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adowed forms. The new sword moon against the violet sky Is held aloft, by one white arm of cloud Raised from the sombre shoulder of a hill. My Grace and I are sitting in the bower, And down upon my breast and girdling arm Is strewn pure gold--no alloy mixes it-- The pure ore of her lovable gold hair. The cunning weavers of Arabia, Who seek to shuttle sunshine in their silk, Would give its weight in diamonds for this hair, Whereof to make a fabric for their king. I see the trees that skirt the yonder vale, And where the road dents down between their arms, I see a figure passing to and fro. Now he comes near, and striding up the path Enters the arbor, and discovers us. It is Gianni; to his flashing eyes A fierce deep hatred leaps up from his heart, As lightning, which forebodes the nearing storm, Leaps luridly above the midnight hills. With some excuse Gianni passes on, While Grace, with sweetly growing confidence, Whispers with lips which slightly touch my ear, "I never loved him, I was always yours." VI. I see the parlor that my Grace adorns With flowers and with her presence, which is far Above the fragrant presence of all flowers. Grace sits at her piano; on her lips A song of twilight and the evening star. There as the shadows slowly gather round, Gianni comes, and stops a moody hour; She, ice to his approaches; he, despair; But ere he goes, he places in her hand A large ripe orange, fresh from Sicily, And begs her to accept it for his sake. She bows him from the room, and puts the fruit Before her on her music, once again Dreaming of me, and singing some wild song Of Pan, who, by the river straying down, Cut reeds, and blew upon them with such power, He charmed the lilies and the dragon-flies. Now while the song is swaying to its close, I seem to come myself into the room, And clasp true arms about my darling Grace; She lays Gianni's orange in my hand, And says that I must eat it; she would not Have taken it, but that she did not wish To cross him with refusal. So I say, "Surely this stranger has peculiar taste To bring an orange to you--only one. Perhaps there is more in it than we know." VII. I seem to have this orange in my room, And in the light of morning turn it round. I find no flaw in it on any side. A goodly orange, ripe, with tender coat Of that deep reddish yellow, like fine gold. Perhaps the tree had wrapped its root
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