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tongue; And every sentence made it less, All falsely rung. The rallying voice, the light demand, Half flippant, half unsatisfied; The vanity sincere and bland-- The answers wide. And now her talk was of the East, And next her talk was of the sea; "And has the love for it increased You shared with me?" He answered not, but grave and still With earnest eyes her face perused, And locked his lips with steady will, As one that mused-- That mused and wondered. Why his gaze Should dwell on her, methought, was plain; But reason that should wonder raise I sought in vain. And near and near the children drew, Attracted by her rich array, And gems that trembling into view Like raindrops lay. He spoke: the wife her baby took And pressed the little face to hers; What pain soe'er her bosom shook, What jealous stirs Might stab her heart, she hid them so, The cooing babe a veil supplied; And if she listened none might know, Or if she sighed; Or if forecasting grief and care Unconscious solace thence she drew, And lulled her babe, and unaware Lulled sorrow too. The lady, she interpreter For looks or language wanted none, If yet dominion stayed with her-- So lightly won; If yet the heart she wounded sore Could yearn to her, and let her see The homage that was evermore Disloyalty; If sign would yield that it had bled, Or rallied from the faithless blow, Or sick or sullen stooped to wed, She craved to know. Now dreamy deep, now sweetly keen, Her asking eyes would round him shine; But guarded lips and settled mien Refused the sign. And unbeguiled and unbetrayed, The wonder yet within his breast, It seemed a watchful part he played Against her quest. Until with accent of regret She touched upon the past once more, As if she dared him to forget His dream of yore. And words of little weight let fall The fancy of the lower mind; How waxing life must needs leave all Its best behind; How he had said that "he would fain (One morning on the halcyon sea) That life would at a stand remain Eternally; "And sails be mirrored in the deep, As then they were, for evermore, And happy spirits wake and sleep Afar from shore: "The well-contented heart be fed Ever as then, and all the world (It were not small) uns
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