FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63  
64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   >>   >|  
howl Against his lineage: not one breast affords Him any mercy, in that mansion foul, Save one old beldame, weak in body and in soul. 90 XI. Ah, happy chance! the aged creature came, Shuffling along with ivory-headed wand, To where he stood, hid from the torch's flame, Behind a broad hall-pillar, far beyond The sound of merriment and chorus bland: He startled her; but soon she knew his face, And grasp'd his fingers in her palsied hand, Saying, "Mercy, Porphyro! hie thee from this place; They are all here to-night, the whole blood-thirsty race!" XII. "Get hence! get hence! there's dwarfish Hildebrand; 100 He had a fever late, and in the fit He cursed thee and thine, both house and land: Then there's that old Lord Maurice, not a whit More tame for his gray hairs--Alas me! flit! Flit like a ghost away."--"Ah, Gossip dear, We're safe enough; here in this arm-chair sit, And tell me how"--"Good Saints! not here, not here; Follow me, child, or else these stones will be thy bier." XIII. He follow'd through a lowly arched way, Brushing the cobwebs with his lofty plume, 110 And as she mutter'd "Well-a--well-a-day!" He found him in a little moonlight room, Pale, lattic'd, chill, and silent as a tomb. "Now tell me where is Madeline," said he, "O tell me, Angela, by the holy loom Which none but secret sisterhood may see, When they St. Agnes' wool are weaving piously." XIV. "St. Agnes! Ah! it is St. Agnes' Eve-- Yet men will murder upon holy days: Thou must hold water in a witch's sieve, 120 And be liege-lord of all the Elves and Fays, To venture so: it fills me with amaze To see thee, Porphyro!--St. Agnes' Eve! God's help! my lady fair the conjuror plays This very night: good angels her deceive! But let me laugh awhile, I've mickle time to grieve." XV. Feebly she laugheth in the languid moon, While Porphyro upon her face doth look, Like puzzled urchin on an aged crone Who keepeth clos'd a wond'rous riddle-book, 130 As spectacled she sits in chimney nook. But soon his eyes grew brilliant, when she told His lady's purpose; and he scarce could brook Tears, at the thought of those enchantments cold And Madeline asleep in lap of legends old. XVI.
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63  
64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Porphyro

 
Madeline
 
venture
 

Angela

 
silent
 
moonlight
 
lattic
 

piously

 

murder

 

weaving


sisterhood
 

secret

 

chimney

 

brilliant

 
spectacled
 
riddle
 

enchantments

 

asleep

 

legends

 
thought

scarce
 

purpose

 

keepeth

 

awhile

 
mickle
 

grieve

 

deceive

 
angels
 

Feebly

 
urchin

puzzled
 

languid

 

laugheth

 

conjuror

 

stones

 
chorus
 

startled

 

fingers

 

merriment

 
pillar

palsied

 

thirsty

 

dwarfish

 

Saying

 
Behind
 

mansion

 

beldame

 
Against
 

lineage

 

breast