ed。　　The　love　that　I　gave　you；　alas！　Was　the　sole　love　that　life　gave　to　me。　　Let　that　pass！　It　perish'd；　and　all　perish'd　with　it。　　Ambition？　Wealth　left　nothing　to　add　to　my　social　condition。　Fame？　　But　fame　in　itself　presupposes　some　great　Field　wherein　to　pursue　and　attain　it。　　The　State？　I；　to　cringe　to　an　upstart？　　The　Camp？　　I；　to　draw　From　its　sheath　the　old　sword　of　the　Dukes　of　Luvois　To　defend　usurpation？　　Books；　then？　　Science；　Art？　But；　alas！　I　was　fashion'd　for　action：　my　heart；　Wither'd　thing　though　it　be；　I　should　hardly　compress　'Twixt　the　leaves　of　a　treatise　on　Statics：　life's　stress　Needs　scope；　not　contraction！　what　rests？　to　wear　out　At　some　dark　northern　court　an　existence；　no　doubt；　In　wretched　and　paltry　intrigues　for　a　cause　As　hopeless　as　is　my　own　life！　　By　the　laws　Of　a　fate　I　can　neither　control　nor　dispute；　I　am　what　I　am！〃
  VIII。
  For　a　while　she　was　mute。　Then　she　answer'd；　〃We　are　our　own　fates。　　Our　own　deeds　Are　our　doomsmen。　　Man's　life　was　made　not　for　men's　creeds　But　men's　actions。　　And；　Duc　de　Luvois；　I　might　say　That　all　life　attests；　that　'the　will　makes　the　way。'　Is　the　land　of　our　birth　less　the　land　of　our　birth；　Or　its　claim　the　less　strong；　or　its　cause　the　less　worth　Our　upholding；　because　the　white　lily　no　more　Is　as　sacred　as　all　that　it　bloom'd　for　of　yore？　Yet　be　that　as　it　may　be；　I　cannot　perchance　Judge　this　matter。　　I　am　but　a　woman；　and　France　Has　for　me　simpler　duties。　　Large　hope；　though；　Eugene　De　Luvois；　should　be　yours。　　There　is　purpose　in　pain；　Otherwise　it　were　devilish。　　I　trust　in　my　soul　That　the　great　master　hand　which　sweeps　over　the　whole　Of　this　deep　harp　of　life；　if　at　moments　it　stretch　To　shrill　tension　some　one　wailing　nerve；　means　to　fetch　Its　response　the　truest；　most　stringent；　and　smart；　Its　pathos　the　purest；　from　out　the　wrung　heart；　Whose　faculties；　flaccid　it　may　be；　if　less　Sharply　strung；　sharply　smitten；　had　fail'd　to　express　Just　the　one　note　the　great　final　harmony　needs。　And　what　best　proves　there's　life　in　a　heart？that　it　bleeds？　Grant　a　cause　to　remove；　grant　an　end　to　attain；　Grant　both　to　be　just；　and　what　mercy　in　pain！　Cease　the　sin　with　the　sorrow！　　See　morning　begin！　Pain　must　burn　itself　out　if　not　fuel'd　by　sin。　There　is　hope　in　yon　hill…tops；　and　love　in　yon　light。　Let　hate　and　despondency　die　with　the　night！〃
  He　was　moved　by　her　words。　　As　some　poor　wretch　confined　In　cells　loud　with　meaningless　laughter；　whose　mind　Wanders　trackless　amidst　its　own　ruins；　may　hear　A　voice　heard　long　since；　silenced　many　a　year；　And　now；　'mid　mad　ravings　recaptured　again；　Singing　through　the　caged　lattice　a　once　well…known　strain；　Which　brings　back　his　boyhood　upon　it；　until　The　mind's　ruin'd　crevices　graciously　fill　With　music　and　memory；　and；　as　it　were；　The　long…troubled　spirit　grows　slowly　aware　Of　the　mockery　round　it；　and　shrinks　from　each　thing　It　once　sought；the　poor　idiot　who　pass'd　for　a　king；　Hard　by；　with　his　squalid　straw　crown；　now　confess'd　A　madman　more　painfully　mad　than　the　rest。　