the　million　to　mark　him；　next　moment　The　crowd　sweeps　him　hurriedly　out　of　your　comment；　And　since　we　seek　vainly　（to　praise　in　our　songs）　'Mid　our　fellows　the　size　which　to　heroes　belongs；　We　take　the　whole　age　for　a　hero；　in　want　Of　a　better；　and　still；　in　its　favor；　descant　On　the　strength　and　the　beauty　which；　failing　to　find　In　any　one　man；　we　ascribe　to　mankind。
  IV。
  Alfred　Vargrave　was　one　of　those　men　who　achieve　So　little；　because　of　the　much　they　conceive：　With　irresolute　finger　he　knock'd　at　each　one　Of　the　doorways　of　life；　and　abided　in　none。　His　course；　by　each　star　that　would　cross　it；　was　set；　And　whatever　he　did　he　was　sure　to　regret。　That　target；　discuss'd　by　the　travellers　of　old；　Which　to　one　appear'd　argent；　to　one　appear'd　gold；　To　him；　ever　lingering　on　Doubt's　dizzy　margent；　Appear'd　in　one　moment　both　golden　and　argent。　The　man　who　seeks　one　thing　in　life；　and　but　one；　May　hope　to　achieve　it　before　life　be　done；　But　he　who　seeks　all　things；　wherever　he　goes；　Only　reaps　from　the　hopes　which　around　him　he　sows　A　harvest　of　barren　regrets。　　And　the　worm　That　crawls　on　in　the　dust　to　the　definite　term　Of　its　creeping　existence；　and　sees　nothing　more　Than　the　path　it　pursues　till　its　creeping　be　o'er；　In　its　limited　vision；　is　happier　far　Than　the　Half…Sage；　whose　course；　fix'd　by　no　friendly　star　Is　by　each　star　distracted　in　turn；　and　who　knows　Each　will　still　be　as　distant　wherever　he　goes。
  V。
  Both　brilliant　and　brittle；　both　bold　and　unstable；　Indecisive　yet　keen；　Alfred　Vargrave　seem'd　able　To　dazzle；　but　not　to　illumine　mankind。　A　vigorous；　various；　versatile　mind；　A　character　wavering；　fitful；　uncertain；　As　the　shadow　that　shakes　o'er　a　luminous　curtain；　Vague；　flitting；　but　on　it　forever　impressing　The　shape　of　some　substance　at　which　you　stand　guessing：　When　you　said；　〃All　is　worthless　and　weak　here；〃　behold！　Into　sight　on　a　sudden　there　seem'd　to　unfold　Great　outlines　of　strenuous　truth　in　the　man：　When　you　said；　〃This　is　genius；〃　the　outlines　grew　wan；　And　his　life；　though　in　all　things　so　gifted　and　skill'd；　Was；　at　best；　but　a　promise　which　nothing　fulfill'd。
  VI。
  In　the　budding　of　youth；　ere　wild　winds　can　deflower　The　shut　leaves　of　man's　life；　round　the　germ　of　his　power　Yet　folded；　his　life　had　been　earnest。　　Alas！　In　that　life　one　occasion；　one　moment；　there　was　When　this　earnestness　might；　with　the　life…sap　of　youth；　Lusty　fruitage　have　borne　in　his　manhood's　full　growth；　But　it　found　him　too　soon；　when　his　nature　was　still　The　delicate　toy　of　too　pliant　a　will；　The　boisterous　wind　of　the　world　to　resist；　Or　the　frost　of　the　world's　wintry　wisdom。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　He　miss'd　That　occasion；　too　rathe　in　its　advent。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Since　then；　He　had　made　it　a　law；　in　his　commerce　with　men；　That　intensity　in　him；　which　only　left　sore　The　heart　it　disturb'd；　to　repel　and　ignore。　