n us as we pass;
And every zephyr showers,
From tilted leaf or grass,
Clear beads of moisture, seeming
Pale, pointed emeralds gleaming;
Where, through the green boughs streaming,
The daylight strikes like glass.

_She speaks._

How dewy, clean and fragrant
Look now the green and gold!--
And breezes trailing vagrant
Spill all the spice they hold.
The west begins to glimmer;
And shadows, stretching slimmer,
Crouch on the ways; and dimmer
Grow field and forest old.

Beyond those rainy reaches
Of woodland, far and lone,
A whippoorwill beseeches;
And now an owl's vague moan
Strikes faint upon the hearing.--
These say the dusk is nearing.
And, see, the heavens clearing
Take on a tender tone.

How feebly chirps the cricket!
How thin the tree-toads cry!
Blurred in the wild-rose thicket
Gleams wet the firefly.--
This way toward home is nearest;
Of weeds and briars clearest....
We'll meet to-morrow, dearest;
Till then, dear heart, good-bye.

3

_They meet again under the greenwood tree. He speaks:_

Here at last! And do you know
That again you've kept me waiting?
Wondering, anticipating,
If your "yes" meant "no."

Now you're here we'll have our day....
Let us take this daisied hollow,
And beneath these beeches follow
This wild strip of way

Towards the stream; wherein are seen
Stealing gar and darting minnow;
Over which snake-feeders winnow
Wings of black and green.

Like a cactus flames the sun;
And the mighty weaver, Even,
Tenuous colored, there in heaven,
His rich weft's begun....

How I love you! from the time--
You remember, do you not?--
When, within your orchard-plot,
I was reading rhyme,

As I told you. And 'twas thus--
"By the blue Trinacrian sea,
Far in pastoral Sicily
With Theocritus"--

That I answered you who asked.
But the curious part was this:--
That the whole thing was amiss;
That the Greek but masked

Tales of old Boccaccio--
Tall Decameronian maids
Strolled among Italian glades,
Smiling, sweet and slow.

And when you approached,--my book
Dropped in wonder,--seemingly
To myself I said, "'Tis she!"
And arose to look

In Lauretta's eyes and--true!
Found them yours.--You shook your head,
Laughing at me, as you said,
"Did I frighten you?"

You had come for cher