And troth's an oath derided.

 She. Yea, my love—and nay, my love— And ask me not to tell, love, While I delay'd an idle day What 'twixt us there befell, love. Yet either I did sit beside And do at length as you did, Or my delight is lightly by An idle lie deluded!  

And ask me not to tell, love,

While I delay'd an idle day

What 'twixt us there befell, love.

Yet either I did sit beside

And do at length as you did,

Or my delight is lightly by

An idle lie deluded!

THE STATUES AND THE TEAR

 All night a fountain pleads, Telling her beads, Her tinkling beads monotonous 'neath the moon; And where she springs atween, Two statues lean— Two Kings, their marble beards with moonlight strewn. Till hate had frozen speech, Each hated each, Hated and died, and went unto his place: And still inveterate They lean and hate With glare of stone implacable, face to face. One, who bade set them here In stone austere, To both was dear, and did not guess at all: Yet with her new-wed lord Walking the sward Paused, and for two dead friends a tear let fall. She turn'd and went her way. Yet in the spray The shining tear attempts, but cannot lie. Night-long the fountain drips, But even slips Untold that one bead of her rosary: While they, who know it would Lie if it could, Lean on and hate, watching it, eye to eye.

All night a fountain pleads,

Telling her beads,

And where she springs atween,

Two statues lean—

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