Lucile [30]
it. Tears rose in his eyes, And a hope sweet and strange in his heart seem'd to rise. The truth which he saw not the first time he read That letter, he now saw--that each word betray'd The love which the writer had sought to conceal. His love was received not, he could not but feel, For one reason alone,--that his love was not free. True! free yet he was not: but could he not be Free erelong, free as air to revoke that farewell, And to sanction his own hopes? he had but to tell The truth to Matilda, and she were the first To release him: he had but to wait at the worst. Matilda's relations would probably snatch Any pretext, with pleasure, to break off a match In which they had yielded, alone at the whim Of their spoil'd child, a languid approval to him. She herself, careless child! was her love for him aught Save the first joyous fancy succeeding the thought She last gave to her doll? was she able to feel Such a love as the love he divined in Lucile? He would seek her, obtain his release, and, oh! then He had but to fly to Lucile, and again Claim the love which his heart would be free to command. But to press on Lucile any claim to her hand, Or even to seek, or to see, her before He could say, "I am free! free, Lucile, to implore That great blessing on life you alone can confer," 'Twere dishonor in him, 'twould be insult to her. Thus still with the letter outspread on his knee He follow'd so fondly his own revery, That he felt not the angry regard of a man Fix'd upon him; he saw not a face stern and wan Turn'd towards him; he heard not a footstep that pass'd And repass'd the lone spot where he stood, till at last A hoarse voice aroused him. He look'd up and saw, On the bare heath before him, the Duc de Luvois.
XII.
With aggressive ironical tones, and a look Of concentrated insolent challenge, the Duke Address'd to Lord Alfred some sneering allusion To "the doubtless sublime reveries his intrusion Had, he fear'd, interrupted. Milord would do better, He fancied, however, to fold up a letter The writing of which was too well known, in fact, His remark as he pass'd to have failed to attract."
XIII.
It was obvious to Alfred the Frenchman was bent Upon picking a quarrel! and doubtless 'twas meant From HIM to provoke it by sneers such as these. A moment sufficed his quick instinct to seize The position. He felt that he could not expose His own name, or Lucile's, or Matilda's, to those Idle tongues that would bring down upon him the ban Of the world, if he now were to fight with this man. And indeed, when he look'd in the Duke's haggard face, He was pain'd by the change there he could not but trace. And he almost felt pity. He therefore put by Each remark from the Duke with some careless reply, And coldly, but courteously, waving away The ill-humor the Duke seem'd resolved to display, Rose, and turn'd, with a stern salutation, aside.
XIV.
Then the Duke put himself in the path, made one stride In advance, raised a hand, fix'd upon him his eyes, And said . . . "Hold, Lord Alfred! Away with disguise! I will own that I sought you, a moment ago, To fix on you a quarrel. I still can do so Upon any excuse. I prefer to be frank. I admit not a rival in fortune or rank To the hand of a woman, whatever be hers Or her suitor's. I love the Comtesse de Nevers. I believed, ere you cross'd me, and still have the right To believe, that she would have been mine. To her sight You return, and the woman is suddenly changed. You step in between us: her heart is estranged. You! who now are betrothed to another, I know: You! whose name with Lucile's nearly ten years ago Was coupled by ties which you broke: you! the man I reproach'd on the day our acquaintance began. You! that left her so lightly,--I cannot believe That you love, as I love, her; nor can I conceive You, indeed, have the right so to love her. Milord, I will not thus tamely concede at your word, What, a few days ago, I believed to be mine! I
XII.
With aggressive ironical tones, and a look Of concentrated insolent challenge, the Duke Address'd to Lord Alfred some sneering allusion To "the doubtless sublime reveries his intrusion Had, he fear'd, interrupted. Milord would do better, He fancied, however, to fold up a letter The writing of which was too well known, in fact, His remark as he pass'd to have failed to attract."
XIII.
It was obvious to Alfred the Frenchman was bent Upon picking a quarrel! and doubtless 'twas meant From HIM to provoke it by sneers such as these. A moment sufficed his quick instinct to seize The position. He felt that he could not expose His own name, or Lucile's, or Matilda's, to those Idle tongues that would bring down upon him the ban Of the world, if he now were to fight with this man. And indeed, when he look'd in the Duke's haggard face, He was pain'd by the change there he could not but trace. And he almost felt pity. He therefore put by Each remark from the Duke with some careless reply, And coldly, but courteously, waving away The ill-humor the Duke seem'd resolved to display, Rose, and turn'd, with a stern salutation, aside.
XIV.
Then the Duke put himself in the path, made one stride In advance, raised a hand, fix'd upon him his eyes, And said . . . "Hold, Lord Alfred! Away with disguise! I will own that I sought you, a moment ago, To fix on you a quarrel. I still can do so Upon any excuse. I prefer to be frank. I admit not a rival in fortune or rank To the hand of a woman, whatever be hers Or her suitor's. I love the Comtesse de Nevers. I believed, ere you cross'd me, and still have the right To believe, that she would have been mine. To her sight You return, and the woman is suddenly changed. You step in between us: her heart is estranged. You! who now are betrothed to another, I know: You! whose name with Lucile's nearly ten years ago Was coupled by ties which you broke: you! the man I reproach'd on the day our acquaintance began. You! that left her so lightly,--I cannot believe That you love, as I love, her; nor can I conceive You, indeed, have the right so to love her. Milord, I will not thus tamely concede at your word, What, a few days ago, I believed to be mine! I