So　the　sound　of　her　voice；　as　it　there　wander'd　o'er　His　echoing　heart；　seem'd　in　part　to　restore　The　forces　of　thought：　he　recaptured　the　whole　Of　his　life　by　the　light　which；　in　passing；　her　soul　Reflected　on　his：　he　appear'd　to　awake　From　a　dream；　and　perceived　he　had　dream'd　a　mistake：　His　spirit　was　soften'd；　yet　troubled　in　him：　He　felt　his　lips　falter；　his　eyesight　grow　dim；　But　he　murmur'd　。　。　。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Lucile；　not　for　me　that　sun's　light　Which　revealsnot　restoresthe　wild　havoc　of　night。　There　are　some　creatures　born　for　the　night；　not　the　day。　Broken…hearted　the　nightingale　hides　in　the　spray；　And　the　owl's　moody　mind　in　his　own　hollow　tower　Dwells　muffled。　　Be　darkness　henceforward　my　dower。　Light；　be　sure；　in　that　darkness　there　dwells；　by　which　eyes　Grown　familiar　with　ruins　may　yet　recognize　Enough　desolation。〃
  IX。
  〃The　pride　that　claims　here　On　earth　to　itself　（howsoever　severe　To　itself　it　may　be）　God's　dread　office　and　right　Of　punishing　sin；　is　a　sin　in　heaven's　sight；　And　against　heaven's　service。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Eugene　de　Luvois；　Leave　the　judgment　to　Him　who　alone　knows　the　law。　Surely　no　man　can　be　his　own　judge；　least　of　all　His　own　doomsman。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Her　words　seem'd　to　fall　With　a　weight　of　tears　in　them。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　He　look'd　up；　and　saw　That　sad　serene　countenance；　mournful　as　law　And　tender　as　pity；　bow'd　o'er　him：　and　heard　In　some　thicket　the　matinal　chirp　of　a　bird。
  X。
  〃Vulgar　natures　alone　suffer　vainly。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Eugene；〃　She　continued；　〃in　life　we　have　met　once　again；　And　once　more　life　parts　us。　　Yon　day…spring　for　me　Lifts　the　veil　of　a　future　in　which　it　may　be　We　shall　meet　nevermore。　　Grant；　oh　grant　to　me　yet　The　belief　that　it　is　not　in　vain　we　have　met！　I　plead　for　the　future。　　A　new　horoscope　I　would　cast：　will　you　read　it？　　I　plead　for　a　hope：　I　plead　for　a　memory；　yours；　yours　alone；　To　restore　or　to　spare。　　Let　the　hope　be　your　own；　Be　the　memory　mine。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Once　of　yore；　when　for　man　Faith　yet　lived；　ere　this　age　of　the　sluggard　began；　Men　aroused　to　the　knowledge　of　evil；　fled　far　From　the　fading　rose…gardens　of　sense；　to　the　war　With　the　Pagan；　the　cave　in　the　desert；　and　sought　Not　repose；　but　employment　in　action　or　thought；　Life's　strong　earnest；　in　all　things！　oh；　think　not　of　me；　But　yourself！　for　I　plead　for　your　own　destiny：　I　plead　for　your　life；　with　its　duties　undone；　With　its　claims　unappeased；　and　its　trophies　unwon；　And　in　pleading　for　life's　fair　fulfilment；　I　plead　For　all　that　you　miss；　and　for　all　that　you　need。〃
  XI。