And　thus；　as　some　Prince　by　his　subjects　deposed；　Whose　strength　he；　by　seeking　to　crush　it；　disclosed；　In　resigning　the　power　he　lack'd　power　to　support　Turns　his　back　upon　courts；　with　a　sneer　at　the　court；　In　his　converse　this　man　for　self…comfort　appeal'd　To　a　cynic　denial　of　all　he　conceal'd　In　the　instincts　and　feelings　belied　by　his　words。　Words；　however；　are　things：　and　the　man　who　accords　To　his　language　the　license　to　outrage　his　soul；　Is　controll'd　by　the　words　he　disdains　to　control。　And；　therefore；　he　seem'd　in　the　deeds　of　each　day　The　light　code　proclaim'd　on　his　lips　to　obey；　And；　the　slave　of　each　whim；　follow'd　wilfully　aught　That　perchance　fool'd　the　fancy；　or　flatter'd　the　thought。　Yet；　indeed；　deep　within　him；　the　spirits　of　truth；　Vast；　vague　aspirations；　the　powers　of　his　youth；　Lived　and　breathed；　and　made　moanstirr'd　themselvesstrove　to　start　Into　deedsthough　deposed；　in　that　Hades；　his　heart。　Like　those　antique　Theogonies　ruin'd　and　hurl'd；　Under　clefts　of　the　hills；　which；　convulsing　the　world；　Heaved；　in　earthquake；　their　heads　the　rent　caverns　above；　To　trouble　at　times　in　the　light　court　of　Jove　All　its　frivolous　gods；　with　an　undefined　awe；　Of　wrong'd　rebel　powers　that　own'd　not　their　law。　For　his　sake；　I　am　fain　to　believe　that；　if　born　To　some　lowlier　rank　（from　the　world's　languid　scorn　Secured　by　the　world's　stern　resistance）　where　strife；　Strife　and　toil；　and　not　pleasure；　gave　purpose　to　life；　He　possibly　might　have　contrived　to　attain　Not　eminence　only；　but　worth。　　So；　again；　Had　he　been　of　his　own　house　the　first…born；　each　gift　Of　a　mind　many…gifted　had　gone　to　uplift　A　great　name　by　a　name's　greatest　uses。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　But　there　He　stood　isolated；　opposed；　as　it　were；　To　life's　great　realities；　part　of　no　plan；　And　if　ever　a　nobler　and　happier　man　He　might　hope　to　become；　that　alone　could　be　when　With　all　that　is　real　in　life　and　in　men　What　was　real　in　him　should　have　been　reconciled；　When　each　influence　now　from　experience　exiled　Should　have　seized　on　his　being；　combined　with　his　nature；　And　form'd　as　by　fusion；　a　new　human　creature：　As　when　those　airy　elements　viewless　to　sight　（The　amalgam　of　which；　if　our　science　be　right；　The　germ　of　this　populous　planet　doth　fold）　Unite　in　the　glass　of　the　chemist；　behold！　Where　a　void　seem'd　before；　there　a　substance　appears；　From　the　fusion　of　forces　whence　issued　the　spheres！
  VII。
  But　the　permanent　cause　why　his　life　fail'd　and　miss'd　The　full　value　of　life　was；where　man　should　resist　The　world；　which　man's　genius　is　call'd　to　command；　He　gave　way；　less　from　lack　of　the　power　to　withstand；　Than　from　lack　of　the　resolute　will　to　retain　Those　strongholds　of　life　which　the　world　strives　to　gain。　Let　this　character　go　in　the　old…fashion'd　way；　With　the　moral　thereof　tightly　tack'd　to　it。　　Say　〃Let　any　man　once　show　the　world　that　he　feels　Afraid　of　its　bark；　and　'twill　fly　at　his　heels：　Let　him　fearlessly　face　it；　'twill　leave　him　alone：　But　'twill　fawn　at　his　feet　if　he　flings　it　a　bone。〃
  VIII。
