and track him out:
Shall I cheat justice as he cheated me?
And you will see the reason of my course,
And take a quiet answer. For yourself
I hold you clear of all, extend my hand
To shew I do not shirk our distant kin;
But the less said between us of the lad
The better now and always.”
Thus he flowed,
In secret triumph that his charity,
To one who ill repaid it, warranted
Henceforth a rigid abstinence in alms:
And made the man determine with himself
To sin no more against his wealth again,
Nor vex his idol more.
In secret triumph that his charity,
To one who ill repaid it, warranted
Henceforth a rigid abstinence in alms:
And made the man determine with himself
To sin no more against his wealth again,
Nor vex his idol more.
Then Mary touched
Her kinsman's hand and answered,
Her kinsman's hand and answered,
‘If the lad
I trained in honest training at my knee
Has faltered from his honourable trust,
Then were I worst of Christians in this world,
Demanding mercy in our kindred name.
I do not think to speak for such a one
If I were more than mother to his shame,
And you the nearest of my house in blood.
Make only certain that this thing is done,
Then will I thank you for his punishment.’
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Has faltered from his honourable trust,
Then were I worst of Christians in this world,
Demanding mercy in our kindred name.
I do not think to speak for such a one
If I were more than mother to his shame,
And you the nearest of my house in blood.
Make only certain that this thing is done,
Then will I thank you for his punishment.’
| Studies in verse (1865) | |