XVII。
  She　spoke　not；　but　Alfred　could　feel　The　light　hand　and　arm；　that　upon　him　reposed；　Thrill　and　tremble。　　Those　dark　eyes　of　hers　were　half　closed。　But；　under　their　languid　mysterious　fringe；　A　passionate　softness　was　beaming。　　One　tinge　Of　faint　inward　fire　flush'd　transparently　through　The　delicate；　pallid；　and　pure　olive　hue　Of　the　cheek；　half　averted　and　droop'd。　　The　rich　bosom　Heaved；　as　when　in　the　heart　of　a　ruffled　rose…blossom　A　bee　is　imprison'd　and　struggles。
  XVIII。
  Meanwhile　The　sun；　in　his　setting；　sent　up　the　last　smile　Of　his　power；　to　baffle　the　storm。　　And；　behold！　O'er　the　mountains　embattled；　his　armies；　all　gold；　Rose　and　rested：　while　far　up　the　dim　airy　crags；　Its　artillery　silenced；　its　banners　in　rags；　The　rear　of　the　tempest　its　sullen　retreat　Drew　off　slowly；　receding　in　silence；　to　meet　The　powers　of　the　night；　which；　now　gathering　afar；　Had　already　sent　forward　one　bright；　signal　star　The　curls　of　her　soft　and　luxuriant　hair；　From　the　dark　riding…hat；　which　Lucile　used　to　wear；　Had　escaped；　and　Lord　Alfred　now　cover'd　with　kisses　The　redolent　warmth　of　those　long　falling　tresses。　Neither　he；　nor　Lucile；　felt　the　rain；　which　not　yet　Had　ceased　falling　around　them；　when；　splash'd；　drench'd；　and　wet；　The　Duc　de　Luvois　down　the　rough　mountain　course　Approached　them　as　fast　as　the　road；　and　his　horse；　Which　was　limping；　would　suffer。　　The　beast　had　just　now　Lost　his　footing；　and　over　the　perilous　brow　Of　the　storm…haunted　mountain　his　master　had　thrown；　But　the　Duke；　who　was　agile；　had　leap'd　to　a　stone；　And　the　horse；　being　bred　to　the　instinct　which　fills　The　breast　of　the　wild　mountaineer　in　these　hills；　Had　scrambled　again　to　his　feet；　and　now　master　And　horse　bore　about　them　the　signs　of　disaster；　As　they　heavily　footed　their　way　through　the　mist；　The　horse　with　his　shoulder；　the　Duke　with　his　wrist；　Bruised　and　bleeding。
  XIX。
  If　ever　your　feet；　like　my　own；　O　reader；　have　traversed　these　mountains　alone；　Have　you　felt　your　identity　shrink　and　contract　At　the　sound　of　the　distant　and　dim　cataract；　In　the　presence　of　nature's　immensities？　　Say；　Have　you　hung　o'er　the　torrent；　bedew'd　with　its　spray；　And；　leaving　the　rock…way；　contorted　and　roll'd；　Like　a　huge　couchant　Typhon；　fold　heaped　over　fold；　Track'd　the　summits　from　which　every　step　that　you　tread　Rolls　the　loose　stones；　with　thunder　below；　to　the　bed　Of　invisible　waters；　whose　mistical　sound　Fills　with　awful　suggestions　the　dizzy　profound？　And；　laboring　onwards；　at　last　through　a　break　In　the　walls　of　the　world；　burst　at　once　on　the　lake？　If　you　have；　this　description　I　might　have　withheld。　You　remember　how　strangely　your　bosom　has　swell'd　At　the　vision　reveal'd。　　On　the　overwork'd　soil　Of　this　planet；　enjoyment　is　sharpen'd　by　toil；　And　one　seems；　by　the　pain　of　ascending　the　height；　To　have　conquer'd　a　claim　of　that　wonderful　sight。
  XX。
