The Man with a Secret: A Novel

Mad? Not what the world calls madness--he is quiet Raves not about strange matters--curbs his tongue With wond'rous wisdom--ponders ere he speaks, And yet I tell you he is mad,...

It's very odd the pride we take In finding out our neighbours' lives, Tho' idle words a heart may break, It's very odd the pride we take In saying this one is a rake, And that o...

Who stands so high that he may never fall, Who lies so low that he may never rise? The lowliest may one day win life's prize, The highest thro' temptation lose his all.

"Much sorrow didst thou bring to me of old, Tainted my life by poisonous words and deeds, Turned holy thoughts to evil--made me dread To face the fearless looks of honest men, L...

So low--so low--yes I am low indeed But he thy lover tho' of high estate Will fall to this--I tell thee dainty dame The devil even now is at his ear Breathing temptations in mos...

Like a lone mountain white with virgin snow, Which holds within its breast eternal fire This woman cold and pale with face of woe Yet feels at heart an unappeased desire.

I use no charms, Ephesian letters, philtres, spells or runes, Nor aught of necromantic devilries Yet thro' the power of new-found sciences Before my searching gaze I bare your s...

When one is playing in the game of life 'Tis wrong to throw away a single card, Lest by some odd mistake of circumstance The card despised--if played with dext'rous hand-- Shoul...

"How strange a testament is this, my lord? The outcome of a most fantastic brain. 'Tis but a mirror that reflects his life, With all its twists and turns and madcap arguments."

Father!--art thou my father?--pause, good sir, Ere thou profanest thus that holy name. A father should protect and guide his child Through the harsh tumult of this noisy life, B...

Patience Allerby occupied a very peculiar position, and knew that she did so, much to her perplexity. Ever since her lapse from virtue she had lived a self-denying existence as...

A snake you were in other days Ere you attained the human state; Still in your veins the snake blood plays Which leads you now to gloze and hate, The magic of the serpent gaze L...

Strong god thou art the enemy of gods, A hater of blind Eros and his joys, Thy rule is bitter as the stinging rods That scourge at Dian's feast the Spartan boys; Evil his soul w...

"With anxious dread have I avoided thee, Thou haunting evil of my early days, Yet by some trick of Fate we meet again; I pray thee, sir, let me go far away. And place the roarin...

But turning from these scenes of beauty rare The family circle next demands our care, That fireside kingdom where the father bland His sceptre sways with firm and gentle hand. O...

"Naught have I seen of the earth, for mine eyes have been darkened Since I was born to this life, with its toils and vexations, Yet hath the Maker, in mercy, bestowed compensati...

"I like him not--his subtle smile Conceals beneath some purpose vile, Tho' bland his gaze and fair his speech Oh trust him not, I do beseech; For as a seeming simple flower May...

In her cup the red wine glows, Fragrant as the blushing rose; Cure of sorrows, cure of woes, From it thou wilt win. Ah! but Circe's cup deceives,he wrote in a cynical vein Evil...

In truth he had a silver tongue Whose mild persuasive accents rung Like music in her ear; Despite her dread, despite her hate. She ever let him rule her fate And change her hear...

Is this the face I loved of yore, Ere years had run; Alas! I care for it no more Old love is done; We soon forget what we adore At twenty-one.

"You know, sir," he said to genial Dr. Larcher, "that Blake has a very fine voice--a phenomenal tenor voice, which, when properly trained, will make his fortune. Blake tells me...

The next morning Beaumont examined the important document, upon which hung the fate of his scheme, in order to see by the searching light of day if a close scrutiny would reveal...

The viols sound in festal hall Where come the merry mummers all, The minstrels sing their roundelay Of doughty knights and ladies gay, And as the carol music swells The jester s...

Beaumont was perfectly satisfied with the result of his experiment, as he had discovered the squire's secret, and had yet succeeded in keeping him in ignorance of his having don...

I weary of dances, of songs of the south Of sounds of the viol and lute, Ah, bitter to find that all things in my mouth Taste only of bitter sea fruit.

Meanwhile the old squire was much better in health, owing to the skill of Dr. Nestley, but dreading a relapse he insisted upon the young doctor staying with him for a time, and,...

To rule mankind is all I crave And at my feet to see them curled, For if you make the world your slave You'll ne'er be slave unto the world.

"Is this the end of all the years That thou hast lived, my friend? Of merry smiles and bitter tears, Is this the end? Tho' sad and dark the past appears, God to thy soul will co...

When Mr. Beaumont arrived at "The House of Good Living" about six o'clock, he proposed first to have his dinner, and then to go in for a good night's work in arranging all the d...

Reginald Blake was not enjoying himself very much in Town owing to his disturbed state of mind. For years he had pictured to himself the marvellous city and his life therein; ho...

Some chance word May strike upon an inattentive ear And rouse the soul from selfish slumberings, To wrestle with a thousand subtle foes That would destroy its hope of Paradise.

Miss Cassy was greatly excited over the afternoon tea to which she had bidden Mrs. Larcher and the rest of the vicarage inmates. It was a long time since she had taken part in a...

"Madonna, who hath ever stood As type of holy motherhood, I pray thee, for thy Son's dear sake, This sorrow from my bosom take. For there are those, with anger wild, Who wound t...

"He is a man Full of strange thoughts, and fancies whimsical, Who dreams of dreams that make his life a dream. And had he powers supernal at command, Would tumble heaven itself...

_Niobe_. From cruel Ph[oe]bus all my children fly. _Chorus_. Fly then, oh Queen, else will they bring thee harm. _Niobe_. What evil counsel is upon thy tongue? _Chorus_. The cou...

To say that those who had assembled in the drawing-room of the Grange to hear the will read were astonished at the extraordinary disclosures they had heard, would give but a fai...

Round the old Grange the winds were howling dismally, and now that the thaw had set in the sadness of the place was increased by the incessant dripping of the melted snow. The d...

On ancient tales your fancies feed, When woman ruled in saintly way, But we have changed such things to-day. For, after all, what use to heed? Only a woman's heart.

Dr. Larcher was in his study talking to Reginald Blake, who sat near the writing table, leaning his head upon his hand with his arm resting on the desk. The face of the good Vic...

On mount and mere the moonlight lies Dim shadows veil the western skies, On every stream the starlight gleams, And all is mystery and dreams. But now Night folds her sombre wing...

After great troubles our lives rearrange themselves in new forms, which last only until some later evil arises therefrom to alter them once more, and these latter in their turn...

The shriek was uttered by Patience Allerby, and when the whole party, recovering from their surprise, went upstairs they found her leaning against the door of the squire's room,...