Chapter 21

The Queen’s Room.

PRELUDES.

I. _Rejected_.

‘PERHAPS she’s dancing somewhere now!’ The thoughts of light and music wake Sharp jealousies, that grow and grow Till silence and the darkness ache. He sees her step, so proud and gay, Which, ere he spake, foretold despair: Thus did she look, on such a day, And such the fashion of her hair; And thus she stood, when, kneeling low, He took the bramble from her dress, And thus she laugh’d and talk’d, whose ‘No’ Was sweeter than another’s ‘Yes.’ He feeds on thoughts that most deject; He impudently feigns her charms, So reverenced in his own respect, Dreadfully clasp’d by other arms; And turns, and puts his brows, that ache, Against the pillow where ’tis cold. If, only now his heart would break! But, oh, how much a heart can hold.

II. _Rachel_.

You loved her, and would lie all night Thinking how beautiful she was, And what to do for her delight. Now both are bound with alien laws! Be patient; put your heart to school; Weep if you will, but not despair; The trust that nought goes wrong by rule Should ease this load the many bear. Love, if there’s heav’n, shall meet his dues, Though here unmatch’d, or match’d amiss; Meanwhile, the gentle cannot choose But learn to love the lips they kiss. Ne’er hurt the homely sister’s ears With Rachel’s beauties; secret be The lofty mind whose lonely tears Protest against mortality.

III. _The Heart’s Prophecies_.

Be not amazed at life; ’tis still The mode of God with his elect Their hopes exactly to fulfil, In times and ways they least expect.

THE QUEEN’S ROOM.

1

There’s nothing happier than the days In which young Love makes every thought Pure as a bride’s blush, when she says ‘I will’ unto she knows not what; And lovers, on the love-lit globe, For love’s sweet sake, walk yet aloof, And hear Time weave the marriage-robe, Attraction warp and reverence woof.

2

My Housekeeper, my Nurse of yore, Cried, as the latest carriage went, ‘Well, Mr, Felix, Sir, I’m sure The morning’s gone off excellent! I never saw the show to pass The ladies, in their fine fresh gowns, So sweetly dancing on the grass, To music with its ups and downs. We’d such work, Sir, to clean the plate; ’Twas just the busy times of old. The Queen’s Room, Sir, look’d quite like state. Miss Smythe, when she went up, made bold To peep into the Rose Boudoir, And cried, “How charming! all quite new;” And wonder’d who it could be for. All but Miss Honor look’d in too. But she’s too proud to peep and pry. None’s like that sweet Miss Honor, Sir! Excuse my humbleness, but I Pray Heav’n you’ll get a wife like her! The Poor love dear Miss Honor’s ways Better than money. Mrs. Rouse, Who ought to know a lady, says No finer goes to Wilton House. Miss Bagshaw thought that dreary room Had kill’d old Mrs. Vaughan with fright; She would not sleep in such a tomb For all her host was worth a night! Miss Fry, Sir, laugh’d; they talk’d the rest In French; and French Sir’s Greek to me; But, though they smiled, and seem’d to jest, No love was lost, for I could see How serious-like Miss Honor was—’ ‘Well, Nurse, this is not my affair. The ladies talk’d in French with cause. Good-day; and thank you for your prayer.’

3

I loiter’d through the vacant house, Soon to be her’s; in one room stay’d, Of old my mother’s. Here my vows Of endless thanks were oftenest paid. This room its first condition kept; For, on her road to Sarum Town, Therein an English Queen had slept, Before the Hurst was half pull’d down. The pictured walls the place became: Here ran the Brook Anaurus, where Stout Jason bore the wrinkled dame Whom serving changed to Juno; there, Ixion’s selfish hope, instead Of the nuptial goddess, clasp’d a cloud; And, here, translated Psyche fed Her gaze on Love, not disallow’d.

4

And in this chamber had she been, And into that she would not look, My Joy, my Vanity, my Queen, At whose dear name my pulses shook! To others how express at all My worship in that joyful shrine? I scarcely can myself recall What peace and ardour then were mine; And how more sweet than aught below, The daylight and its duties done, It felt to fold the hands, and so Relinquish all regards but one; To see her features in the dark, To lie and meditate once more The grace I did not fully mark, The tone I had not heard before; And from my pillow then to take Her notes, her picture, and her glove, Put there for joy when I should wake, And press them to the heart of love; And then to whisper ‘Wife!’ and pray To live so long as not to miss That unimaginable day Which farther seems the nearer ’tis; And still from joy’s unfathom’d well To drink, in dreams, while on her brows Of innocence ineffable Blossom’d the laughing bridal rose.