t. Then all departed
In gloomy silence, and the walls behind,
Repeated with a fearful echo: "Woe!"

VI

THE PARTING.

A WINTRY dawn, with stormy wind and snow;
Through storm and snow-clouds hastens Wallenrod.
Scarce stands he on the borders of the lake,
He calls aloud, striking the tower with sword.
"Aldona," cries he, "let us live, Aldona!
Thy lover comes; his vows are all fulfilled,
The foes have perished, all is now fulfilled."

THE RECLUSE.

"Alf! 'tis his voice indeed! My Alf, my love!
What! peace already! thou returnest safe?
Thou goest not forth again?"

KONRAD.

"For love of God,
Ask thou no tidings!--Listen, my beloved!
Listen, and weigh with carefulness each word,
The foes have perished. Dost thou see these fires?
Thou see'st? 'Tis Litwa's havoc with the Germans.
A hundred years heal not the Order's wounds,
I smote the hundred-headed monster's heart.
Their treasures wasted, well-springs of their power,
Their towns in flames, a sea of blood has flowed,--
I caused all this! I have fulfilled my vows!
More fearful vengeance hell might not conceive.
I will no more of it--I am a man!
I spent my youth in foul hypocrisy,
In bloody, murders. Now, bent down with age,
Wearied of treasons, I am unfit for war.
Enough of vengeance. Germans, too, are men!
God has enlightened me. I come from Litwa,
And I have seen those places, seen thy castle,
The Kowno castle,--now it lies in ruin.
I turned away, urged thence my rapid course;
And hurried to that valley, our own valley.
All was as formerly! Those woods, those flowers!
All as it was upon that very eve,
When to the valley breathed we long farewell.
Alas! it seems to me but yesterday!
That stone--rememberest thou that high-raised stone
Once of our rambles limit made and end?
It standeth now, though overgrown with moss;
Scarce might I view it, hidden thus in green.
I tore the herb off, watered it with tears.
That grassy seat, where, through the summer noon,
Thou didst among the maples love to rest;
That spring, whose waters then I sought for thee--
I found them all, looked on them, passed around.
And even thy little arbour still remains,
As with dry willow-twigs I fenced it in;
And those dry twigs, a wonder, my Aldona,
That once I planted in the barren sand,
To-day thou wouldst not know them--lovely trees,
And the light leaves of spring upon them wave,
And on them grows