94

THE BOYS’ BROWNING.

Lords and ladies alike turned with loathing
From such a proved wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Not so, 1; for I caught an expression -

In her brow’s undisturbed self-possession
Amid the Court’s scoffing and merriment, —
As if from no pleasing experiment

She rose, yet of pain not much heedful

So long as the process was needful, —

As if she had tried in a crucible,

To what “speeches like gold” were reducible,
And, finding the finest prove copper,

Felt the smoke in her face was but proper ;
To know what she had not to trust to,

Was worth all the ashes and dust too. -

She went out ’mid hooting and laughter ;
Clement Marot stayed; I followed after,
And asked, as a grace, what it all meant?

If she wished not the rash deed’s recallment ?
“For I” — so I spoke —“.am a poet:
Human nature, — behooves that I know it!”

She told me, “Too long had I heard.

Of the deed proved alone by the word:

For my love — what De Lorge would not
dare !

With my scorn — what De Lorge could com-
pare!

And the endless descriptions of death