  Hail；　virginal　daughter　of　cold　Espingo！　Hail；　Naiad；　whose　realm　is　the　cloud　and　the　snow；　For　o'er　thee　the　angels　have　whiten'd　their　wings；　And　the　thirst　of　the　seraphs　is　quench'd　at　thy　springs。　What　hand　hath；　in　heaven；　upheld　thine　expanse？　When　the　breath　of　creation　first　fashion'd　fair　France；　Did　the　Spirit　of　Ill；　in　his　downthrow　appalling；　Bruise　the　world；　and　thus　hollow　thy　basin　while　falling？　Ere　the　mammoth　was　born　hath　some　monster　unnamed　The　base　of　thy　mountainous　pedestal　framed？　And　later；　when　Power　to　Beauty　was　wed；　Did　some　delicate　fairy　embroider　thy　bed　With　the　fragile　valerian　and　wild　columbine？
  XXI。
  But　thy　secret　thou　keepest；　and　I　will　keep　mine；　For　once　gazing　on　thee；　it　flash'd　on　my　soul；　All　that　secret！　　I　saw　in　a　vision　the　whole　Vast　design　of　the　ages；　what　was　and　shall　be！　Hands　unseen　raised　the　veil　of　a　great　mystery　For　one　moment。　　I　saw；　and　I　heard；　and　my　heart　Bore　witness　within　me　to　infinite　art；　In　infinite　power　proving　infinite　love；　Caught　the　great　choral　chant；　mark'd　the　dread　pageant　move　The　divine　Whence　and　Whither　of　life！　　But；　O　daughter　Of　Oo；　not　more　safe　in　the　deep　silent　water　Is　thy　secret；　than　mine　in　my　heart。　　Even　so。　What　I　then　saw　and　heard；　the　world　never　shall　know。
  XXII。
  The　dimness　of　eve　o'er　the　valleys　had　closed；　The　rain　had　ceased　falling；　the　mountains　reposed。　The　stars　had　enkindled　in　luminous　courses　Their　slow…sliding　lamps；　when；　remounting　their　horses；　The　riders　retraversed　that　mighty　serration　Of　rock…work。　　Thus　left　to　its　own　desolation；　The　lake；　from　whose　glimmering　limits　the　last　Transient　pomp　of　the　pageants　of　sunset　had　pass'd；　Drew　into　its　bosom　the　darkness；　and　only　Admitted　within　it　one　imagea　lonely　And　tremulous　phantom　of　flickering　light　That　follow'd　the　mystical　moon　through　the　night。
  XXIII。
  It　was　late　when　o'er　Luchon　at　last　they　descended。　To　her　chalet；　in　silence；　Lord　Alfred　attended　Lucile。　　As　they　parted；　she　whispered　him　low；　〃You　have　made　to　me；　Alfred；　an　offer　I　know　All　the　worth　of；　believe　me。　　I　cannot　reply　Without　time　for　reflection。　　Good　night！not　good　by。〃　〃Alas！　'tis　the　very　same　answer　you　made　To　the　Duc　de　Luvois　but　a　day　since；〃　he　said。　〃No；　Alfred！　the　very　same；　no；〃　she　replied。　Her　voice　shook。　　〃If　you　love　me；　obey　me。　　Abide　My　answer　to…morrow。〃
  XXIV。
  Alas；　Cousin　Jack！　You　Cassandra　in　breeches　and　boots！　turn　your　back　To　the　ruins　of　Troy。　　Prophet；　seek　not　for　glory　Amongst　thine　own　people。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　follow　my　story。
  CANTO　V。
  I。
  Up！forth　again；　Pegasus！〃Many's　the　slip；〃　Hath　the　proverb　well　said；　〃'twixt　the　cup　and　the　lip！〃　How　blest　should　we　be；　have　I　often　conceived；　Had　we　really　achieved　what　we　nearly　achieved！　We　but　catch　at　the　skirts　of　the　thing　we　would　be；　And　fall　back　on　the　lap　of　a　false　destiny。　So　it　will　be；　so　has　been；　since　this　world　began！　And　the　happiest；　noblest；　and　best　part　of　man　Is　the　part　which　he　never　hath　fully　play'd　out：　For　the　first　and　last　word　in　life's　volume　is　　　　　　　Doubt。　The　face　of　the　most　fair　to　our　vision　allow'd　Is　the　face　we　encounter　and　lose　in　the　crowd。　