Part 3 (2/2)

The fervid kiss of heaven lay Precipitate on wood and sea

Two great souls gloith ecstasy, The sea glowed scarce as warm as they

xxxI

'Twas love's low amber afternoon

Two far-off pheasants thrued a restful air

The drearets

Around her head There shone a halo Men have said 'Twas froold and glory But they knew, Yea, all rew A halo round about her head Like sunlight scarcely vanished

xxxII

How still she was! She only knew His love She saw no life beyond

She loved with love that only lives Outside itself and selfishness,-- A love that glows in its excess; A love that ives Thenceforth to all who come to woo No coins but this face stae staone

xxxIII

They kept the headland high; the shi+p Below began to chafe her chain, To groan as soreat beast in pain; While white fear leapt from lip to lip: ”The woods are fire! the woods are flame!

Come down and save us, in God's naht of her, of only her

While flames behind, before thee sounds were heard far up the flood,-- Strange, savage sounds that chilled the blood!

Then sudden from the dense dark wood Above, about the out; And noas thrust a long black snout, And now a tusky ht to make the stoutest pause

”Cut loose the shi+p!” the black mate cried; ”Cut loose the shi+p!” the crew replied

They drove into the sea It lay As light as ever middle day

The while their half-blind bitch, that sat All sobr-reat, broad, floppy, leathern ears, Amid the men, rose up and howled, And doleful howled her plaintive fears, While all looked ri on Hades' brink

Great broad-winged bats possessed the air, Bats whirling blindly everywhere; It was such troubled twilight eve As never mortal would believe

xxxIV

So lit the wood In circle where the lovers stood; Soht find at last the hoard of gold Long hidden from the black shi+p's hold,-- I doubt , flae beasts above that shi+ning sea, Wild, hideous beasts with shaggy hair, With redin the air, They piteous howled, and plaintively,-- The wildest sounds, the weirdest sight That ever shook the walls of night