  The　moon　of　September；　now　half　at　the　full；　Was　unfolding　from　darkness　and　dreamland　the　lull　Of　the　quiet　blue　air；　where　the　many…faced　hills　Watch'd；　well…pleased；　their　fair　slaves；　the　light；　foam…footed　rills；　Dance　and　sing　down　the　steep　marble　stairs　of　their　courts；　And　gracefully　fashion　a　thousand　sweet　sports；　Lord　Alfred　（by　this　on　his　journeying　far）　Was　pensively　puffing　his　Lopez　cigar；　And　brokenly　humming　an　old　opera　strain；　And　thinking；　perchance；　of　those　castles　in　Spain　Which　that　long　rocky　barrier　hid　from　his　sight；　When　suddenly；　out　of　the　neighboring　night；　A　horseman　emerged　from　a　fold　of　the　hill；　And　so　startled　his　steed　that　was　winding　at　will　Up　the　thin　dizzy　strip　of　a　pathway　which　led　O'er　the　mountainthe　reins　on　its　neck；　and　its　head　Hanging　lazily　forwardthat；　but　for　a　hand　Light　and　ready；　yet　firm；　in　familiar　command；　Both　rider　and　horse　might　have　been　in　a　trice　Hurl'd　horribly　over　the　grim　precipice。
  IX。
  As　soon　as　the　moment's　alarm　had　subsided；　And　the　oath　with　which　nothing　can　find　unprovided　A　thoroughbred　Englishman；　safely　exploded；　Lord　Alfred　unbent　（as　Apollo　his　bow　did　Now　and　then）　his　erectness；　and　looking；　not　ruder　Than　such　inroad　would　warrant；　survey'd　the　intruder；　Whose　arrival　so　nearly　cut　short　in　his　glory　My　hero；　and　finished　abruptly　this　story。
  X。
  The　stranger；　a　man　of　his　own　age　or　less；　Well　mounted；　and　simple　though　rich　in　his　dress；　Wore　his　beard　and　mustache　in　the　fashion　of　France。　His　face；　which　was　pale；　gather'd　force　from　the　glance　Of　a　pair　of　dark；　vivid；　and　eloquent　eyes。　With　a　gest　of　apology；　touch'd　with　surprise；　He　lifted　his　hat；　bow'd　and　courteously　made　Some　excuse　in　such　well…cadenced　French　as　betray'd；　At　the　first　word　he　spoke；　the　Parisian。
  XI。
  I　swear　I　have　wander'd　about　in　the　world　everywhere；　From　many　strange　mouths　have　heard　many　strange　tongues；　Strain'd　with　many　strange　idioms　my　lips　and　my　lungs；　Walk'd　in　many　a　far　land；　regretting　my　own；　In　many　a　language　groaned　many　a　groan；　And　have　often　had　reason　to　curse　those　wild　fellows　Who　built　the　high　house　at　which　Heaven　turn'd　jealous；　Making　human　audacity　stumble　and　stammer　When　seized　by　the　throat　in　the　hard　gripe　of　Grammar。　But　the　language　of　languages　dearest　to　me　Is　that　in　which　once；　O　ma　toute　cherie；　When；　together；　we　bent　o'er　your　nosegay　for　hours；　You　explain'd　what　was　silently　said　by　the　flowers；　And；　selecting　the　sweetest　of　all；　sent　a　flame　Through　my　heart；　as；　in　laughing；　you　murmur'd　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Je　t'aime。
  XII。
  The　Italians　have　voices　like　peacocks；　the　Spanish　Smell；　I　fancy；　of　garlic；　the　Swedish　and　Danish　Have　something　too　Runic；　too　rough　and　unshod；　in　Their　accents　for　mouths　not　descended　from　Odin；　German　gives　me　a　cold　in　the　head；　sets　me　wheezing　And　coughing；　and　Russian　is　nothing　but　sneezing；　But；　by　Belus　and　Babel！　　I　never　have　heard；　And　I　never　shall　hear　（I　well　know　it）；　one　word　Of　that　delicate　idiom　of　Paris　without　Feeling　morally　sure；　beyond　question　or　doubt；　By　the　wild　way　in　which　my　heart　inwardly　flutter'd　That　my　heart's　native　tongue　to　my　heart　had　been　utter'd　And　whene'er　I　hear