Part 16 (1/2)

To Dante Gabriel Rossetti:

Calmly, thy royal robe of death around thee, Thou Bleekest, and weeping brethren round thee stand-- Gently they placed, ere yet G.o.d's angel crown'd thee, My lily in thy hand!

I never knew thee living, O my brother!

But on thy breast my lily of love now lies; And by that token, we shall know each other, When G.o.d's voice saith ”Arise!”

”Can you understand me?” he asked abruptly, alluding to the thickness of his utterance.

”Perfectly.”

”Nurse Abrey cannot: what a good creature she is!”

That night we telegraphed to Mr. Marshall, to Mr. W. M. Rossetti, and Mr. Watts, and wrote next morning to Mr. s.h.i.+elds, Mr. Scott, and Mr.

Madox Brown. It had been found by the resident medical man, Dr. Harris, that in Rossetti's case kidney disease had supervened. His dear mother and I sat up until early morning with him, and when we left him his sister took our place and remained with him the whole of that and subsequent nights. He sat up in bed most of the time and said a sort of stupefaction had removed all pain. He crooned over odd lines of poetry.

”My own verses torment me,” he said. Then he half-sang, half-recited, s.n.a.t.c.hes from one of Iago's songs in _Oth.e.l.lo_. ”Strange things,” he murmured, ”to come into one's head at such a moment.” I told him his brother and Mr. Watts would be with him to-morrow. ”Then you really think that I am dying? At _last_ you think so; but _I_ was right from the first.”

Next day, Good Friday, the friends named did come, and weak as he was, he was much cheered by their presence. The following day Mr. Marshall arrived.

That gentleman recognised the alarming position of affairs, but he was not without hope. He administered a sort of hot bath, and on Sunday morning Rossetti was perceptibly brighter. Mr. s.h.i.+elds had now arrived, and one after one of his friends, including Mr. Leyland, who was at the time staying at Ramsgate, and made frequent calls, visited him in his room and found him able to listen and sometimes to talk. In the evening the nurse gave a cheering report of his condition, and encouraged by such prospects, Mr. Watts, Mr. s.h.i.+elds, and myself, gave way to good spirits, and retired to an adjoining room. About nine o'clock Mr.