 | The Baroness of New York |  |
205
XVIII.
We may presume Sir Francis swore
To do all she had asked. To stand,
As she had stood, with reaching hand;
To help and to protect, if e'er
Scorn's finger dared to wag at her.
Indeed, no doubt, a great deal more
Was promised her, as he leaned o'er
The weeping Niobe, with all
The sunrise of his golden hair
Spilt down upon the deep nightfall
Of her dark hair, ungathered there.
To do all she had asked. To stand,
As she had stood, with reaching hand;
To help and to protect, if e'er
Scorn's finger dared to wag at her.
Indeed, no doubt, a great deal more
Was promised her, as he leaned o'er
The weeping Niobe, with all
The sunrise of his golden hair
Spilt down upon the deep nightfall
Of her dark hair, ungathered there.
'Twas very strange. He came that night
As swift as love; so glad, so fleet,
To find her falling at his feet,
Her face all tears, her full neck bare,
And all her black, abundant hair
Torn down and tossed in sorry plight.
As swift as love; so glad, so fleet,
To find her falling at his feet,
Her face all tears, her full neck bare,
And all her black, abundant hair
Torn down and tossed in sorry plight.
'Twas very strange, this nervous fit
Of hers. Perhaps a bit of tact—
A woman's little game. In fact,
Had it not seemed so very strange,
And quite outside the common range,
I should not stop to mention it.
Of hers. Perhaps a bit of tact—
206
Had it not seemed so very strange,
And quite outside the common range,
I should not stop to mention it.
As for her reasons, you must know,
I scarce know aught about the sex.
An humble chronicler am I
Of facts. I cannot stop to vex
My brain, by giving reasons why
A woman will do thus and so.
I scarce know aught about the sex.
An humble chronicler am I
Of facts. I cannot stop to vex
My brain, by giving reasons why
A woman will do thus and so.
Gods! Come to think of it, you know,
I think that's more than she could do.
But I would just suggest that you
Should bundle up these facts, and go
To some old man in double specs—
Some old, old man, who knows the sex.
Find some experienced old man,
The very oldest that you can.
I think that's more than she could do.
But I would just suggest that you
Should bundle up these facts, and go
To some old man in double specs—
Some old, old man, who knows the sex.
Find some experienced old man,
The very oldest that you can.
The morning must succeed the night,
All storms subside. The clouds drive by,
And when again the glorious light
From heaven's gate comes bursting through,
Behold! the rains have washed the sky
As bright as heaven's bluest blue.
All storms subside. The clouds drive by,
And when again the glorious light
From heaven's gate comes bursting through,
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As bright as heaven's bluest blue.
She would have, weeping, told him all,
Each name, each date, each circumstance,
Her father's crimes, the bloody chance
That brought her fortune, wrought her fall.
But he, he would not hear one word,
Nor scarce believed what he had heard.
Each name, each date, each circumstance,
Her father's crimes, the bloody chance
That brought her fortune, wrought her fall.
But he, he would not hear one word,
Nor scarce believed what he had heard.
“My ships are burned, I break no more
The hush of seas. My friend is found,
And all my life shall now be bound
With thee, and bounded by thy shore.
If your pure heart was pierced with pain
Of love that you can scarce forget,
Remember there is deeper stain
On my fair fame and coronet.”
The hush of seas. My friend is found,
And all my life shall now be bound
With thee, and bounded by thy shore.
If your pure heart was pierced with pain
Of love that you can scarce forget,
Remember there is deeper stain
On my fair fame and coronet.”
He thought a time, then raised his head,
And in a deep, firm voice, he said,
“Now let the dead past bury its dead.
I reach my hand, and over all
I veil the dead past as a pall.
“Be tranquil, thou. Persuade thy soul
To peace. My life seems perfect now,
Thy broken life shall be made whole;
My friend shall lift his ample brow,
In time, and climb to better things,
Supported by thine angel wings.”
And in a deep, firm voice, he said,
“Now let the dead past bury its dead.
I reach my hand, and over all
I veil the dead past as a pall.
208
To peace. My life seems perfect now,
Thy broken life shall be made whole;
My friend shall lift his ample brow,
In time, and climb to better things,
Supported by thine angel wings.”
O, they, indeed, were lovers now,
Fast bound by many a breathless vow
And promise, seal-set, o'er and o'er,
On ruddy lips and lifted brow,
That naught should ever part them more.
The days went by one calm delight,
And night scarce wore the shade of night.
Fast bound by many a breathless vow
And promise, seal-set, o'er and o'er,
On ruddy lips and lifted brow,
That naught should ever part them more.
The days went by one calm delight,
And night scarce wore the shade of night.
| The Baroness of New York | |