Chapter XCVII: Epilogue: The Householder (7)

"_One against two--and two that urge their odds_
_To uttermost--I needs must try resource!_
_Madam, I laid me prostrate, bade you spurn_
_Body and soul: you spurned and safely spurned_
_So you had spared me the superfluous taunt_
_'Prostration means no power to stand erect,_
_Stand, trampling on who trampled--prostrate now!'_
_So, with my other fool-foe: I was fain_
_Let the boy touch me with the buttoned foil._
_And him the infection gains, he too must needs_
_Catch up the butcher's cleaver. Be it so!_
_Since play turns earnest, here 's my serious fence._
_He loves you; he demands your love: both know_
_What love means in my language. Love him then!_
_Pursuant to a pact, love pays my debt:_
_Therefore, deliver me from him, thereby_
_Likewise delivering from me yourself!_
_For, hesitate--much more, refuse consent--_
_I tell the whole truth to your husband. Flat_
_Cards lie on table, in our gamester-phrase!_
_Consent--you stop my mouth, the only way._"

"I did well, trusting instinct: knew your hand
Had never joined with his in fellowship
Over this pact of infamy. You known--
As he was known through every nerve of me.
Therefore I '_stopped his mouth the only way_'
But _my_ way! none was left for you, my friend--
The loyal--near, the loved one! No--no--no!
Threaten? Chastise? The coward would but quail.
Conquer who can, the cunning of the snake!
Stamp out his slimy strength from tail to head,
And still you leave vibration of the tongue.
His malice had redoubled--not on me
Who, myself, choose my own refining fire--
But on poor unsuspicious innocence;
And,--victim,--to turn executioner
Also--that feat effected, forky tongue
Had done indeed its office! Once snake's '_mouth_'
Thus '_open_'--how could mortal '_stop it_'?"

"So!"

A tiger-flash--yell, spring, and scream: halloo!
Death 's out and on him, has and holds him--ugh!
But _ne trucidet coram populo_
_Juvenis senem!_ Right the Horatian rule!

There, see how soon a quiet comes to pass!

VIII

The youth is somehow by the lady's side.
His right-hand grasps her right-hand once again.
Both gaze on the dead body. Hers the word.

"And that was good but useless. Had I lived,
The danger was to dread: but, dying now--
Himself would hardly become talkative,
Since talk no more means torture. Fools--what fools
These wicked men are! Had I borne four years,
Four years of weeks and months and days and nights,
Inured me to the consciousness of life
Coiled round by his life, with the tongue to ply,--
But that I bore about me, for prompt use
At urgent need, the thing that '_stops the mouth_'
And stays the venom? Since such need was now
Or never,--how should use not follow need?
Bear witness for me, I withdraw from life
By virtue of the license--warrant, say,
That blackens yet this Album--white again,
Thanks still to my one friend who tears the page!
Now, let me write the line of supplement,
As counselled by my foe there: '_each a line!_'"

And she does falteringly write to end.

"_I die now through the villain who lies dead,_
_Righteously slain. He would have outraged me,_
_So, my defender slew him. God protect_
_The right! Where wrong lay, I bear witness now._
_Let man believe me, whose last breath is spent_
_In blessing my defender from my soul!_"

And so ends the Inn Album.

As she dies,
Begins outside a voice that sounds like song,
And is indeed half song though meant for speech
Muttered in time to motion--stir of heart
That unsubduably must bubble forth
To match the fawn-step as it mounts the stair.

"All 's ended and all 's over! Verdict found
'_Not guilty_'--prisoner forthwith set free,
'Mid cheers the Court pretends to disregard!
Now Portia, now for Daniel, late severe.
At last appeased, benignant! '_This young man--_
_Hem--has the young man's foibles but no fault._
_He 's virgin soil--a friend must cultivate._
_I think no plant called "love" grows wild--a friend_
_May introduce, and name the bloom, the fruit!_'
Here somebody dares wave a handkerchief--
She 'll want to hide her face with presently!
Good-by then! '_Cigno fedel, cigno fedel,_
_Addio!_' Now, was ever such mistake--
Ever such foolish ugly omen? Pshaw!
Wagner, beside! '_Amo te solo, te_
_Solo amai!_' That 's worth fifty such!
But, mum, the grave face at the opened door!"

And so the good gay girl, with eyes and cheeks
Diamond and damask,--cheeks so white erewhile
Because of a vague fancy, idle fear
Chased on reflection!--pausing, taps discreet;
And then, to give herself a countenance,
Before she comes upon the pair inside,
Loud--the oft-quoted, long-laughed-over line--
"'_Hail, calm acclivity, salubrious spot!_'
Open the door!"

No: let the curtain fall!

PACCHIAROTTO

AND

HOW HE WORKED IN DISTEMPER

WITH OTHER POEMS