triumph, however, did not
culminate until the next appearance of "The Firefly," containing a song
"To the Evening Star," which _everybody_ knew to stand for Mrs.
Redmain. The chaos of the uninitiated, indeed, exoteric and despicable,
remained in ignorance, nor dreamed that the verses meant anybody of
note; to them they seemed but the calf-sigh of some young writer so
deep in his first devotion that he jumbled up his lady-love, Hesper,
and Aphrodite, in the same poetic bundle--of which he left the
string-ends hanging a little loose, while, upon the whole, it remained
a not altogether unsightly bit of prentice-work. Tom had not been at
the party, but had gathered fire enough from what he heard of Hesper's
appearance there to write the verses. Here they are, as nearly as I can
recall them. They are in themselves not worth writing out for the
printers, but, in their surroundings, they serve to show Tom, and are
the last with which I shall trouble the readers of this narrative.

"TO THE EVENING STAR.

"From the buried sunlight springing,
Through flame-darkened, rosy loud,
Native sea-hues with thee bringing,
In the sky thou reignest proud!

"Who is like thee, lordly lady,
Star-choragus of the night!
Color worships, fainting fady,
Night grows darker with delight!

"Dusky-radiant, far, and somber,
In the coolness of thy state,
From my eyelids chasing slumber,
Thou dost smile upon my fate;

"Calmly shinest; not a whisper
Of my songs can reach thine ear;
What is it to thee, O Hesper,
That a heart should long or fear?"

Tom did not care to show Letty this poem--not that there was anything
more in his mind than an artistic admiration of Hesper, and a desire to
make himself agreeable in her eyes; but, when Letty, having read it,
betrayed no shadow of annoyance with its folly, he was a little
relieved. The fact was, the simple creature took it as a pardon to
herself.

"I am glad you have forgiven me, Tom," she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Tom.

"For working for Mrs. Redmain with _your_ hands," she said, and,
breaking into a little laugh, caught his cheeks between those same
hands, and reaching up gave him a kiss that made him ashamed of
himself--a little, that is, and for the moment, that is: Tom was used
to being this or that a little for the moment.

For this same dress, which Tom had thus glorified in song, had been the
cause of bitter tears to Letty. He came h