Maude Clare

Out of the church she followed them With a lofty step and mien: His bride was like a village maid, Maude Clare was like a queen.

‘Son Thomas,’ his lady mother said, With smiles, almost with tears: ‘May Nell and you but live as true As we have done for years;

‘Your father thirty years ago Had just your tale to tell; 10 But he was not so pale as you, Nor I so pale as Nell.’

My lord was pale with inward strife, And Nell was pale with pride; My lord gazed long on pale Maude Clare Or ever he kissed the bride.

‘Lo, I have brought my gift, my lord, Have brought my gift,’ she said: ‘To bless the hearth, to bless the board, To bless the marriage-bed. 20

‘Here’s my half of the golden chain You wore about your neck, That day we waded ankle-deep For lilies in the beck:

‘Here’s my half of the faded leaves We plucked from budding bough, With feet amongst the lily leaves,-- The lilies are budding now.’

He strove to match her scorn with scorn, He faltered in his place: 30 ‘Lady,’ he said,--‘Maude Clare,’ he said,-- ‘Maude Clare:’--and hid his face.

She turn’d to Nell: ‘My Lady Nell, I have a gift for you; Though, were it fruit, the bloom were gone, Or, were it flowers, the dew.

‘Take my share of a fickle heart, Mine of a paltry love: Take it or leave it as you will, I wash my hands thereof.’ 40

‘And what you leave,’ said Nell, ‘I’ll take, And what you spurn, I’ll wear; For he’s my lord for better and worse, And him I love, Maude Clare.

‘Yea, though you’re taller by the head, More wise, and much more fair; I’ll love him till he loves me best, Me best of all, Maude Clare.’

ECHO

Come to me in the silence of the night; Come in the speaking silence of a dream; Come with soft rounded cheeks and eyes as bright As sunlight on a stream; Come back in tears, O memory, hope, love of finished years.

Oh dream how sweet, too sweet, too bitter sweet, Whose wakening should have been in Paradise, Where souls brimfull of love abide and meet; Where thirsting longing eyes 10 Watch the slow door That opening, letting in, lets out no more.

Yet come to me in dreams, that I may live My very life again though cold in death: Come back to me in dreams, that I may give Pulse for pulse, breath for breath: Speak low, lean low, As long ago, my love, how long ago!