  Through　the　calm　crystal　air；　faint　and　far；　as　she　spoke；　A　clear；　chilly　chime　from　a　church…turret　broke；　And　the　sound　of　her　voice；　with　the　sound　of　the　bell；　On　his　ear；　where　he　kneel'd；　softly；　soothingly　fell。　All　within　him　was　wild　and　confused；　as　within　A　chamber　deserted　in　some　roadside　inn；　Where；　passing；　wild　travellers　paused；　over…night；　To　quaff　and　carouse；　in　each　socket　each　light　Is　extinct；　crash'd　the　glasses；　and　scrawl'd　is　the　wall　With　wild　ribald　ballads；　serenely　o'er　all；　For　the　first　time　perceived；　where　the　dawn…light　creeps　faint　Through　the　wrecks　of　that　orgy；　the　face　of　a　saint；　Seen　through　some　broken　frame；　appears　noting　meanwhile　The　ruin　all　round　with　a　sorrowful　smile。　And　he　gazed　round。　　The　curtains　of　Darkness　half　drawn　Oped　behind　her；　and　pure　as　the　pure　light　of　dawn　She　stood；　bathed　in　morning；　and　seem'd　to　his　eyes　From　their　sight　to　be　melting　away　in　the　skies　That　expanded　around　her。
  XII。
  There　pass'd　through　his　head　A　fancya　vision。　　That　woman　was　dead　He　had　loved　long　agoloved　and　lost！　dead　to　him；　Dead　to　all　the　life　left　him；　but　there；　in　the　dim　Dewy　light　of　the　dawn；　stood　a　spirit；　'twas　hers；　And　he　said　to　the　soul　of　Lucile　de　Nevers：　〃O　soul　to　its　sources　departing　away！　Pray　for　mine；　if　one　soul　for　another　may　pray。　I　to　ask　have　no　right；　thou　to　give　hast　no　power；　One　hope　to　my　heart。　　But　in　this　parting　hour　I　name　not　my　heart；　and　I　speak　not　to　thine。　Answer；　soul　of　Lucile；　to　this　dark　soul　of　mine；　Does　not　soul　owe　to　soul；　what　to　heart　heart　denies；　Hope；　when　hope　is　salvation？　　Behold；　in　yon　skies；　This　wild　night　is　passing　away　while　I　speak：　Lo；　above　us；　the　day…spring　beginning　to　break！　Something　wakens　within　me；　and　warms　to　the　beam：　Is　it　hope　that　awakens？　or　do　I　but　dream？　I　know　not。　　It　may　be；　perchance；　the　first　spark　Of　a　new　light　within　me　to　solace　the　dark　Unto　which　I　return；　or　perchance　it　may　be　The　last　spark　of　fires　half　extinguish'd　in　me。　I　know　not。　　Thou　goest　thy　way：　I　my　own；　For　good　or　for　evil；　I　know　not。　　Alone　This　I　know；　we　are　parting。　　I　wish'd　to　say　more；　But　no　matter！　'twill　pass。　　All　between　us　is　o'er。　Forget　the　wild　words　of　to…night。　　'Twas　the　pain　For　long　years　hoarded　up；　that　rush'd　from　me　again。　I　was　unjust：　forgive　me。　　Spare　now　to　reprove　Other　words；　other　deeds。　　It　was　madness；　not　love；　That　you　thwarted　this　night。　　What　is　done　is　now　done。　Death　remains　to　avenge　it；　or　life　to　atone。　I　was　madden'd；　delirious！　　I　saw　you　return　To　himnot　to　me；　and　I　felt　my　heart　burn　With　a　fierce　thirst　for　vengeanceand　thus　。　。　。　let　it　pass！　Long　thoughts　these；　and　so　brief　the　moments；　alas！　Thou　goest　thy　way；　and　I　mine。　　I　suppose　'Tis　to　meet　nevermore。　　Is　it　not　so？　　Who　knows；　Or　who　heeds；　where　the　exile　from　Paradise　flies？　Or　what　altars　of　his　in　the　desert　may　rise？　Is　it　not　so；　Lucile？　　Well；　well！　　Thus　then　we　part　Once　again；　soul　from　soul；　as　before　heart　from　heart！〃
  XIII。
  And　again　clearer　far　than　the　chime　of　a　bell；　That　voice　on　his　sense　softly；　soothingly　fell。　〃Our　two　paths　must　part　us；　Eugene；　for　my　own　Seems　no　more　through　that　world　in　which　henceforth　alone　You　must　work　out　（as　now　I　believe　that　you　will）　The　hope　which　you　speak　of。　　That　work　I　shall　still　（If　I　live）　watch　and　welcome；　and　bless　far　away。　Doubt　not　this。　　But　mistake　not　the　thought；　if　I　say　That　the　great　moral　combat　between　human　life　And　each　human　soul　must　be　single。　　T