breast,
With arms in darkness searching wide,
The formless guest.

"'I am but free, as sorrow is,
To dry her tears, to laugh, to talk;
And free, as sick men are, I wis
To rise and walk.

"'And free, as poor men are, to buy
If they have nought wherewith to pay;
Nor hope, the debt before they die,
To wipe away.

"'What 'vails it there are wives to win,
And faithful hearts for those to yearn,
Who find not aught thereto akin
To make return?

"'Shall he take much who little gives,
And dwells in spirit far away,
When she that in his presence lives
Doth never stray,

"But waking, guideth as beseems
The happy house in order trim,
And tends her babes; and sleeping, dreams
Of them and him?

"'O base, O cold,'"--while thus he spake
The dream broke off, the vision fled;
He carried on his speech awake
And sighing said--

"'I had--ah happy man!--I had
A precious jewel in my breast,
And while I kept it I was glad
At work, at rest!

"'Call it a heart, and call it strong
As upward stroke of eagle's wing;
Then call it weak, you shall not wrong
The beating thing.

"'In tangles of the jungle reed,
Whose heats are lit with tiger eyes,
In shipwreck drifting with the weed
'Neath rainy skies,

"'Still youthful manhood, fresh and keen,
At danger gazed with awed delight
As if sea would not drown, I ween,
Nor serpent bite.

"'I had--ah happy! but 'tis gone,
The priceless jewel; one came by,
And saw and stood awhile to con
With curious eye,

"'And wished for it, and faintly smiled
From under lashes black as doom,
With subtle sweetness, tender, mild,
That did illume

"'The perfect face, and shed on it
A charm, half feeling, half surprise,
And brim with dreams the exquisite
Brown blessed eyes.

"'Was it for this, no more but this,
I took and laid it in her hand,
By dimples ruled, to hint submiss,
By frown unmanned?

"'It was for this--and O farewell
The fearless foot, the present mind,
And steady will to breast the swell
And face the wind!

"'I gave the jewel from my breast,
She played with it a little while
As I sailed down into the west,
Fed by her smile;

"'Then weary of it--far from land,
With sigh as deep as destiny,
She let it drop from her fair hand
Into the sea,

"'And watched it sink; and I--and I,--
What shall I