d why death was the end of things,
And not the beginning.
And I knew at last,
Why you could never understand,
That tears may cover laughter,
And that laughter may be a veil
For tears.

You told me, last night,
That an ancestor of yours,
Had burned witches,
And, oh, as I sat in the candlelight,
Watching you,
I couldn't help wishing,
That somewhere behind you, in the shadows,

There was another ancestor--
A gay cavalier ancestor--
Who rode hard,
And fought with his sword,
And wore his hat, rakishly,
On the back of his head,
And knew--love.

APRIL

I had not meant to love again--all that was lost to
me,
For I had felt love's fear and pain, as well as ecstasy;
I closed my heart, and locked the door, and tossed
away the key.

All through the winter-time I sat before my flaming
fire,
And listened to the sleigh-bells chime, and watched
the flames leap higher,
To grasp at shadows, sombre-hued, with fiendish, red
desire.

And then mad April came again--I felt the breezes
blowing,
And I forgot the fear, the pain.... I only knew
that, glowing,
In shady nook and garden spot, pale hyacinths were
growing.

And when across the perfumed lea (for nothing could
defeat him! )
My vagrant love crept back to me... I did not
mean to greet him;
But April opened up my heart, and, oh, I ran to
meet him!

THE DESERT PATH--SEVEN SONNETS

I.

The camel tracks led whitely across the desert sand,
And one came riding after with furtive mystery;
Ah, one came swiftly riding, a dagger in his hand,
And he was bent on plunder--a nomad thief was he!
He did not heed the starshine that glimmered from
on high,
For laden beasts had traveled along the lonely way.
He did not see the glory that swept the Eastern sky,
For he had far to journey before the dawn of day.

He followed through the desert, and then at last he
saw
An inn upon the outskirts of some small village place;
And there were camels resting before the stable
door--
He left his horse, crept nearer, with greed upon his
face;
And peering o'er the threshold, he saw that gold was
piled,
With pr