The　thought　that　most　thrills　our　existence　is　one　Which；　before　we　can　frame　it　in　language；　is　gone。　O　Horace！　the　rustic　still　rests　by　the　river；　But　the　river　flows　on；　and　flows　past　him　forever！　Who　can　sit　down；　and　say　。　。　。　〃What　I　will　be；　I　will〃？　Who　stand　up；　and　affirm　。　。　。　〃What　I　was；　I　am　still〃？　Who　is　that　must　not；　if　question'd；　say　。　。　。　。　。　。　　　　　　　〃What　I　would　have　remain'd　or　become；　I　am　not〃？　We　are　ever　behind；　or　beyond；　or　beside　Our　intrinsic　existence。　　Forever　at　hide　And　seek　with　our　souls。　　Not　in　Hades　alone　Doth　Sisyphus　roll；　ever　frustrate；　the　stone；　Do　the　Danaids　ply；　ever　vainly；　the　sieve。　Tasks　as　futile　does　earth　to　its　denizens　give。　Yet　there's　none　so　unhappy；　but　what　he　hath　been　Just　about　to　be　happy；　at　some　time；　I　ween；　And　none　so　beguiled　and　defrauded　by　chance；　But　what　once　in　his　life；　some　minute　circumstance　Would　have　fully　sufficed　to　secure　him　the　bliss　Which；　missing　it　then；　he　forever　must　miss。　And　to　most　of　us；　ere　we　go　down　to　the　grave；　Life；　relenting；　accords　the　good　gift　we　would　have；　But；　as　though　by　some　strange　imperfection　in　fate；　The　good　gift；　when　it　comes；　comes　a　moment　too　late。　The　Future's　great　veil　our　breath　fitfully　flaps；　And　behind　it　broods　ever　the　mighty　Perhaps。　Yet！　there's　many　a　slip　'twixt　the　cup　and　the　lip；　But　while　o'er　the　brim　of　life's　beaker　I　dip；　Though　the　cup　may　next　moment　be　shatter'd；　the　wine　Spilt；　one　deep　health　I'll　pledge；　and　that　health　shall　be　thine；　O　being　of　beauty　and　bliss！　seen　and　known　In　the　deeps　of　my　soul；　and　possess'd　there　alone！　My　days　know　thee　not；　and　my　lips　name　thee　never。　Thy　place　in　my　poor　life　is　vacant　forever。　We　have　met：　we　have　parted。　　No　more　is　recorded　In　my　annals　on　earth。　　This　alone　was　afforded　To　the　man　whom　men　know　me；　or　deem　me；　to　be。　But；　far　down；　in　the　depth　of　my　life's　mystery；　（Like　the　siren　that　under　the　deep　ocean　dwells；　Whom　the　wind　as　it　wails；　and　the　wave　as　it　swells；　Cannot　stir　in　the　calm　of　her　coralline　halls；　'Mid　the　world's　adamantine　and　dim　pedestals；　At　whose　feet　sit　the　sylphs　and　sea　fairies；　for　whom　The　almondine　glimmers；　the　soft　samphires　bloom）　Thou　abidest　and　reignest　forever；　O　Queen　Of　that　better　world　which　thou　swayest　unseen！　My　one　perfect　mistress！　my　all　things　in　all！　Thee　by　no　vulgar　name　known　to　men　do　I　call；　For　the　Seraphs　have　named　thee　to　me　in　my　sleep；　And　that　name　is　a　secret　I　sacredly　keep。　But；　wherever　this　nature　of　mine　is　most　fair；　And　its　thoughts　are　the　purestbelov'd；　thou　art　there！　And　whatever　is　noblest　in　aught　that　I　do；　Is　done　to　exalt　and　to　worship　thee　too。　The　world　gave　thee　not　to　me；　no！　and　the　world　Cannot　take　thee　away　from　me　now。　　I　have　furl'd　The　wings　of　my　spirit　above　thy　bright　head；　At　thy　feet　are　my　soul's　immortalities　spread。　Thou　mightest　have　been　to　me　much。　　Thou　art　more。　And　in　silence　I　worship；　in　darkness　adore。　If　life　be　not　that　which　without　us　we　find　Chance；　accident；　merelybut　rather　the　mind