1. ۱Now that I, tying thy glass mask tightly,
2. ۲May gaze through these faint smokes curling whitely,
3. ۳As thou pliest thy trade in this devil's-smithy--
4. ۴Which is the poison to poison her, prithee?
5. ۵
6. ۶He is with her, and they know that I know
7. ۷Where they are, what they do: they believe my tears flow
8. ۸While they laugh, laugh at me, at me fled to the drear
9. ۹Empty church, to pray God in, for them!--I am here!
10. ۱۰
11. ۱۱Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste,
12. ۱۲Pound at thy powder, I am not in haste!
13. ۱۳Better sit thus and observe thy strange things,
14. ۱۴Than go where men wait me, and dance at the King's.
15. ۱۵
16. ۱۶That in the mortar--you call it a gum?
17. ۱۷Ah, the brave tree whence such gold oozings come!
18. ۱۸And yonder soft phial, the exquisite blue,
19. ۱۹Sure to taste sweetly,--is that poison, too?
20. ۲۰Had I but all of them, thee and thy treasures,
21. ۲۱What a wild crowd of Invisible pleasures!
22. ۲۲To carry pure death in an earring, a casket,
23. ۲۳A signet, a fan-mount, a filigree basket!
24. ۲۴
25. ۲۵Soon, at the King's, a mere lozenge to give
26. ۲۶And Pauline should have just thirty minutes to live!
27. ۲۷But to light a pastille, and Elise, with her head
28. ۲۸And her ... and her arms and her hands, should drop dead!
29. ۲۹
30. ۳۰Quick--is it finished? The colour's too grim!
31. ۳۱Why not soft like the phial's, enticing and dim?
32. ۳۲Let it brighten her drink, let her turn it and stir,
33. ۳۳And try it and taste, ere she fix and prefer!
34. ۳۴
35. ۳۵What a drop! She's not little, no minion like me!
36. ۳۶That's why she ensnared him: this never will free
37. ۳۷The soul from those masculine eyes,--say "No!"
38. ۳۸To that pulse's magnificent come-and-go.
39. ۳۹
40. ۴۰For only last night, as they whispered, I brought
41. ۴۱My own eyes to bear on her so that I thought
42. ۴۲Could I keep them one half-minute fixed, she would fall
43. ۴۳Shrivelled; she fell not: yet this does it all!
44. ۴۴
45. ۴۵Not that I bid you spare her the pain;
46. ۴۶Let death be felt and the proof remain:
47. ۴۷Brand, burn up, bite into its grace--
48. ۴۸He is sure to remember her dying face!
49. ۴۹
50. ۵۰Is it done? Take my mask off! Nay, be not morose;
51. ۵۱It kills her, and this prevents seeing it close:
52. ۵۲The delicate droplet, my whole fortune's fee!
53. ۵۳If it hurts her, beside, can it ever hurt me?
54. ۵۴
55. ۵۵Now, take all my jewels, gorge gold to your fill,
56. ۵۶You may kiss me, old man, on my mouth if you will!
57. ۵۷But brush this dust off me, lest horror it brings
58. ۵۸Ere I know it--next moment I dance at the King's!