But I will melt this marble into wax

To yield us farther furlough:' and he went.

Melissa shook her doubtful curls, and thought

He scarce would prosper. 'Tell us,' Florian ask'd,
'How grew this feud betwixt the right and left.'
'O long ago,' she said, 'betwixt these two

Division smoulders hidden: 't is my mother,
Too jealous, often fretful as the wind

Pent in a crevice: much I bear with her :

I never knew my father, but she says

(God pardon her) she was wedded to a fool; And still she rail'd against the state of things.

She had the care of Lady Ida's youth,

And from the Queen's decease she brought her up.

But when your sister came she won the love
Of the Princess: they were still together, grew

(For so they said themselves) inosculated;

Consonant chords that shiver to one note;

One mind in all things: only Lady Blanche

Affirms your Psyche thieved her theories,
And angled with them for the Royal heart:
She calls her plagiarist; I know not what :
But I must go: I dare not tarry,' and light
As flies the shadow of a bird she fled.

Then murmur'd Florian, gazing after her:
'An open-hearted maiden, true and pure.
If I could love, why this were she: how pretty
Her blushing was, and how she blush'd again,
As if to close with Cyril's random wish:

Not like your

Princess cramm'd with erring pride,

Nor like poor Psyche whom she drags in tow.'

'The crane,' I said, 'may chatter of the crane,

The dove may murmur of the dove, but I

An eagle clang an eagle to the sphere.

My princess, O my princess! true she errs;
For being, and wise in knowing that she is,

Three times more noble than threescore of men,

She sees herself in every woman else,

And so she wears her error like a crown

To blind the truth and me: for her, and her,

They are Hebes meet to hand ambrosia, mix whene'er she moves

The nectar; but- ah she

The Samian Herè rises and she speaks

A Memnon smitten with the morning Sun.'

So saying from out the court we paced, and gain'd

The terrace ranged along the Northern front,

And leaning there on those balusters, high
Above the empurpled champaign, drank the gale
That blown about the foliage underneath,
And sated with the innumerable rose,

Beat balm upon our eyelids. Hither came
Cyril, and yawning, 'O hard task,' he cried,
'Better to clear prime forests, heave and thump
A league of street in summer solstice down,
Than hammer at this reverend gentlewoman.

I knock'd and bidden went in: I found her there

At point to sally, and settled in her eyes
The green malignant light of coming storm.
Sir, I was courteous, every phrase well-oil'd,
As man could be; yet maiden-meek I pray'd
Concealment: she demanded who we were,
And why we came? I minted nothing false,
But, your example pilot, told her all.

Up went the hush'd amaze of hand and eye.
But when I dwelt upon your old affiance,
She answer'd sharply that I talk'd astray.

I urged the fierce inscription on the gate,

And our three lives. She said we had limed ourselves

With open eyes, and we must take the chance.

But such extremes, I told her, well might harm

The woman's cause. "Not more than now," she said,

"So puddled as it is with favouritism.”

I tried the mother's heart. Shame might befall

Melissa, knowing, saying not she knew:

Her answer was,

"Leave me to deal with that."

I spoke of war to come and many deaths,

And she replied, her duty was to speak,

And duty duty, clear of consequences.

I grew discouraged, Sir; but since I knew
No rock so hard, but that a little wave

May beat admission in a thousand years,

I recommenced; "Decide not ere you pause.
I find you here but in the second place,

Some say the third the authentic foundress you.
I offer boldly we will seat you highest :
Wink at our advent: help my prince to gain
His rightful bride, and here I promise you

A palace in our own land, where you shall reign
The head and heart of all our fair she-world,

And your great name flow on with broadening time

For ever." Well, she balanced this a little,

And told me she would answer us to-day,

Meantime be mute: thus much, nor more I gain'd.'

He ceasing, came a message from the Head.

'In the afternoon the Princess rode to take